d-mars.com Business Journal 56

Business Journal Inspire, Inform & Educate

december 2011

56TH Edition

Excellence Today for Success Tomorrow

INSIDE

2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast “The scholarship I received was inspiring, it was confidence building.” Corrin Williams PAGE 12

Customization is Key to Connecting with the Right Employers

By Christina R. Grochett Help the hiring manager picture you in the job.

PAGE 15

GUY RANKIN CEO OF HCHA & MR. D-MARS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE SOLDIER’S GUARDIAN

“If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet.” - John C. Maxwell

The Standard of Excellence

By Dr. D. L. Jones In life there are certain standards that we live by.

PAGE 24

Michael Nelson P2MG

Demetrick Overstreet Flawless Faces

Darrell King The Principle Partnering Group LLC

Dr. Dana Carson FD’s Famous Burgers & Chicago Style Wings

All About Online Meetings

By Jeff Schuman On-line meetings can have many great advantages.

PAGE 39

17

th Annual African American Business Achievement Pinnacle Awards Recipients

See page 10 - 11

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December 2011

December 2011

Behind The

Journal

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Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr. VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis EDITING CONSULTANT Sharon Jenkins OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Stephanie Myers ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Jourdan King ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mike Jones C.T. Foster Pastor Freddie L. Davis, III Dwight Jones Eric D. Goodwine PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard

Grady Carter MARKETING CONSULTANT Johnny Ray Davis, Jr. MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ghuzzala Malik (Faith) DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Johnny Ray Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Reshonda T. Billingsley Carla Lane Christina R. Grochett Brandon J. Herndon Dr. Tamyra Comeaux Paul Foley Crawford McGill Nikitia Johnson Tim Meadows Smith Darryl King Wayne Van Dyck Dr. D. L. Jones Alvin E. Terry Kwame Kuadey Sharon C. Jenkins Noel Pinnock Quintin Wiggins Julie Austin Jeff Schuman Tasha H. LaQuinn

The theme for this month’s journal is “Excellence Today for Success Tomorrow.” In today’s current economy business owners may be tempted to cut corners by minimizing their delivery of quality customer service. Wrong choice! Your customer is the most valuable asset you have and should be nurtured like they are your first born.

Excellence starts with you the business owner, maintenance of that mode of operation always falls on your shoulders. My advice to you as a seasoned business owner is to always deliver your best, even when it costs you.

In the end your reputation for quality will precede you and your noted integrity will keep you in business for a long, long time.

As always, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.

CONTENTS One on One with Harris County Housing Authority CEO Guy Rankin………………........... 4-5 Unchartered Territory…………………………………………………………………….............. 6-9 The 17th Annual African American Business Achievement Pinnacle Awards….................. 10 Givers and Takers…………………………………………………………………………............ 12 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast………………………………………....... 12 Customization is Key to Connecting with the Right Employers……………………….......... 15 What is an Individual(k) plan?.............................................................................................. 15 Reduce the Risk: Maintain Proper Breast Health and Early Detection…………….............. 17 The Structure of Excellence…………………………………………………………………....... 19 Business Buying Tips for Today’s Entrepreneur……………………………………................ 21 Feast on the Information and Services We Offer Online………………………………........... 21 6 Top Tips To Be A Billionaire………………………………………………………………........ 23 Challenges Facing Small and Minority Businesses………………………………………....... 23 Small Business Success Secret……………………………………………………………........ 23 The Standard of Excellence…………………………………………………………….............. 24 Excellence Today for Success Tomorrow in Ardyss………………………………................. 25 FD’s… Mother Carson Told You So!.................................................................................... 27 Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry and Image Consulting………………………………........... 30 Excellence Today for Success Tommorrow!........................................................................ 31 Bootstrapping Your Startup? Make Money Before You Spend It……………………............ 32 A Historical Flashback to a Critical Time in Black History…………………………………..... 33 P2MG’s Mike Nelson “A Solid Foundation For Success”…………………………………..... 35 From the Desk of Kevin Davis, Vice President of d-mars.com…………………………........ 35 Invictus = Success For A Lifetime……………………………………………………............... 36 Excellence Today For Success Tomorrow………………………………………..................... 37 Motivation and the Entrepreneur……………………………………………………….............. 37 All About Online Meetings………………………………………………………….................... 39 Tomorrow’s Recipe……………………………………………………………………….............. 39 Seven Strategies for Saving…………………………………………………………................. 39

MR. D-MARS Tip of the Month “Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.”

J. Paul Getty

“d-mars.com is certified with SBE, HUB, DBE & Port of Houston SBDP.”

D-MARS.com Business Journal 7322 Southwest Fwy, Suite 805 Houston, Texas 77074 713-272-9511 . Phone 713-272-6364 . Fax 1-800-453-8752 . Toll Free www.d-mars.com

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December 2011

One on One with Housing Authority CEO Guy R. Rankin IV

Guy Rankin As a member of the media covering the influx of Louisiana residents fleeing Hurricane Katrina, I saw the work of the Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA) long before I knew the man behind the agency responsible for housing thousands of evacuees. However, after sitting down with Guy Rankin, it’s no surprise the HCHA CEO implemented a finely-oiled machine that is on the brink of being able to run itself.

Rankin is no stranger to hard work and that’s why after spending the day with him at his one-of-a-kind veteran-themed facility, I was proud to not only learn of all that he’s done, but I anticipate what is yet to come.

MR. DMARS: As CEO of the Harris County Housing Authority, you wear a multitude of hats. How did you prepare for such a demanding position and what makes you equipped to lead such an esteemed organization?

Guy Rankin: As cliché’ as it may sound, I guess I’ve been preparing for this

all my life. I was a city planner for the City of Houston when I first moved to Houston. From there, I went to the county and became the planning manager for the community development. Then I went on to be the planning director for the City of Laporte and that was a great experience.

From there, I stepped out on my own and built houses as a small business owner.

Then, I got a call from the county asking me to consult. I thought what better way

to give back than through housing for people who need it. When I took over, it was a troubled housing authority and I said we’re going to change some business principles of this organization, where you’re rewarded for hard work and you’re rewarded for helping people and we’re going to train everyone like our lives depended on it because

it really does. At this point I must thank the great co-workers I’ve been honored to serve. Working with some of the finest men and women in the industry makes such a demanding position relatively easy.

Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity to work for two great Chairman of the Board and some of the most amazing housing commissioners to ever serve the authority.

I know I stand with great people who want

to do great things to help people who need our services. This was 2004-2005. So for that first year and a half, we cleaned up all

the audit findings, we trained everybody, we hired the most professional people in the industry and then, a year and a half later, we had Hurricane Katrina. At our doorsteps, 600 people lined up saying ‘we need housing.’ We don’t own public housing.

Our hard work over the previous year and a half had earned credibility in the industry throughout the apartment association.

I called a man named Mike Robinson and said, “Will you house these people?” I had no idea how we would pay rent, furnish the apartments, or even turn on electricity, but we made it happen. From 2pm to 3am, that day, we had 240 units completely furnished and we started moving people into housing.

MR. DMARS: One aspect of that move involved the development of vouchers, something that brought national recognition. Can you tell us about your voucher

program and how it led to other cities asking for your help?

Rankin: We developed a voucher so that we can track people, track who we’re helping. During the first three days of Katrina, we took 1,000 seniors off the Astrodome floor. As they came in, we took them to new homes. In 18 days, 65,000 people went through the Astrodome. We created America’s Housing Choice Center and they were all housed.

We were able to do that because we had a trained competent business staff that has compassion. Because of what they did, our job was to house everyone on the Astrodome floor. From that, 36,000 families were served from Sept. 2005 to Dec. 31. Because of that, the US Department of Urban Development asked us to help

CEO Guy Rankin had the opportunity to brief former Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, and then Candidates Senator Obama and Senator Clinton during Hurricane Katrina efforts at the Reliant Center/Houston Astrodome.

out housing people around the country.

We went to Lubbock, TX and wrote out the disaster housing assistance program, America’s first disaster assistance program.

A select group of Housing Authorities and Federal Partners HUD, FEMA and others hammered out the details and created the Disaster Housing Assistance Program, better known as DHAP. HCHA was awarded the DHAP USA program and ended up working in 41 states throughout the country for the next three years.

In addition, they asked some of my senior staff to go to New Orleans build out 60,000 square feet of space and house 12,000 people for the next two years so we did that also. And while we’re housing people in multiple states for disasters, we’re also building eight different developments that are needed throughout Harris County. Then we have Hurricane Ike, so in the middle of two of the largest natural disasters, we

Hurricane Ike Damage kept building our program, taking care of the people of Harris County and we also took care of people throughout the country. We have a small dedicated professional business staff, committed to what they do.

So when you try to compare us to Agency X that’s doing regular business, we’re not Agency X, not because they don’t do great

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work. We just do things differently focusing on providing the best to those who need it the most.

MR. DMARS: You’ve come under fire from a daily newspaper for the salaries of you and some of your staff but it seems that your agency isn’t an ordinary agency. Do you receive local tax dollars to do the work you do from my property taxes?

Rankin: That’s correct. We receive NO TAX DOLLARS. So every single day, we have to get up and say “How are we going to fund ourselves for the next three months, six months, a year.” We have to compete against private and public entities and non-profits. To develop something like our Sierra Meadows project, there’s an application and RFP process. So, we have to hire on my staff, trained financial people, trained developers, trained case managers, who can put together an application and compete one-on-one with a private or public business for those same dollars and we have to do that every day. For example, to build and help veterans, we had to apply twice. We had to apply to Community Development for $1.8 million in home funds here to buy this land. Then we had to apply to the state against the best developers in the state and win. So 100 applications go in and the top six or eight get funded every year. Eight years straight we’ve been in the top to get funding. We don’t work normal hours. If you go in any governmental office at 5:25, the doors are closed. When we have to do something, I call the office and my staff is there till 12 o’clock at night. It’s just different. It’s the business of affordable housing.

MR. DMARS: If you’re not funded through tax dollars where does the money come from?

Rankin: You have to earn it. Just like a private business. It comes from putting a structured deal together. On the housing choice voucher side, you get a six percent admin fee – the only fee you get. For every 94 dollars you spend, you’ll get six dollars.

What business operates on that mode? Every year we spend $500,000 from our other

developments, subsidizing our program so we run a Class A voucher program. I look at my tax bill like everyone else. If you look at your tax bill, you don’t see HCHA anywhere on there.

MR. DMARS: Why, then would anyone have a problem with what you do, or the fact that you and some of your staff make certain salaries from it, especially when you look at the fact that not a single tax dollar is used to fund those salaries?

Rankin: I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t even look at why. You’ll have to ask those that have a problem. All we can say is we’re going to continue to do a good job. We hired a third party (Condrey and Associates) to do a salary and compensation study. They came in our organization and said what kind of expertise this person had, what kind of resume this person had, what do they do to manage federal regulations, and they developed a job description to fit that.

MR. DMARS: The other local newspaper ran a story saying your salary was higher than others in the County, State and Nation, based on the number of vouchers you served. Please explain?

Rankin: That information is completely wrong. The story was false and misleading to the general public and to elected officials. Since 1974, the Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA) has never been spotlighted on the front page of the Houston Chronicle, despite achieving some of the most amazing accomplishments in the history of public housing authorities. The personal attacks are inter-

esting and noteworthy, but a half-truth is not worth the paper it’s written on. The article titled “Salaries soar at the Harris County Housing Authority,” and subsequent stories failed to accurately reflect job descriptions and duties of those persons whose salaries were provided, nor did the articles mention the additional work completed on a national scale by those HCHA employees. The salaries themselves are in line with two independent salary surveys conducted by Werling Associates and Condrey and Associates, which were approved by the HCHA Board of Commissioners.

The article also used a false and misleading salary chart that did not show the total number of vouchers managed by HCHA or the correct salaries of other PHA executives, and it completely ignored numbers from other public, private and nonprofit operations that do similar work to that of the HCHA. I found it interesting that other local governments were paid more than our staff, yet we were highlighted for having paid our people in accordance with our salary surveys.

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the housing authority to be self-sufficient.

That means, if HUD were to go away, not fund any vouchers, the government’s broke, closed, in ten year’s time, the Harris County Housing authority could pay for itself and keep serving the neediest most vulnerable populations in Harris County.

That was our goal and we’re almost there.

MR. DMARS: It sounds like the adage; you get what you pay for. If you want competent staff capable of doing all that you do, and growing the agency at the same time, you have to have salaries that are comparable in order to maintain such an experienced and effective staff. Why would you stay in housing when you know with your level of expertise, you can make so much more in the private sector?

Rankin: Because I care. If I don’t do this, no one will do it. Not to say anything about Harris County, but our industry in general. Sometimes the nail that stands out gets hammered hardest. But if we don’t do this, who will? I love housing, I love affordable housing. I love it, I live it. If I can build an affordable place for somebody, it makes me extremely happy.

It’s my essence. The next development is Cypresswood Estates; the first platinum green development community in Harris County. The Housing Authority won a finalist of the year for that, one of the three best in the country. We look forward to building University Place, a smart home that talks to you. We have a vision to do some things that are forward reaching. So I have so much I want to do,

MR. DMARS: A lot of people don’t know that when you took over the Harris County Housing Authority, the company had only $600,000 in assets. You have increased that to $45 million in just eight years.

Rankin: One of the things we pride ourselves in is financial responsibility. In the eight years I’ve been here, we’ve had 23 audits. Eight independent audits all turned into HUD. They had zero findings. There are lots of different governmental agencies that give back millions to the federal government, money and there are so many people who need afthat they misspend and they never make fordable housing. the front page of any newspaper. We work to serve those in need everysingle day. Our mission is to provide innovative housing and help people achieve self-sufficiency. I enjoy it.

MR. DMARS: Private companies that bring in that kind of money, the CEO generally takes, seven to 15 percent.

Rankin: Right, if I were truly a private CEO, MR. D-MARS gives Harris County 10 to 20 percent of that would be in my pocket.

Housing Authority CEO Guy Rankin That’s not my objective. the Thumbs Up for job well done for We started this with a strategy seven years ago. It being an asset to our community. said in ten years, we want

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December 2011

Unchartered Territory

Harris County Housing Authority one-of-a-kind facilities garnering national acclaim

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Contributing Wrtier

Just off Beltway 8 in the heart of Humble, Texas lies what, to some, may seem like an ordinary upscale apartment complex. But a closer look at Sierra Meadows reveals a housing facility that’s anything but ordinary.

It’s not just the fact that Sierra Meadows is the new face of affordable housing – but this 10-acred themed housing development pays homage to U.S. Veterans. The residential development is dedicated to families that support our veterans. Aptly called A Patriots Development, the facility serves as an affordable living facility and is the brainchild of Harris Country Housing Authority CEO, Guy Rankin.

“If housing is the foundation of our society, and I would suggest it is because everybody you know lives somewhere, then why not give to our bravest?” Rankin believes. “That’s the most important thing we should do.”

The first of its kind, Sierra Meadows draws inspiration from the men and women who serve our country. The design of the community pays homage to the veterans, their families and people who support our American heroes.

“Veteran housing, technically would be a violation of fair housing,” Rankin said. “You can’t just do housing for veterans but you can do veteran-themed housing. There’s nothing else like Sierra Meadows in the country. The positive thing is that it can be duplicated and replicated.

Low-income housing tax credits are used throughout the nation. All you have to do is have a little bit of will and you can match the funding sources together and you can have veteran themed housing.”

Guests to Sierra Meadows can first browse through Prosperity Park. The entire park is a tribute to the armed forces. Two lion statues symbolizing honor and glory greet guests at the park, which sits at the entrance to Sierra Meadows. Just inside the small park is another statue of two children raising a flag, symbolizing all the kids whose parents have died in war. Embedded in the pavement are plaques bearing the creed of the branches of the military. And just above an iron cross, with boots and a

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rifle, are the words “All gave some, and some gave all.”

That cross named in honor of Lance Corporal Phillip C. George; a Harris County marine killed in Afghanistan.

“We designed the park so that the public can come by and visit,” Rankin said. “It’s basically a sacred circle.

When you come here, every soldier that has passed away, you can thank them.”

All 90 apartments and single story town homes at Sierra Meadows range in price from $380 to $780 a month and provide stunning views of the Purple Heart Plaza, the largest living purple heart. Residents of the patrioticthemed gated community also enjoy a community clubhouse, beauty salon, media library, avant-garde fitness center, magnificent landscape, manicured garden, and a resort-style pool (shaped like the United States). The courtyard of Sierra Meadows bears a gold star in honor of soldiers that have died in battle; a blue star in honor of the mothers of those soldiers; as well as an 18-hole golf course that honors our presidents because they were Commander-in-Chiefs. Perhaps the most chilling feature is a beautiful, life-like bronze statue of an angel taking a soldier that has just passed away, up to heaven.

Rankin said the goal of the facility is simple: to provide all veterans with safe, decent and honorable housing and give older residents in general affordable housing.

For resident Robert Goldston, who served in the military at the onset of the Vietnam War, this assisted living facility is a dream come true.

“This place is wonderful. We need more things like this because veterans gave up a whole lot to go into the military. It’s not like the veterans are mooching off the government. So, it’s refreshing to live in place like that, that honors us. We deserve a place like this,” Goldston said.

One of many

The Harris County Housing Authority is known nationally and internationally. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, HCHA led the effort that housed more than 25,000 people in 18 days through the Astrodome. They went on to design and develop America’s first long-term disaster assistance program, which ultimately served more than 36,000 families in the Houston area.

“This was the largest and most successful emergency housing operation in American history and it was led by the HCHA,” Rankin said.

HCHA will soon unveil another first, with the opening of Cypresswood Estates, Houston’s premier affordable Active Adult green community. This first-of-its-kind facility uses the highest possible LEED green building standards. Everything in sight supports or enhances your lifestyle while reducing environmental impact.

The one-of-a-kind complexes are just some of the things that have made HCHA a model for housing agencies across the country.

“We don’t try to be the best, a lot of people compare, but if others would do just a little of what we do, it could make a huge difference,” Rankin said. “We just say this is a model of what can be done. We don’t focus on what can’t be done. We look at what can be done.”

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December 2011

Rewarding hard work and informing the community

Rankin and his staff have recently come under fire after, but the facts about the HCHA speak for themselves. HCHA designed and implemented America’s Housing Choice Center that moved more than 65,000 people through the Houston Astrodome to temporary housing in 18 days. This was the largest and most successful emergency housing operation in American history -- and it was led by the HCHA. The HCHA’s leaders conceived this operation and put it in motion, demonstrating to the entire world the extensive potential, the innovation and the effective execution that was developing within HCHA. The efforts led to the operation of the Joint Hurricane Task Force that housed more than 36,000 families after hurricanes Katrina and Rita from September 2005 to December 2005. That’s 36,000 families in three months. Additionally, HCHA set up and developed Disaster Housing Programs throughout the country, serving more than 20,000 additional families in 41 states, including operating the program for six additional public housing authorities in and around the Greater New Orleans Area. The HCHA served more than 60,000 families moving from emergency housing to temporary housing to self-sufficiency using a network of public, private and nonprofit leaders to help Harris County, the State of Texas and the United States from 2005 to present. All of this information was furnished to the newspaper before any of these stories were written.

While providing crucial housing options during some of our nation’s greatest disasters, HCHA kept its focus on serving the needs of Harris County by developing safe and respectable housing for the homeless and for seniors, including a community with a veteran theme. All housing developments were ideas of the HCHA Board of Commissioners, in accordance with our mission.

HCHA accomplished the emergency housing transition programs with the most highly trained and efficient PHA staff anywhere on the planet. In 2004, caseworkers and financial staff were given training not only to manage their work but also to be able to understand and manage the entire housing authority. These highly trained professionals were set up to run other housing authorities and were called on to do so when three large natural disasters hit. They accomplished these events with class and professionalism, without bringing attention to “It is truly sad to see each of some of the best and brightest in the industry tainted by half-truths by a few,” he said. “We are a champion and advocate for seniors, veterans, the poor and the disabled. There are those in powerful positions who fight what we do every single day. After directly helping more than 100,000 families in need, the forces against us are huge…but greater are those for us than against us. There are people who conspire against organizations and people. Those loud voices against what we do have consistently fought against seniors, veterans, the poor, the disabled and minorities. I know we have been considered one of the best PHA’s in the nation. I also know that our story has never been told to the public at large. Ask those who criticize us in the public if they have visited one of our developments or talked to one of the thousands of families that we directly helped. It is disgraceful that the highest elected official in Harris County may not care about affordable housing, seniors or veterans. We get it and will continue to create some of the best affordable housing developments in American history and help as many senior, veterans and disabled persons as we can. In the final analysis, we will continue to do great work, knowing that it may never be on the front page of the paper or even on a small column in the back of the paper. Our hope is that the people we have helped are of greater consequence than the halftruths being told.”

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Harris County Housing Authority Accomplishments The Harris County Housing Authority is recognized as HUD’s highest-performing housing authority in the region and one of America’s 10 best public housing authorities. Over the past eight years, HCHA has grown from a troubled agency to reach extraordinary heights by — • housing the homeless, • creating homeowners, • developing more than 1,000 new affordable-housing units, • responding to natural disasters, • building the first Platinum LEED senior community in the nation, • producing the first veteran-themed, tax-credit community in the nation, and • designing a master-planned community specifically designed to honor our nation’s brave veterans.

The accomplishments below reflect the fruition of staff-board alignment and our commitment to improve the lives of the citizens of Harris County. HCHA is a government agency that serves more than 2 million people in a service area of approximately 1,100 square miles. HCHA has garnered a reputation for excellence through accomplished change and innovation.

HCHA programs include our Senior Housing Development Program, Assisted Housing Program, Single Room Occupancy Program, and the Independence Homeownership Program. HCHA is considered the best affordable-housing leader in America in terms of managing a housing authority. From 2005-2010, HCHA has developed more than 1,000 new affordablehousing units (worth over $100 million) for the citizens of Harris County and has created or provided more than 3,000 jobs. HCHA has also employed as many as 1,000 contract workers through its wide-reaching disaster housing qualifications. This strong performance has not gone unnoticed.

In addition, they have: • Increased net assets of $642,000 in 2004 to $45.2 million in projected assets for HCHA, a 6,490% increase • Administered 1,438 Housing Choice Vouchers in 2004; now serves 4,098 HCV families, a nearly 300% increase • Developed eight housing communities through public/private partnerships that provide 1,038 units of affordable housing within Harris County and created more than 2,000 local jobs and more than 100 million dollars in development • Created the nation’s first housing choice voucher to house people during a natural disaster.

• Produced the first veteran-themed, tax credit community in the nation • One of the first housing authorities in the US to change all of its inspection vehicles to hybrid vehicles.

• Awarded highest ranking for high-performing housing authorities for eight consecutive years by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development • Developed a national disaster recovery model that can be implemented within 72 hours of a disaster • Built the first Platinum LEED senior community in the nation www.thesierrameadowsapartments.com

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10. December 2011

th The 17 Annual African American Business

Achievement Pinnacle Awards

T

he Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce hosted the 17th Annual African American Business Achievement Pinnacle Awards Black Tie Gala at the Hilton Americas Hotel.

The mission of the African American Business Achievement Pinnacle Awards is to spotlight and honor African American businesses that have achieved success by combining vision, determination, perseverance and dedication to building strong communities.

For the past 16 years, the Chamber has hosted the Pinnacle Awards honoring excellence, tenacity and dedication of entrepreneurialism in the African-American business community. The Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce established the Pinnacle Awards in 1994, and is celebrating 17 years of recognizing outstanding African - American businesses. The nominees received awards in the following categories: • The Advocate Award • The Endurance Award • The Excellence Award • The Mack H. Hannah Jr., Upstart Business Award • The Pinnacle Award The gala was preceded by the Chairman’s Reception, hosted by Chairman of the Board, Carroll Robinson.

Remarks were given at the reception by Houston Mayor Annise Parker and keynote speaker, Mr. Alfred Edmond, Jr. of Black Enterprise. The gala was followed by a dessert reception and entertainment featuring Ms. Liz Vaughn.

Mr. Marcus Davis, President/Owner of tbk holdings (The Breakfast Klub) served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies.

Alfred Edmond Jr., Senior Vice President/Editor-AtLarge of Black Enterprise delivered the keynote address.

Edmond is the senior vice president/editor-at-large of BLACK ENTERPRISE. He is a content leader, brand representative and expert resource for all of the media platforms under the BLACK ENTERPRISE brand. Edmond is also responsible for helping to set and enforce quality standards for the editorial content of the major franchises of BLACK ENTERPRISE, including BlackEnterprise.com; BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine; live networking events, such as the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo and the Women of Power Summit; and the Our World with Black Enterprise and Black Enterprise Business Report television shows.

Since 1935, the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce has served as an advocate for African American business owners and professionals in the greater Houston metropolitan area. HCCC continues to provide value to its members, area businesses and the greater Houston community.

December 2011

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Annual African American Business Achievement Pinnacle Awards Recipients

The Advocate Award Recipient: Comerica Bank

At Comerica, they know that their business can only succeed if the markets they serve are economically healthy and viable.

That is why they are dedicated to improving the communities where they live and work. As a result of their excellent service to the Houston African American community they received The Advocate Award.

They do this through contributions, partnerships, and volunteer resources. The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) is also fully embraced by Comerica, as evidenced by their “Outstanding” CRA rating from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Their commitment to the community is based on their clear vision of being a socially responsible corporation making a tangible difference in the communities they serve.

The Endurance Award Recipient: Mr. DeAndre Sam & A-Rocket Moving and Storage

DeAndre Sam acquired controlling interest in the family business in 1997. In that same year A-Rocket’s revenue increased by 50%. Under the leadership of Sam, the company relocated to a new corporate office that enabled the entire operations to be consolidated under one roof. This acquisition gave the company the infrastructure to better compete in a larger market place.

The company currently employs a staff of 150 people on a full time basis; and manages a fleet of 26 trucks ranging from panel vans to tractor-trailers. The company is a full service relocation entity doing business with many of the largest companies in the area. His company recently celebrated their 50 year anniversary.

The Excellence Award Recipient: Mr. Sherman Lewis

The Lewis Group’s business

success didn’t just happen overnight. Through many years of steadfast commitment, dedication, hard work, diligence and

most of all patience, The Lewis Group has flourished into its current state. They were most recently listed on the Black Enterprise 100 (#34) as one of the largest Black businesses in America, having surpassed $100 Million in gross revenues as of 2011.

They presently amass an enterprise that now employs more than 600 employees, and produces more than $100 million in revenues. The founders firmly believe that there is no such thing as instant gratification. Some may think in order to be successful you must be lucky. The Lewis Group founders think that serendipity plays a part, but more so luck is “When Preparation Meets Opportunity”. You must prepare yourself for the right situations that can scale your business, and drive expansion!

The 2011 Mack H. Hannah Upstart Business Award Recipient: POParazzi’s Popcorn

POParazzi’s Gourmet POPcorn is Houston’s latest snack craze. The gourmet sweet shop

has over 175 flavors of popcorn to salivate. In addition to being known for it’s famous popcorn they offer an amazing selection of gifts/nostalgic old fashion candies and sodas, New Orleans’s shavedice snow-balls, home made cotton candy, and other novelties to tantalize your sweet tooth.

POParazzi’s is under the direction of Irwin Daniels and Deadrick Roland. The partnership is ideal as Deadrick is the visionary behind the brand and Irwin the consummate businessman. Their popcorn has been featured from the luxury suites at the Houston Texans games to recently in swag bags for celebrities at the Emmy’s. The Duo is preparing to open many locations in the Houston area and offering franchise opportunities starting in January 2012.

cial real estate firm and one of the leaders in the industry. ARVO’s team of affiliates and local brokers cover 20 states. Their team of experienced professionals develops strategies to help their clients achieve their objectives and provides the technology and resources to do it.

• GoGo Business Communications – Joi Beasley, President & CEO

The 2011 Pinnacle Award Recipients

• Arvo Reality Advisors – Ed Ryland, President & CEO

Ed Ryland is the President and CEO of ARVO Realty Advisors. He has more than 25 years of extensive experience in real estate brokerage, consulting, and tenant and landlord representation. ARVO provides complete commercial real estate services, including brokerage, consulting, research, and valuation, to corporations, government entities, small businesses, and investors. They assist with office, industrial, retail, multifamily, build-to-suit, and land transactions.

Having successfully completed and currently performing major domestic and international assignments in 13 states and Australia and Poland, ARVO is recognized by industry experts as the fastest-growing minority-owned commer-

GOGO Business Communications is owned and operated by Joi Beasley, President/ CEO. Beasley has an 18 plus year history in the document management industry, experienced in executive management, training, organizational development, human resources and operations.

A native of Omaha, NE, she is a proud Fisk University Alumni and completed her graduate studies in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology at University of Tulsa. Beasley is listed as Top 25 Women of Houston by Rolling Out Magazine 2010, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated and the proud mother of Xander!

• P2MG – Michael Nelson, President

Mr. Nelson has over 15 years of experience in Program/ Project Management with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and 2 years with Skanska USA Building. He was a senior project manager on build-to-suit and interior fit-up projects for commercial lease space for Top Secret Agencies throughout the United States.

He specializes in managing Federal Government contracts and is an expert in Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) and Scientific Compartmental information Facility (SCIF) Requirements. He has managed over 500K sq. /ft. of build to suit/ interior fit-up projects for the Federal Government, valued over $100M. Mr. Nelson helped the clients get the best value on all projects and meet the triple constraint (Time, Cost and Quality).

• The Guess Group, Inc. – John L. Guess III, President (Impact Award) Mr. Guess has been President of The Guess Group, Inc., a premiere real estate consulting firm since 1988. Having served as former Director of Real Estate with The City of Houston, he has more than 35 years of local and national experience in matters of commercial real estate. Mr. Guess has particular expertise in public sector engagements, urban planning, urban development and land assemblage, including the facilitation of public/private collaborations.

Mr. Guess is a member of the Houston Board of Realtors, Houston Real Estate Association, American Asset Management Association, Texas Association of Real Estate Brokers, Urban Land Institute, and is the past president of the Third Ward Redevelopment Council.

He was appointed by past City of Houston Mayor Bob Lanier, along with other development experts, to revise the City’s “Chapter 42” Redevelopment ordinance. He also is a member of the Executive Committee of the Urban Land Institute, Houston Chapter, and Greater Houston Partnership.

12. December 2011

Givers and Takers 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By Carla Lane, Contributing Writer

T

his weekend my parents and I talked about a situation that left me feeling as if I had been taken advantage of; you see, one of my greatest attributes is that I love people, but it is also one of my greatest weaknesses. Unfortunately, my love for people leaves me open for those who my parents labeled as, “Takers”. According to my parents, “Takers” are those who believe as if the world owes them something, and thus they look for what they can get from a situation, not what they can give.

You see, I was raised to use my gifts, my resources, my life as tool to enrich the lives of others. This premise has served me well. Life has been good to me. Although, I have had my share of set-backs and disappointments I have been abundantly blessed. That said it still hurts when you feel as if you have been used.

My parents message to me was clear, “When you give, know that you give because that is who you are. It really has nothing to do with the recipient; it has to do with you. God will raise people up to reward your generosity, that person may never say thank you.

In fact they probably will curse you when you no longer are their own personal piggy bank, taxi, or babysitter. But it’s not about them, it about you being you; don’t let anyone stop you from being you.”

Wow! I am almost 40 years old, and I am still figuring out who I am. I never really thought of it in those terms. I mean I say that it doesn’t matter if someone feels like they are getting over, they won’t get over long. I always called those people “users” but I like the term “takers” better, it is the exact opposite of

me-- “a giver”. Those people who are “takers” don’t just use us and never give anything back, by that I don’t mean they fail to repay a debt, but I mean they fail to give the reciprocity that healthy relationships require. Further, if we allow them, they take our joy, our excitement, our dreams and our compassion. They leave us untrusting, paranoid, unhappy and pessimistic.

When I think of it in those terms, it makes me even more determined to be me and not allow any bricks thrown at me to change who I am. I refuse to give power to those who whether intentionally or not seek to “take” the gifts given to me and use them for their own benefit. I will continue to give freely, where I am moved to give and I will say a resounding “No” when the answer is “No”.

I will not allow anyone to cause me to second guess my decisions, gifts or contributions because the blessings that God has given me, I am convinced were given to share, and by sharing my blessings and lessons I know that God will continue to bless and teach me because HE knows I will freely share those blessings and lessons.

The whole situation reminds me of a story I heard while in elementary school.

“A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone in the wise woman’s bag, admired it, and asked the wise woman to give it to him. The wise woman did so without hesitation.

The traveler left rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the jewel was worth enough to give him security for the rest of his life.

But a few days later he came back, searching for the wise woman. When he found her, he returned the stone and said, “I have been thinking. I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back to you in the hope that you can give me something much more precious. If you can, give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”

Be you!

Carla

Advertise today in D-MARS Business Journal Call US TODAY! 713.272.9511

Memorial Breakfast:

The North Houston Frontiers Club Legacy Continues

Captain Paul J. Matthews

“Being a member of the North Houston Frontiers Club allows me the wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people by helping them in their pursuit of educational excellence! Knowledge is power, and it will allow the students who take advantage of our scholarship program to flourish in whatever professional career they choose.”

- Dwight Jackson, 2012 Breakfast Chair The North Houston Frontiers Club, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c) (3), service organization, dedicated to providing educational and monetary assistance to talented, deserving students in the greater Houston area. The North Houston Frontiers Club’s membership is composed of 20 African-American men and women volunteers, no paid staff, who are determined to give something back to the community. The club annually hosts the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast to support the North Houston Frontiers’ Minority Scholarship Program.

Since its inception in 1986, the North Houston Frontiers Club Scholarship Program has

awarded over one million dollars to deserving college bound minority high school seniors in the Houston area. The success of the Scholarship Program is due to the generous contributions and participation of corporate sponsors, organizations, individuals, school counselors and members of the North Houston Frontiers Club. The funds raised at the 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast, funded 7, 4-year scholarships for 2011. These 7 new scholarship winners join the current 30 scholarship winners that are in our Scholarship Program.

Scholarship recipients have been graduates from a crosssection of High Schools in the Greater Houston area. Their majors in colleges have been diverse as have the colleges and universities that they have chosen to attend. A number of them have completed graduate degrees (including Masters and PhD’s) and now work in a wide range of careers. Corrin Williams a 2003 scholarship recipient stated “The scholarship I received was inspiring, it was confidence building. It pushed me to continue to achieve and strive for higher goals”.

Christopher LuGrand Dawkins, Esq. another recipient had a life changing experience after getting the NHFC scholarship. He states, “It has been 11 years since I was awarded my North Houston Frontiers Club Scholarship. Now a lawyer, I clearly see the value of the scholarship. It did not just assist with undergraduate expenses, but it was the mortar in paving the way to all my hopes and dreams. The Scholarship and the ongoing support of the NHFC have meant the world and I am eternally grateful!”

In addition to the Scholarship Program, the NHFC uses the annual Breakfast to acknowledge outstanding individuals who have demonstrated the values that are associated with Dr. King by awarding the prestigious “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum

Major Award”. Starting in 1989 with the awarding of the Club’s first award to Mrs. Madgelean Bush (at the time the Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Houston), the club has subsequently honored 25 additional individuals. The honorees include individuals such as Rev. William Lawson, Councilman Judson W. Robinson, Jr., George Foreman, Deloyd Parker, Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee and a host of other distinguished recipients.

Captain Paul J. Matthews, Curator of the Buffalo Soldiers Museum, one of the past distinguished honorees stated, “The test of time has clearly demonstrated the extraordinary vision and spiritual leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King. Being a recipient of the 2009 Drum Major Award has strengthened my commitment to preserve, promote and perpetuate the honor and legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers. I salute the members of the North Houston Frontiers Club, Inc. for paying tribute to Dr. King, recognizing my efforts and providing educational opportunities for worthy students. Keep up the great work.”

With regards to specific information for the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast, the Keynote speaker will be Ms. Christina Norman, Executive Editor of Black Voices, Huffington Post Media Group.

Mr. Gene Norman, Channel 11 Chief Meteorologist, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Cary Yates, Senior Vice President, Market Growth and Development Manager, Wells Fargo Bank, and Ms. Clarease Yates will be serving as Honorary CoChairpersons. The 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award will be presented to Mr. Robert Mills, President/ CEO, Frontiers International Foundation.

Finally, the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast will be a very special event for the club as it will be the 25th Anniversary Breakfast! The Club is especially looking forward to this event and we will be working diligently throughout the year to make it the best one ever!

December 2011

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14. December 2011

December 2011

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Customization is Key to Connecting with the Right Employers

I

CHRISTINA R. GROCHETT

By Christina Robinson Grochett, University of Phoenix South Texas Vice President

n August, Houston’s unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent from 8.9 percent in July, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. This is slightly lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.1 percent. While unemployment has improved in the Houston area, it is no secret that employers are still being cautious about hiring.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports there are currently three million available jobs nationwide. Successful companies understand the benefit of bringing in top talent even in a slower market to remain competitive, but they are also more focused now on finding the right fit.

“Companies are still hiring, they are just being more deliberate in the current climate,” said Dr. Melanie Brown, campus college chair for University of Phoenix School of Business graduate programs. “It is more important than ever for candidates to demonstrate how their skills line up with the company’s needs and the immediate value they will bring to an organization.”

While the Internet has made it easier to apply for a job, this also means hiring managers are inundated with resumes that are not relevant to the positions for which they are hiring. Gone are the days of sending out hundreds of resumes and hoping one will catch the eye of the right recruiter. In this competitive job market, it is imperative to take the time to customize your communication. It’s also more important than ever to do your research and find the right individuals to connect with at the company and come to interviews with knowledge of the industry, company and competitors.

Here are some tips to help you stand out from the crowd in your job search.

Tips for Writing Résumés and Cover Letters that Demand Attention 1. Help the Hiring Manager Picture You in the Job: Your résumé is a snapshot of how your skills and experience will add value to the organization.

• Read the job posting thoroughly and customize your résumé and cover letter to the job at hand.

• Research the company history, product lines, service offerings, competitors and company needs and keep these in mind as you are communicating your experience.

2. Keywords Count: According to CareerBuilder.com data, 161 million searches are done by recruiters, hiring managers and job seekers every month on CareerBuilder.com using keywords.

• Recruiters often use electronic scanners to search résumés for keywords and rank candidates.

• Add keywords from the job posting into your résumé as they apply to your experience.

3. Avoid Empty Words: Of course it is good to be hard-working and ambitious, but it is much better to demonstrate this rather than just say it.

• Be sure to back up your résumé claims with solid examples rather than empty keywords such as aggressive, creative, detail-oriented, experienced and successful.

4. Drop the Career Objective and add a Career Summary: Hiring managers are most interested in what you will bring to the organization.

• Career Objectives were often included on résumés of the past, but are now outdated.

• Instead, include a Career Summary at the top of your résumé related to the desired job.

• Consider including keywords that match the job description, relevant achievements, hard and soft skills and experience that sets you apart

from other candidates.

5. Results Speak Louder than Tasks: Use power and actions words, be specific, include data and numbers and be sure to paint a clear picture of what your experience brings to the organization.

Being More Effective in Interviews 1. Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes and try to understand his/her motivations.

• Ask yourself these questions as you prepare for interviews and be sure to communicate these answers during your interview even if you aren’t directly asked these questions. If hired, how will you make my life easier? What distinguishes you from other candidates? How will you make a significant difference at this company? How will you fit into my team? What contributions have you made with previous employers that should make me confident to hire you?

their competition and land that coveted job. Continued education is one way to do that, as are professional certifications, additional training in your specific field and individual branding.

Christina Robinson Grochett is the Territory Vice President of South Texas for University of Phoenix. An accomplished leader and champion of higher learning, she was selected as one of the 2010 Women of Influence

What is an Individual(k) plan?

2. Prepare: Research the company and try to understand the company goals, current business climate and how the role fits into the organization.

3. Write down questions you expect to be asked and practice your answers.

• Also be prepared for the open-ended questions that often challenge candidates because there are so many answer options. For instance: Tell me about yourself? Why do you want to work here?

What are your strengths?

What are your weaknesses?

What do you know about this organization?

4. Identify three to five key accomplishments that are relevant to the job. Pepper the accomplishments into the conversation, so the hiring manager walks away understanding the value you will bring to the organization.

As we look forward to 2012, the job market will continue to be competitive. Applicants will have to work harder than ever before to differentiate themselves from

by Houston Woman Magazine and one of the Top 10 business women by the American Business Women’s Association in 2008. Under her leadership, the Houston campuses were selected as a 2009, 2010 and 2011 Best Place to Work by The Houston Business Journal and were awarded with the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Alfred P. Sloan Awards from the City of Houston for Workplace Flexibility and Innovation.

An Individual(k) is similar to the more popular 401(k), with contributions limits well above those of Individual Retirement Accounts. Contributions

By Brandon J. Herndon State Farm® agent Do you have plans for retirement? Do they include a retirement plan? If you are a small business owner, you may feel you need to continue working during your golden years. Many business owners may not realize there are plans available to build a retirement account.

One such plan is the Individual(k) for business owners who have no employees other than a spouse. While the plan itself may not be very well known, it can be an appropriate way to provide income during retirement.

for the 2011 tax year are limited to $16,500 as long as they don’t exceed 100 percent of your compensation. There is even a $5,500 catch-up provision for persons age 50 and older.

The deadline for establishing an Individual(k) is the last day of your company’s tax year. If your company follows the calendar year, the deadline would be December 31 of the current year. If not, the deadline would be the last day of your current fiscal year.

Make an appointment with a qualified financial professional to discuss whether an Individual(k) is appropriate for your business.

Your retirement plans should include retiring.

16. December 2011

December 2011

Reduce the Risk

17.

By Dr. Tamyra Comeaux

Maintain Proper Breast Health and Early Detection Did you know that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime?

Did you know that women over 40 are at a greater risk for breast cancer, yet they are least likely to undergo screening? Do you know that approximately 15% of all breast cancers occur in women under 45?

Every second of every day, women and men around the globe are diagnosed with breast cancer.

It is important that we understand the importance of not only early detection but also strategies for reducing the risk. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women under the age of 45. Breast cancer in younger women is typically more aggressive and has a lower survival rates.

Symptoms may include: • New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit) •Thickening or swelling of part of the breast •Irritation or dimpling of breast skin •Redness or flaky skin in the nipple or breast area •Nipple discharge (including blood) •Any change in the size or shape of the breast •Pain in any area of the breast Strategies for reducing the risk of Breast Cancer: •Maintain a healthy body weight.

•Minimize or avoid alcohol.

•Consume as many fruits and vegetables as possible •Exercise regularly •Maximize your intake of Omega-3 fats •Lower carbohydrate intake •Take daily supplements (Vitamin A, C, E) •Aromatase Inhibitor/ estrogen blocker

A Natural Aromatase Inhibitor and Estrogen Blocker is a nutritional supplement, available without a prescription, designed to normalize estrogen levels, yielding a wide spectrum of health and anti-aging benefits.

Reducing the risk with Breast Thermography Breast Thermography is an ancillary diagnostic test that can greatly increase the occurrence of early detection. In past years, it was determined (in theory) that detecting breast cancer in younger women was a difficult process and mammograms were not recommended for women in their early twenties. Breast thermography offers younger women a valuable imaging tool that they can add to their regular breast health check-ups beginning with baseline imaging at age 20.

Breast Thermography is a non-invasive diagnostic imaging procedure that shows abnormal temperature variations in the body. Breast Thermography is also known as Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging. This type of imaging captures pictures images of your breast “from the inside out.”

Essentially, Breast Thermography allows the infrared camera to take pictures that the human eye cannot see. Therefore, allowing a more detailed image of any abnormalities that may be present. Breast thermography is dedicated to providing risk assessments, breast cancer, early detection, prevention, and ultimately the preservation of the breast and the survival of women.

Current research has determined that the key to breast cancer survival rests upon its earliest possible detection. If discovered in its earliest stages, 95% cure rates are possible.

Disclaimer: Breast thermography offers women information that no other procedure can provide.

However, breast thermography is not a replacement for or alternative to mammog-

raphy or any other form of breast imaging. In addition to mammography and other tests or procedures, Breast thermography is designed to increase the occurrence of early detection.

Breast thermography and mammography are complementary procedures; one test does not replace the other. All thermography reports are meant to identify thermal emissions that suggest potential risk markers only and do not in any way suggest diagnosis and/ or treatment. Studies show that the earliest detection is realized when multiple tests are used together.

Companion testing may include: •Self-examinations •Physical breast exams by a doctor •Mammography •Ultrasound •MRI •Thermography •HALO Breast Pap Test HALO Breast Pap Test Young women and premenopausal women typically have dense breast tissue, which can hide abnormalities during mammography. Women under 40 are discouraged from having annual mammograms, in order to reduce their lifetime exposure to radiation and because of the high rates of inaccurate results.

If young women develop breast cancer, it is typically high-grade, aggressive cancer that often requires more aggressive treatment to be successful. Early detection of abnormal breast cells helps to more accurately determine your risk of breast cancer, and lets you start being more vigilant, if needed, about your breast health.

Routine assessment with HALO will enable breast health monitoring and the ability to react to cellular changes early. Incorporating Halo into routine practice will enable physicians and patients to monitor cellular changes within breast ducts earlier, before they develop into

larger, potentially cancerous lesions. The HALO® Breast Pap Test is FDA approved for the collection of nipple aspirate fluid for cytological evaluation. The collected fluid can be used in the determination and/ or differentiation of normal versus pre-malignant versus malignant cells. Many health insurance companies do not yet cover the cost of these technologies.

However, if you submit a claim to your insurance company, you may be able to recover a portion of the cost. If you have a health savings account (HSA) or Flexible spending account, the money may be applied toward the cost of the Halo Breast Pap test.

Vitamin and herbal supplements that aide in proper breast health • Coenzyme Q10 and

Omega-3 Fish Oil Combo • Vitamin D • Green Cell Therapy • Octoclense parasite and detox herbal supplement • Octovite (Antioxidant Defense) We have developed a multipathway herbal formulation that minimizes or eliminates the undesirable effects associated with an estrogen dominant environment. (fibrocystic breast disease, endometriosis, male pattern hair loss, gynecomastia, fibroid tumors, hormone related weight gain. As an advocate for promoting natural methods of health and healing, I believe in sharing my knowledge and products with the world. I offer businesses, churches, organizations, and entrepreneurs a chance to become a part of the natural

healing crusade by becoming a distributor. You not only have the opportunity to help people feel and look better along with weight loss naturally, but also, you can earn extra revenue.

Please call Natural Women’s Health Care at 832237-4200 for more information. These products can be obtained by contacting my office and ordering from my website. For your convenience, some products are available through Amazon. com and or Ebay.

Tamyra Comeaux, MD 11811 FM 1960 Suite 104 Houston, TX 77065 Phone: 832 237 4200 www.naturalwomenscare.com Blog: www.naturalwomenscare. blogspot.com Join me on Facebook at “Natural Women’s Care”

18. December 2011

December 2011

The Structure of Excellence

By Paul Foley, Contributing Wrtier

What is it that makes a Tiger Woods, a Bill Gates, a Shumacher or Leonardo Di Vinci? What is the structure of excellence, is it discoverable, is it replicable and perhaps most importantly is it possible to install the structure of excellence in ourselves and in our own lives so that we to can achieve excellence and become the architects of our passions and dreams?

If we study the lives of those that have achieved excellence in any walk of life we discover many common characteristics - hard work, dedication, a natural inclination and talent that has been developed and perfected over time, along with certain powerful supporting beliefs. Although an understanding of these traits is interesting and to some degree useful it is still quite superficial in that it does not tell us why these people are so dedicated, hard working and able to discover and develop their talents in the way

that they have - it still doesn’t give us the structure of excellence.

Why is it that some have big bright futures stretching out in front of them while many see their future as downright dark, gloomy and unclear? Why is it that some lead lives of outstanding achievement while so many lead lives of quiet desperation?

For the answer perhaps we could look to language for a clue. If someone describes their future as downright dark, gloomy and unclear and I was to ask them where in their visual field when they imagined their future the image was located and to describe its structure I would not be at all surprised to hear that the image was down and to the right, was dark and gloomy and unclear. If I was then to ask the person with the huge bright future stretching out in front of them to describe where in their visual field they saw the image of their future I would not be at all

surprised to hear that it was out in front of them, that the image was big and bright. We would I’m sure find a similar pattern in the internal dialogue of these two people one being more negative, and the other positive, strong and confident and encouraging. We would also find distinct differences in the types of feelings each of them generate and experience.

So now perhaps we are getting a little closer to an understanding of what the structure of excellence really is, simply put it is the way in which we use our minds, the kind and type of pictures, sounds and feelings that we habitually run in our neurology.

Those that habitually create dark gloomy unclear images and negative critical voice tones tend to experience heavy and gloomy feelings and as a result can feel, down stuck or depressed. Those who tend to use big bright pictures and strong encouraging internal

dialogue tend to generate positive, strong feelings and as a result are more motivated, happier and feel better about life, themselves and the future.

So could it really be that simple - could the difference between those that live lives of quiet desperation and those that are able to get themselves to consistently do what is necessary for the achievement of excellence be as simple as the types of pictures, feelings and sounds they habitually use? The answer it seems is - yes.

The types of pictures and sounds and associated feelings we create in our neurology create the states that we experience, and state is the master key to excellence for in the right state we make better decisions, have access to much more of our resources and can achieve much more success and even excellence.

There is a psychological tech-

19.

nology called neuro-linguistic programming or NLP for short.

NLP has been described as the user manual for the mind and to put it in the simplest terms is a set of tools that enable us to model the very structure of excellence in others and replicate and install that excellence in ourselves.

NLP enables us to understand and change the types of images, sounds and feelings we habitually run and install new more useful strategies. The results of which can often bringing about fast, dramatic and lasting changes.

I am talking about a set of tools that enables us to discover and install the very structure of excellence itself. For surely each and every one of us has it in us to achieve our own personal definition of success and perhaps with a better understanding of the structure of excellence who knows what we may all still achieve.

About The Author Š noodle coaching 2010 Taken from a talk given by Paul at the ASC. aul Foley life and performance coach and founder of Noodle Coaching. To find out more about how Paul could help unlock your true potential go to www.noodle-coaching.co.uk or contact info@noodle-coaching.co.uk | The author invites you to visit: http://www.noodle-coaching.co.uk

P

20. December 2011

December 2011

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Business Buying Tips for Feast on the Information and Services We Offer Online Today’s Entrepreneur A

By Nikitia Johnson, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist

out of gas, you may want to look elsewhere. Be sure to investigate the reason for the sale on your own, and not assume that the seller is giving you all the facts.

By Crawford McGill Financial Advisor Perhaps the dismal job market can become a positive if you’ve ever thought about becoming your own boss. Few careers can be as rewarding as operating your own venture. If you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and the timing is right, you can either start a business from scratch or buy an existing operation.

The latter can have advantages, as a customer base already exists. What’s more, business operations can be conducted by existing employees so you can concentrate on improving services rather than spending your time with a start-up. Before you leap in, however, consider these important tips.

• Find a business that’s right for you.

Good sources of information about businesses for sale include trade associations, newspaper classified advertising, business brokers and the internet. Most importantly, you’ll want to evaluate whether a business is suitable for your skill set.

Other considerations are the working hours and the cost of buying and financing the operation.

• Consider the reason for the sale.

It’s important to know why the business is for sale. Consider all possible scenarios.

If the engine that has been driving results is running

• Check the financials.

Work with an attorney to review the financial statements and tax returns for the past three to five years and request an audit letter from a reputable CPA. You’ll also want to make sure the business is up-todate with bills and that no liens exist for unpaid bills.

As you review the accounts receivable, do so with a critical eye. Knowing that the clientele is financially stable and pay their bills on time is very important.

• Learn about the employees.

Essential personnel are an important asset to most businesses. Look at the key employees and make sure they are people with whom you can work. As you examine the role that the current owner plays in the company, determine if he or she is critical to maintaining the existing client base. If so, you may want him or her to sign a non-compete agreement to prevent that person from being in direct competition with you.

• Examine the location.

The location is especially important if you are buying a retail establishment. You need to evaluate its proximity to competitors, availability of parking, the future worth of the neighborhood and its accessibility to walkin traffic. If leases are involved, look at their terms and make sure a change in ownership doesn’t void a lease agreement or open a lease for renegotiation.

• Know your competition.

The competitive environment in which a business

operates is critical to its success. Check into industry trends and how they might affect the company. Know your competitors and how they are pricing their products. If any competitors have gone out of business, find out why.

• Take image seriously.

How a company is perceived can be an intangible asset or liability. Talk to customers, suppliers, competitors, banks and owners of other local businesses to learn more about the firm’s reputation. Remember, it’s very challenging to change a negative perception.

Even though buying a proven business can by less risky and more quickly profitable than starting from scratch, it requires painstaking research. Carefully assemble your team of resources consisting of trusted financial and legal advisors to help you make informed decisions. The work you do up front will go a long way in making your entrepreneurial venture a success.

Crawford “Mickey” McGill, CFP©, CRPR©, AAMS©, Business Financial Advisor, Associate Vice President is licensed/registered to do business with U.S. residents only in the states of TX, NV, AZ, PA, GA, CO, MN, LA, MO, CA, FL, NC, NY, DE, IN, VA, IL, MD, DC, KS. For more information, please visit my website at www.ameripriseadvisors. com/crawford.m.mcgill Brokerage, investment and financial advisory services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Some products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions or to all clients. © 2011 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

s the holidays approach, families everywhere will be traveling to reunite with one another.

Generations will gather around dinner tables across the nation. And certainly some people are already coming up with conversation topics to season the festivities.

If some of the folks in your family like to talk about Social Security make sure you’re ready with a visit to www.socialsecurity. gov. After table time, sit down for some online time with anyone in your family who needs information. In fact, right on your tablet or laptop, you can even help a loved one apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes, or Medicare in as little as 10.

There are a number of other things you can help your loved ones do online.

Use the Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool to see whether they qualify for benefits. Or use the Retirement Estimator for an instant and personalized estimate of their retirement benefits. You can learn about these and many other online services available by visiting www.socialsecurity. gov/onlineservices.

If you’re in a conversation about Social Security, use your smart phone or mobile device to visit our

mobile-friendly frequently asked questions at www.socialsecurity.gov/faq.

If you end up talking about Social Security between turkey and pumpkin pie, rest assured that the authority on the subject is as close as your laptop, tablet, or smart phone. Feast on the food at the table, and then take advantage of the feast of information and services available online at www.socialsecurity.gov.

22. December 2011

December 2011

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Top Tips To Be A Billionaire

By Tim Meadows Smith, Contributing Writer When it comes to billionaires most people just think they must be lucky, few stop to think that there might be some behavior that helps them build their wealth.

In fact there is such a thing as billionaire behavior and it does not begin with a passion for getting rich. There are six core behaviors that are common to all of the many billionaires I have studied and they are remarkably easy to emulate.

1.

The first of these is a passion for doing,

or supplying, something that other people want to buy and being the best in the world at doing it. They are not all successful at being the best but they are usually the most passionate about being so. This is by far more likely to generate profits than a desire to make most money by selling the same product or service. Delighting customers is the number one billionaire behavior.

2.

Having become passionate about delight-

ing customers with some product or service the next key behavior, and it is obvious but so few entrepreneurs get it right, is creating a systematic approach to successful selling. You must be a sales person

and be great at both generating leads and closing sales. A systematic approach to lead generation and selling makes success inevitable. Random efforts and the lack of a system of split testing for continuous improvement keeps small businesses, small and poor.

3.

Generating new customers is expensive

and, it is always easier to retain customers and sell more to them than to win new ones. A system for making customers feel wanted and for understanding what else they want to buy is a key to continuous growth. Understanding the lifetime value of a customer and how to make that value grow is vital to becoming wealthy.

4.

The retention and management of data

is essential to understanding the business and continuously improving methods and efficiency. Beyond the early stages of a business, delegation and outsourcing becomes the means of maintaining and accelerating profit growth.

This is simply not possible without well organized management information providing key performance indicators in clear sharp focus.

Challenges Facing Small and Minority Businesses

By Darryl King, CEO and Co-Founder of the Principle Partnering Group, LLC www.theppgllc.com

T

he biggest challenge for small business is getting past the one to three-year threshold. If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur and you want to be around to celebrate your three-year anniversary, here are some things you must understand.

Understand that every product has a life cycle and that you must remain nimble if you’re going to succeed. If what you’re selling is something nobody wants, you can’t be emotionally attached and

you must adjust quickly to sell what the market wants. You may have the nicest gift baskets in the world, but if no one wants to buy them or you can’t get financing because no one really cares about the product, then you better be ready to ditch your gift baskets and create something that the consumer wants.

Understand that the landscape of business changes everyday. Laws change; competitors enter the market, prices of goods change. You must be aware of these changes and be willing to make the necessary decisions to quickly manage the factors that are affecting your business.

Understand that you must have good advisors. Every small business owner must have a good CPA and a good business lawyer. Take care in selecting these advisors because they must be knowledgeable of your business and not just someone that handled your sister’s divorce or is a friend

5.

We have all heard of the 80:20 principle

and a few of us for a short time use it to organize our time. Billionaires focus on this to extreme applying a 98:2 approach to their time and effort. They spend all their own time in the 2% of effort generating 98% of the profits. They then look to replicate that 2% fifty times to use 100% of their time. If you do the math, that is 4,800 times more effective than the typical small business owner who spends 100% of their time doing everything.

Billionaires delegate and outsource everything other than the 2% of things that generate 98% of profits. They find people better, much better than themselves at doing everything except the final decision on strategy.

6.

‘Would be billionaires’ are usually way too

busy and, in their opinion, far too darned good to take advice and systematically improve themselves. Real billionaires are all humble and avid learners. Most billionaires always have a new book to read that will develop themselves and they read self-development every day. Continuous learning is just part of continuous improvement.

There you have it. Six simple things done systematically, sometimes intuitively, by all billionaires that could make you feel a bit more like thinking they might deserve their success.

Business Doctor and Profit Growth Advisor, Tim Meadows-Smith works as a Non-Executive Chairman and Director helping business owners maximize profits in either growth or distress situations. Awarded grocery exporter of the year for exporting tea to China and Japan, The Independent hailed him a marketing guru after the UK launch of Haagen-Dazs.

of a friend. Do your homework and build a solid foundation for your small business with a good team.

Minority-owned small businesses face many of the same challenges and more. If you’re a minority business, you really have to rely on competence and quality. The first time you show that you’re going to fall short or that you show up late or do something sub-standard, you’re out. You just don’t get the same chances as majority businesses.

If you get the opportunity to get in the door, you better get there early, you better stay late and you better demonstrate that you’re competent and there’s no risk.

When a majority-owned business is forced to do business with a minority business because it’s law or a requirement, or there’s a goal to meet, they’re going to hold you to a higher level of scrutiny. They most likely had no intention of letting you in on the contract in the first place. If you happen to get in, you better recognize that there are lots of other minority-owned businesses ready to take your place.

If you can’t deliver a quality product and you’re not on time, then you’re not going to be there very long. The stigma on minority-owned businesses from the majority community is that we’re always late and we do sub-standard work. If you’re a contractor and you build bridges, and a prime contractor hires you to build a bridge, it still has to stay up and people have to be able to cross it safely. You can’t expect that because you’re a minority-owned contractor that your standards would be any different, or that you’ll be excused from some of the compliance requirements. You have to understand that you must operate at a higher standard and you have to be dedicated to a higher standard if you want to stay in the game.

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Small Business Success Secret

By Wayne Van Dyck, Contributing Writer The real secret to small business success doesn’t have to do with technology tools, the internet, or anything like that.

In fact, it’s not even a real secret. It’s been around since man started to verbalize communiqué. The secret is WORDS! Words carry enormous power. They can make you laugh hysterically, or destroy the strongest relationship. Words can be more powerful than any other tool at your disposal.

The effective use of words, especially in business, translates into skyrocketing sales, satisfied clients, happy employees, and a profitable and secure future. Yet, less than 1% of small entrepreneur businesses use words to their full potential.

The power of words can be learned and used effectively by anyone, and when you harness and unleash this power, there’s nothing on this earth that can stop you. This art of using words is what is called copywriting. It makes or breaks your sales and advertising material. A true wordsmith can forge the most potent of copy for their site.

One of the ways an “amateur” copywriter, one who is writing for her own product or business, can beat the experienced pro is by infusing the sales letter or ad with her own, honest, genuine, and unmitigated enthusiasm. When selling in online, enthusiasm is just as important as in face-to-face selling.

This is why you can’t just sit down and write an ad “on command”, like you can sit down and do bookkeeping. You have to muster up some enthusiasm for the job and the proposition you’re putting across.

If I’m going to write an ad or some other sales material the first thing in the morning, as I often do, I try to set my subconscious mind to work on that job before I go to bed the night before. There are times when I wake up with the “big idea” that I need and other times I wake up with some ideas and a readiness to write them down and pick and choose which ones I want to use.

Don’t force yourself to “grind out” direct-response copy when you really don’t feel like it because the result will be flat and mechanical. It may be technically correct with a headline, subheads, bullet points, an offer, etc., but it will lack spirit and enthusiasm.

The person who is genuinely enthusiastic about what she is selling definitely has an advantage. That’s why the freelance professional copywriter should always download as much of the pitch from the product’s most enthusiastic salesperson as possible. Then transfer it to paper and shape and mold it to perfection.

Over the years, the work I’ve done for clients and ad agencies has proven that the most successful work was for clients that were passionate and enthusiastic about what they were selling. So before you tackle that next ad for your business, make sure you’re as enthusiastic about it as you want your clients to be.

24. December 2011

The Standard of Excellence

By Dr. D. L. Jones Contributing Writer In life there are certain standards that we live by.

Evident in the business sector, there are standards that are produced and expected by the consumer. Take for instance the Cadillac car made by General Motors. It is a standard and a consumer expectation that all Cadillac cars are manufactured with powered windows and steering. McDonald’s, Inc. – no matter domestic and foreign, the “Big Mac” is a standard item on the menu.

Noel Webster defines the word ‘standard’ as: constituting or conforming to a standard especially as established by law or custom; well-established and very familiar; and having recognized and permanent value.

Why is it that there are standards in music, the auto industry, restaurant franchises and the like, but when it comes to excellence the standard becomes ambiguous, relative, and left to one’s personal yet subjective definition? Here in lies our problem with our nation’s public school systems. All fifty states want excellence in teaching and learning but all fifty states have a different standard for excellence.

In today’s world, excellence is the goal in just about every facet of life; in taking state proficiency tests, in establishing rules of behavior, church governance, auto ingenuity, marriage, and the list goes on and on. But is there a standard by which it can be measured? Again, every

state in the nation pushes for educational excellence, yet all of them have different standards by which they measure excellence.

One school measures excellence by a state exam, another by a national exam, and yet another by a local exam. Are test scores the sole measure of excellence?

Where’s the excellence in a student who receives a GPA of 4.0 but can’t apply the knowledge taught? What about the gifted worker on the job that is committed and hard working but has no social skills to get along with his co-workers? Would you define these as true examples of excellence?

It’s safe to say that we can agree on many aspects about excellence, but the question remains: what is excellence? Webster defines excellence as “the state, quality or condition of excelling, superiority: Something in which one excels.”

In life, excellence is generally defined by the quality of what we accomplish. Yes, but what is excellence? We may agree that excellence is something to strive for and usually associated with the highest honors. But what is excellence?

The definition of excellence varies from school to school, state to state, and from business to business.

But the one definition of excellence that remains standard can be found in the Word of God.

God has told us what excellence is—and his standard of measurement is far different from ours.

God looks at our motives.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Yes, God like many secular institutions desires quality work produced through the application of education, skills, talents and abilities — but not to meet our own needs or gain approval from our coworkers. Rather, He tells us “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

The Apostle Paul modeled excellence in everything he did, from tent making to church planting to writing. His focus on excellence was intentional.

Nothing less than the best would suffice, so he pressed toward the mark with all his might. Listen to what Paul says: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize!”

We must model excellence today to obtain the prize tomorrow. We must fully apply our knowledge and skills to the tasks put before us. In that way, we will bring glory to God and standardize excellence throughout the world.

December 2011

Excellence Today for Success Tomorrow in Ardyss

By Sharon C. Jenkins, Contributing Writer

Alex and Tina Sanders is a young couple who were prospering in their respective careers when they saw the benefits of the Ardyss opportunity.

Alex’s Story

Two years ago former Globetrotter Alex Sanders, was in the middle of a basketball season spending $300 to $500 a month on vitamin products from GNC and Vitamin World to enhance his performance. He

was approached with the Ardyss opportunity and decided to try the product for a couple of weeks.

If it worked, he’d be in a win-win situation, improving his performance and making some money at the same time.

His teammates began to see a difference in his increased stamina during practice and questioned him about what he was doing differently. He shared the Ardyss product with them and asked if they wanted to buy it retail or wholesale and they “of course” choose wholesale and got in the business.

He began to approach old college teammates and Globetrotter friends in addition to those that were on his team and they too were mesmerized by the Ardyss product and opportunity. Alex and his

friends were” looking for life after basketball” and the Ardyss opportunity affords them the financial security that they were looking for.

Alex enjoys the liberty Ardyss gives him to recollect some of those precious moments that were missed with his family while on the court. He is especially fond of being able to support his children in school programs during the day and being able to live the life of ‘no worries,” he and his wife have experienced as a result of the business.

Tina’s Story Tina was approached by her mother to join her in the Ardyss opportunity, two years ago. She did not want to do another multi-level marketing business so she politely declined. She is a CPA and her mother is a videographer housed in the same office building. Her mother was relentless in presenting Tina with the opportunity and she kept saying “no.” Meanwhile her mom started making some money in the

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business and every time she would get a check, she would show it to Tina. Tina would say “That’s nice Mom.” One day Mom showed up with a $10,000 check.

She opened the envelope and exclaimed, “OMG! Look at this check!” she showed it to Tina. Tina could not believe her eyes so she said “Let me see that check one more time.” Mom proudly presented it again and she said, “I’m ready now.”

As a CPA, Tina’s peak time of year is tax season. Her clients would come in to get their taxes done and of course they would be talking about their New Year’s weight loss resolution and she would point them to the product and her mother’s video shop that had been turned into a fitting room for the Body Magic. It became an assembly line process: get your taxes done then lose 2 sizes in ten minutes. Her checks started increasing and she was helping a lot of people get healthier.

Now the business affords her and her husband the opportunity to live a lifestyle that they have become accustomed to, the Ardyss lifestyle of health and wealth with a company that has one of the best compensation plans in the world!

Advertise today in D-MARS D-Mars.com Business Journal Call US TODAY!

713.272.9511

26. December 2011

December 2011

27.

FD’s … Mother Carson Told You So!

I

f his mother were still alive, Mrs. Carson would tell you, “That boy had a cooking business in him since he was a child”!

Truly, Dr. Dana Carson has

been an entrepreneur since he was an adolescent when he used to cook out of his mama’s kitchen – hot dogs, burgers, fries, two cookies for a penny, and ice cups (you remember, Kool-Aid frozen in little Dixie cups with a toothpick in the middle). Mama soon shut that business down when she cut into his profit margin by making him buy back her food; however, the entrepreneur just waited until a more opportune time arose! Well, that time is now! The childhood dream has come to fruition with the opening of FD’s Famous Burgers and Chicago-style Wings Restaurant & Sports Bar in Pearland, TX! FD’s offers four categories of food – burg-

ers, Chicago-style, salads and sandwiches, and flings at three easy prices – $9.99, $7.99, and $5.99! The

signature burgers are juicy ½ lb. patties, topped with a unique combination of ingredients guaranteed to delight the taste buds, and the signature bakery-made buns are worth dying for!

The Chicago-style menu of Italian beefs and Italian sausages (yes! authentic Vienna

beef ), rib tips, and wings will instantly remind any transplanted Chicagoan of home! And on Sundays, FD’s features Soul Food Sunday – food like Mama used to cook.

Instantly the rave in Pearland, FD’s is one of the newest and most impressive restaurants owned by an African-American in the Houston-area! A graduate of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University with a Global Executive MBA, Dr. Carson’s restaurant exudes business savvy and cutting edge aesthetics rarely seen in a black-owned establishment. Big-screen TVs everywhere free WiFi, friendly and courteous staff – Dr. Carson doesn’t

just sell food anymore; he has created the makings of a sports bar/restaurant franchise! A restaurant owner for nearly a decade, his experience and expertise are evident. So dine at FD’s on Sundays at noon, your official host to view Cowboys and Texans games, Mondays – Game Night with flings and drink specials, Tuesdays – Kids eat for $2, Wednesdays – Wang Dang Doodle wing specials,

Thursdays – Karaoke and drink specials, and Saturdays – your official gamewatching site for the U of H Cougars, LSU Tigers,

and the Texas Longhorns!

Oh, and don’t forget your birthday – you eat FREE at FD’s, so bring your license!

FD’s Famous Burgers & Chicago-Style Wings 3115 Dixie Farm Rd. Ste. 101 Pearland, TX 77581 (p) 281.993.5251 (f) 281.993.5259 www.fdsburgersandwings.com Hours: Saturday - Thursday: 11am - 10pm Friday: 11am - 11pm

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December 2011

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30. December 2011

Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry and Image Consulting Bringing Hollywood Glam to the Great State of Texas.

Luscious lashes, perfect brows, and flawless faces don’t only exist in Hollywood. Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry and Image Consulting transforms you into your desired look with ease, comfort, and utmost style right

here in the state of Texas. Our array of services includes editorial and corporate image consulting, custom makeup application and analysis, and wedding day styling.

Sought after for a variety of image challenges, we consult, create, and

product—you.

With Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry, there’s no need to stress about your image whether you want to try something new or you’re preparing for a day as huge as your wedding. Have you seen

craft with confidence! Our bold portfolio of bridal and editorial images are small examples of our stunning capabilities. Before each project, we want to get to know you! We do more than paint your face. We discuss flattering, specialized skin care products and di-

vulge tips for maintaining a flawless look well after your custom makeup application. Our detailed consultations demonstrate our expertise and spectacular customer relations as we get to know your image concerns. In addition to the image consultations, we offer personalized shopping services to bolster your wardrobe and compliment your skin care needs and desires. Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry maintains a work ethic that is evident in the finished

something you like in a magazine and you want to recreate that look with your own personal spin? Do you have great ideas but don’t know exactly how to explain the look you want? That’s okay! We gladly accept tasks that appear more difficult!

Need a style change and don’t know where to begin? Do you stare at the heap of clothes in your closet and your makeup palette with no sense of direction?

We challenge you to consult with Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry for a “remix” session! Yes, that’s right! A “remix” session. Keep what you have and still achieve your desired look with our creative consulting process.

Whether it’s a girls’ night out

on the town, a walk on the red carpet, a business development meeting, or a high profile event, Flawless Faces Makeup Artistry will give you a complimenting, beautiful look. No Hollywood star necessary!

December 2011

Excellence Today for Success Tommorrow! am experiencing what you are experiencing on a daily basis.

Having a realistic focus on business and real estate activities

no consequence that our individual potential may sometimes not be realized until hours, days, months or even years to come.

By Alvin E. Terry, MBA, Contributing Writer Business and Real Estate is my passion. This is my first of many articles to give you my expert opinion on how we are being affected in our economy on a daily basis. Working in our community in Banking and Real Estate has been a passion of mine for over 25 years. Living it and experiencing it is the only way that I can genuinely give you an accurate accounting and opinion on our present economic state. I

a major role in our personal and business success. Many times we are forced to take a reality check on the things that change the status of our businesses.

Having a roadmap to guide us is very important. There may be many components to your business model, but the basic items that will always be needed are: • A sound Business Plan • A realistic Marketing Plan • A Business Attorney • A CPA • An Insurance Agent • A Banker • A thorough understanding of your customers and their needs • Adequate Startup and Working Capital • Corporate Branding • A Management Team • A Sales Team • A can-do attitude with the proper work ethics • Time Management Skills • and A Smile!

Once you have an understanding of the above compo-

in real time is an accurate measurement of our financial system.

Business is constantly evolving. It is a dynamic process that is very diverse and contains fiscal influences from all over the globe. Its’

Understanding those experiences can either have a positive or a negative influence on your perspective, depending upon the receiver’s perception. As a result our personal attitudes will play

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nents, then all you have to do is to get to work and “Just do it!”

Before we know it the New Year will be upon us. Now is the time to assess and reassess our past and present professional relationships. In order to evolve and emerge as a business success story, we have to position ourselves with the right posturing. This posturing will allow us to profitably manifest our dreams of entrepreneurship.

Our desires are to be successful not just for a day, but for a sustained period of time. As this success is realized, we are not only benefiting our communities and our families but ourselves as well.

I hope these words have touched a realistic cord in you, the readers. I look forward to seeing you on TV with d-mars.com’s new initiative “D-TV at the beginning of the year. My series will be titled “Ask Alvin” anything thing about Business and Real Estate.

I may be contacted directly at 713.392.9107 or alvin.terry@ rocketmail.com.

Sincerely, Alvin E. Terry , MBA

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32. December 2011

Bootstrapping Your Startup?

Make Money Before You Spend It

By Kwame Kuadey, Contributing Writer

The goal of every bootstrapped startup is to get to a point where the business can generate enough cash to sustain itself.

Until then, the focus should be about survival. Here are four reasons why you should make money before you spend it:

1.

Out of cash means out of business.

Every business owner knows this — when you run out of cash, you are out of business. If that prospect keeps you up at night, you are not alone. The best way to prevent this from happening is to create a culture where you make money before you spend it. That way, you never get ahead of yourself by investing in projects that may threaten the survival of your business.

2.

You may not raise outside funding.

If you read blogs like TechCrunch, you might get the impression that all it takes is a great idea to get investors knocking at your door to fund your business. That is far from the truth.

In reality, only 5 percent of startups actually get Venture or Angel funding. The other 95 percent are funded through personal resources of the founders and sometimes with money from friends and family. Even if your idea has a good chance of being funded, it takes an average of three-to-six months to raise investment funds.

Spending money in hopes of raising Angel or Venture funding is dangerous because by the time the money materializes, it may be too late.

3.

When it rains, it pours.

In business, you are going to experience some near death experiences. Some of them may be outside your control. My current startup, GiftCardRescue.com had a scary experience recently when monthly revenue unexpectedly fell by 30 percent due to a larger than expected seasonal drop, runaway expenses, and the loss of two key suppliers. It took two months to recover. If we had stayed true to our rule of making money before we spend it, this would not have happened.

4.

You can delay raising money.

One of the advice I give startups

is to delay seeking external funding until they are either profitable or — at the very least — close to cash-flow positive. Raising money when you are profitable puts you in a stronger negotiating position.

First, it reduces the amount of equity you have to give away. When I went on the ABC show “Shark Tank,” I was offered a $200,000 investment for 50 percent equity in my business, GiftCardRescue. com. At the time, projected revenue for that year was $100,000.

The deal fell through and that was a blessing. It’s been two years since that episode and now rev-

enue is in the millions. I am glad I bootstrapped the company to this point, because I can now raise money knowing that I do not have to bet the farm doing it.

Kwame Kuadey is an entrepreneur, startup advisor, and public speaker.

Kwame started his first company, GiftCardRescue.com on a shoestring and bootstrapped it into a profitable, multimillion dollar business. He helps frustrated employees quit their jobs and become entrepreneurs. He is the founder of two startups, GiftCardRescue.com and Rhino Amply. Kwame has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Washington Post, and on NPR and ABC’s “Shark Tank”. You can read his blog at BreakFreeNation.com

December 2011

33.

A Historical Flashback to a Critical Time in Black History

By Sharon C. Jenkins, Contributing Writer Rarely do we have an opportunity to have a lasting influence on public opinion but Nichelle Nichols did, and she rose to the occasion with the support of one of the most dynamic men in history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nichols was one of the first African American women featured in a major television series not portraying a servant. She portrayed Lieutenant Uhura, a

bridge officer on the popular television show Star Trek. During the first year of the series, Nichols pondered leaving the show to pursue her first love, musical theater. She had a meeting with Gene Roddenberry about her pending departure from the show and he asked her to think about it over the weekend.

That night Nichols was a celebrity quest at a NAACP fundraiser and as usual afterwards she was approached by numerous Star Trek fans. The host of the event approached her with the petition from one of her “biggest fans.” She arrogantly told the host that the fan could wait. That very second Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. appeared in the room.

He stated, “I’m the fan. Matter of fact my whole family is a fan of yours, including my little children. I want to congratulate you on the quality of your work and the quality of the character.” Nichols states that she literally could not breathe.

Once she regained her composure she said, “I’m going to miss my co-workers.”

Dr. King said “What are you talking about?

Nichols: “I’m leaving the show after the first season and I told Mr. Roddenberry.

Dr. King: “You cannot do that. Don’t you understand what that man is doing? He’s put you on the command crew. You cannot abdicate this; you are on a five year mission, ‘where no man has gone before’. You’ve changed the face of television forever. You cannot do that. For the first time the whole world is seeing us as we should be seen, not just as beautiful entertainers and domestics.

For the first time there is a whole human being there. Beyond the beauty, beyond the musical talent, its science and it’s not a mistake that he made you chief communications officer.”

Nichols: “And I thought right then, ‘Do you know how important this television show is?’

Dr. King: “This is the only show Coretta and I allow our little children to stay up to watch.

You are their hero.”

That moment reshaped history and Nichols stayed with the show and she appeared in the first six Star Trek movies. She also provided the voice for Lt. Uhura on the animated series in 1974 – 75.

Let us not forget the kiss that changed history and reshaped American television programming when William Shatner, a

white actor; aka Captain James T. Kirk kissed Nichols on national television during a time when it wasn’t popular to do so. That’s another story for another time.

Meanwhile as you reminisce about the old Star Trek days, honor Lt. Uhura by remembering her contribution to African American history. Also keep in mind one of her most famous quotes from the series: “Hailing Frequencies Are Open!” by keeping your frequencies open for our next Black History article.

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34. December 2011

December 2011

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P2MG’s Mike Nelson “A Solid Foundation For Success” million dollar projects.

Finally Mike felt his foundation was solid. Nobody knew more, or could do the job better than he could. That is exactly how you should feel before you

led by Bonding capacity. Seems like a catch 22, you can’t bid on jobs higher than you are able to secure a bond for. Consequently, your ability to go after larger contracts is inhibited by a small bond

open your business. You must be an expert in your field.

With construction opportunities after Katrina, Mike moved to Houston in 2006 where he established P2MG, LLC specializing in Construction Management, Project Management and Job Order Contracting.

P2MG obtained DBE Certifications with The State of Texas, The City of Houston, Metro, The Port of Houston, HMSD, HISD, ODOT, and SBA 8a Certification.

What Mike learned was that preparation was a continual process, you must also be prepared for the inevitable road blocks and develop a plan to overcome all obstacles. Obtaining operating capital was the first obstacle.

Banks are hesitant to lend small business’s money without much project history. Mike started to build a relationship with his bank by securing personal loans and paying them back ahead of schedule. Soon his personal guarantee was no longer necessary. Obstacle #2 was being able to obtain a bond for projects. The bonding capacity is directly tied to revenues while revenues are control-

limit. Mike started partnering with some established firms to complete projects where his expertise was much appreciated. By partnering, Mike was able to increase revenues and secure bonding. As a result, P2MG’s bonding capacity has doubled every year since the company was started.

P2MG expanded with a DBA The Nelson Collaborative, which added an Architectural Division to the company. This allows P2MG to offer the Design Build capability in house. P2MG has offices in Houston, Prairie View, College Station, Mobile, Al and Cleveland, OH. Mike operates the construction company under the combined methodology of the Project Management Institutes “Triple Constraints” Time, Cost and Quality coupled with Six Sigma to manage RISK on all projects.

P2MG has successfully completed multiple projects for The City of Houston, Prairie View A&M University, HCC, HISD, Harris County Hospital District, The City of Beaumont, Texas A&M University, The City of Port Arthur, Rice University, Texas Southern University, The

University of Houston, Lone Star College, Marathon Oil and US-

Michael Nelson

M

ike Nelson had a dream of owning his own construction company since inspired while pursuing his BA in Engineering at Alabama A&M University. He learned that a solid foundation is imperative to a successful build. He decided to be sure that the foundation of his own company was solid and continued to learn every aspect of the construction industry was the first step in his process.

Mike went to work for the US Army Corp of Engineers, where he worked his way through many divisions, taking all the training offered along the way.

Mike reached Sr. Project Manager, working on over $450,000,000 in projects in the Washington DC area. He obtained his Top Secret Clearance, and became a Specialist Trainer in Job Order Contracting where he trained USACE personnel throughout the U.S. During this 15 year tenure with the Corp, Mike completed his Masters Degree in Construction Project Management from the University of Maryland, obtained his PMP (Project Management Professional) License, received a Green and Black Belt in Six Sigma from Villa Nova University and still felt his foundation needed more work. Realizing that all of his experience had been from the Government’s perspective, Mike decided he needed to gain private sector experiences. Mike left the Corp and went to work for Skanska USA, one of the largest construction companies in the world.

Mike spent 2 years as Sr. Project Manager, managing major multi-

I would like to extend a heartfelt wish for a prosperous new year to all of our readers. I would also like to take this time to thank you for supporting us this year. I hope that you would continue to support us in all of our conscientious efforts to bring awareness and economic development to the African American community. It’s been a tough road over the last year with our economy being what it is, but I see an upswing for our people on the horizon. In order

ACE among others. Mike Nelson is committed to supporting minority businesses and has a track record of 60 to 70% HUB utilization on all projects.

Mike’s advise to anyone with the dream of business ownership: 1.) Establish a firm foundation 2.) Become an expert in your field 3.) Plan to overcome inevitable obstacles.

Mike was very proud to have been the recipient of the 2011 Pinnacle Award and HMSDC’s Emerging 10 Award in 2010.

Mike is a member of Kappa Alpha PsI Fraternity and 100 Black Men. He is also coaches Fairfield Little League Basketball and Football. He lives with his wife, Bakeyah and their three children, Michaela, Michael Jr.and Edward in Cypress.

to make it through a storm, you have to keep going. d-mars.com and Talafery Media Group will be launching an African American family oriented television channel in 2012. This channel will continue our mission to inspire, inform, and educate our community and bring an increased awareness to wealth building opportunities for African Americans. That specifically means “buying Black” and spending money in our community to bring about an economical revolution for its benefit.

I really want you to understand that the goal and dream of our company is to see Houston at the forefront of economical change for African Americans in our nation to give us a strong voice as the catalytic power associated with that for lasting change.

Thank you again for your support and we look forward to the new year with its new opportunities for all of us that call Houston home.

36. December 2011

Invictus = Success For A Lifetime my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

By Noel Pinnock, B.S., M.P.A., C.A., CCC, Contributing Writer In the last stanza of William Ernest Henley’s Poem, Invictus, it reads: “It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of

These powerful words could not be even more resonating and applicable today. In a world that is undergoing continuous change and uncertainties, it is preponderant that Americans do no lose sight of the bigger picture and our ancestor’s long-term vision for our country. It is true that the fabric of our existence and freedom was predicated on blood, sweat, tears, and toils but it is also important to recognize that it was the unity of a collective body that prevailed over our enemies that put us in the spotlight of preeminence amongst the other nations. During these times men and

women, young and old hungered and thirsted to make things better, despite opposition and popular opinion. They desired nothing more than to obtain satisfaction from pronouncing our faith in God and country, abolishing hatred, decimating bigotry, establishing equity, ensuring equality, securing our borders, protecting our children, enhancing education, soldering economies, and providing every American the right to live a liberated and happy life.

To this day, the thirst for these mission critical liberties have not quenched; the hunger has not subsided, why…because we are living in a day where polarity has taken center stage. It is center stage in our homes, cent-

er stage in our families, center stage in our politics, center stage in our houses of worship, center stage in our government, center stage in almost every facet of life imaginable. To be purposefully cliché, why have we come so far and achieved so little?

Well…because we have allowed comfort to enter our homes as a guest, remain as our host, and eventually it became our master.

We are comfortable with the way things are despite the outlook. Yes, we are living through a recession, the unemployment rate fluctuates like the seas, our kids are not making the grades, funding government programs, agencies, and school districts have become more challenging and looming budget deficits are spreading like an epidemic. However, if we hang our hats or purses on the hooks of despair, despondency, and dejection, then we have conceded and have inevitably subscribed to a prescription that is more detrimental to present and even worse for our future.

Dr. Martin Luther King in his 1964 commencement speech at Springfield College said:

“Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made this world a neighborhood. Now through our moral and ethical commitment, we must make of it a brotherhood. We must all learn to live together as brothers, or we will all perish together as fools. No nation can live alone. No individual can live alone. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”

There are numerous issues that are perplexing everyone, for some these issues hit closer to home than others but despite its location, it is time for each of us to pick-up our ancestors’ torch that has remained lit for hundreds of years and continues to shine bright even in our darkest hours. This is the torch of invictus.

Invictus is simply defined as unconquered or undefeated.

Americans have not only strived on the back of being invictus but also have thrived. I believe if we embody the words of our ancestors, then issues perplexing our country, states, counties, cities, school districts, and local associations will not appear to look like chal-

lenging mountains but rather strategic elevations where each journey is worth the climb, especially if we are climbing together.

Leonard Bernstein once wrote, “to achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time!” I submit the third, teamwork… because together, nothing is insurmountable as William Ernest Henley further articulates below: “Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid…”

December 2011

Excellence Today For Success Tomorrow

By Quintin Wiggins, Contributing Writer

I was reading an article about Al Golden, the current University of Miami head football coach, and he states that “doing the little things today ensures that his team will be ready come game time”. As I pondered on that idea, I felt like this idea is so true in the business world to-

day. In our fast break society we get so caught up in immediate gratification we fail to see the need for meticulous plans today to ensure tomorrow’s successes. Entrepreneurs get so caught up in trying to make immediate profits that sometimes we fail to plant the proper seeds that can grow a sustainable business model that can last well into the future.

Questions, such as the following are never asked by today’s business person: • Where do I want my company to be in the next five years?

• What type of revenue growth do I need on an annual basis to get there?

• What talents and skills do I need to possess to achieve my objectives?

• What are my strengths and weakness?

Some business owners have not created business plans or models that can assure their long-term success. According to Michael Gerber, author of the E-Myth Mastery the following are the seven essential systems that are essential for a successful organization: • Leadership • Management • Marketing • Financial Systems • Lead Generation • Lead Conversion • Client Fulfillment

Each one of these systems is integrated with each other to produce a holistic system that creates a synergistic organization operating at an optimum level of efficiency that produces outstanding results. In this month’s issue the system that we will explore is the financial system.

The old adage states “how can you tell where you are going when you don’t know where you are?

“This adage is applicable to business owners that do not have an adequate financial

system that provides them with real time financial results. To solve this problem I highly recommend Quick Books accounting software.

For a minimum investment of a few hundred dollars an entrepreneur can very quickly determine their financial position. The software lets you know your account balances as well as profit and losses. Additionally, there are budget features which allow you to compare actual results to budget which highlight any discrepancies.

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At EQQUICKBOOKS. com we are dedicated to training and installing Quick Books software for small businesses. You can master Quick Books essentials in one day. We offer hands on computer training using preloaded data.

We have a state of the art training facility located at 11200 Richmond, Suite 100. Visit our website at www.EQQUICKbooks. com for convenient training dates that fit your busy schedule.

(This is not a CPA firm)

Motivation and the Entrepreneur

By Julie Austin, Contributing Writer When you start college you know that you have four years of hard work and study ahead of you. You know you’ll have to make a lot of sacrifices, sometimes working a part time job and staying up late to study for tests. But you do it anyway. Why? Because there’s a reward at the end. Hopefully that reward is a degree.

But even having a college degree doesn’t guarantee that you will be successful or even get a job. Once you get out, the work isn’t over.

Women who get pregnant know that they have at least nine months of pregnancy, then painful labor, and weeks

or months of sleepless nights. They also know that they’ll have to do a lot of sacrificing both during and after the birth.

And those sacrifices continue for many years while raising that child. Yet they do it anyway because the reward at the end is worth all of the pain and sacrifice.

That’s also true for entrepreneurs starting a business. You know going in that it will be a long, hard road full of ups & downs and plenty of failures and sleepless nights. But entrepreneurs do it anyway. Why? For the reward. Again, even after you have a business up and running it doesn’t guarantee that you will be a suc-

cess and make lots of money.

College graduates, moms, and business owners all have something in common. Thanks to the prefrontal cortex in the brain they all have motivation. Motivation is what compels people to pursue goals and what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. It regulates our thoughts, emotions and ideas and is responsible for driving us to become successful.

Scientists have proven that parts of the brain light up when you expect to win money, which is why gambling is such a powerful addition. I would bet that the same parts of the entrepreneur’s brain lights up when they come up with a new great idea that will bring them some kind of reward. That could be financial or some other reward that motivates an entrepreneur to achieve a goal. It would seem that entrepreneurs and gamblers have a lot in common. Both are risk takers. They both want a big pay out of some kind, whether it’s money, ego, or excitement.

Or it can be a combination of all three.

The thing that motivates entrepreneurs the most is passion. You can have a great idea, but you will need the passion and drive to see something through if you want it to succeed. That, in the end is the most important.

Julie Austin is an award-winning writer, inventor & multiple business owners. She’s a “go-to” media expert in the fields of innovation & creativity. http://www.creativeinnovationgroup.com

38. December 2011

December 2011

All About Online Meetings

By Jeff Schuman, Contributing Writer

Online meetings can have many great advantages. If you are conducting traditional meetings, there is a much better way to achieve this goal.

With online meetings you can reach out to others no matter where they live.

If you have been using a phone conferencing system to conduct your meetings, you know how out of hand this type of meeting can get. You want to look for a meeting place that is more organized and will allow you more control.

With online meetings you will be able to control who is allowed to speak and at what time during the meeting. You will be able to have the power to mute someone if needed and this can promote a more organized meeting. You might not have much time in this meeting and you want to make sure that you are using your time effectively.

You will have a better

way to schedule your meetings as well. You will choose who will be invited to this meeting. Those that are expected to attend will receive an invite through an email.

This can allow everyone to have a record of when this meeting is and you can then make sure that everyone that you invite receives this email. This will leave no excuses for anyone not to attend. If you make sure that this is received ahead of time, you can make a meeting mandatory.

Desktop sharing is a great way to show your screen to others. You will be able to share any information that is on your computer. This can help you to really get your message across.

Sometimes document sharing is one of the only ways to really show someone what you are talking about.

You will be able to use your screen as a visual presentation and this can help others to understand what you

are trying to convey.

You can also find out who is looking at your presentation. This will help you to keep track of who is paying attention during any meeting that you conduct.

You might find that others are paying attention during your meetings and you will know that these meetings are effective.

Online meetings can help you to reach out to others. You will have many features that you can use to help you really communicate better during these

By Tasha Huneey LaQuinn, Contributing Writer

For many of us, the race to accomplish a goal usually involves a very common recipe. The ingredients generally include: a vision, excitement, courage, uncertainty, anxiousness and hope. In the beginning, this journey is exciting and the anticipated results are enough to keep you going daily. As weeks turn into months your original persistence and

Seven Strategies for Saving possible to get the most out of your savings plan.

Tomorrow’s Recipe work ethic begins to simmer down. The realization of something not being quite right also begins to settle in because the results you expected are not happening as you planned.

Furthermore, a pinch of disgust is now added to your masterpiece as you begin to think “There is no one else more knowledgeable and talented in this field than me. Why am I not excelling? Is this really God’s purpose for me?”

The problem comes from spending more time thinking about what you want, rather than doing what it takes to actually get it done. All of the knowledge and talent in the world means nothing without action. The best service, invention or product becomes useless without a consumer base and a tar-

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geted audience that you are consistently trying to reach on a daily basis. A scary reality kicks in when pursuing your purpose, which is you have no accountability.

There is no one to scold you when procrastinating, waking up late or going on lunch dates instead of marketing your business.

In order to achieve excellence, there should be self-standards and principles put into place. The most important business principle being integrity: The possession of firm principles - the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards. If you have integrity that is all that matters and if you don’t have integrity that is all that matters.

What do you expect

meetings. You will be able to share information on your own computer and this can help you to really get a point across during each meeting that you hold.

Your meetings will never be the same and this is one of the easiest ways to really reach out to people.

If you enjoyed this article by Jeff Schuman please visit our web conferencing recording website today. You will find useful information on desktop sharing; online meetings, webinar software and much more that will help you in numerous ways with your business. https://www.gatherplace.net/ gp/index.jsp

from yourself? What will you allow to alter your daily plans? What phone call will you allow to take 45 minutes of your lead generating time to gossip? Remember, your results are a mirror image of your actions and the foundation of your brand is set by the way you do things. When you operate in excellence every day, your consistency will eventually demand that your goals catch up. Many of us slow down because we have created this fancy business plan and now nothing is cooperating. This is when we must be confident in our calling. When we are confident in our calling, we will alter our plans 20 times until we get it right. There is also the fact that God’s plans are bigger than a business plan. By doing your part you set the atmosphere to be connected to the right people and resources.

Begin today by making a daily commitment to operate in excellence. Your excellence today is the recipe for your success tomorrow. www.about.me/HuneeyLaQuinn

By Brandon J. Herndon State Farm® agent Are you doing your best to save for your future?

It can be very challenging to begin a savings program.

After necessities such as food, clothing and housing, there can be little left to put aside for future goals.

Unfortunately, failing to save could mean the difference between enjoying a comfortable retirement and giving up some basic needs. Often it is a matter of making the decision to begin saving now in order to buy a new home or car later. The goals you set are important to you. Making changes to prepare for those goals can make a difference.

For that reason, State Farm has looked at various ways to get a person’s savings plan on track and came up with seven strategies that you can use today.

1. Don’t spurge with your tax refund. Instead of spending your refund, use it wisely by paying down debt, funding an individual retirement account, or saving it for future financial goals.

2. Take full advantage of your employer’s retirement contributions. Your employer may match a percentage of the contributions you make to your retirement savings plan. It’s a good idea to do what it takes to get the matching limit. It’s free money that can really help your bottom line during retirement.

3. Start small and stay steady. The first word is the most important -- start.

You should begin as early as

4. Pay yourself first.

Think of your savings or investments as a bill you must pay on a regular basis, much the same as a car or mortgage payment. Be disciplined and make the payments according to a set schedule. For better results, establish an automatic monthly deduction from your paycheck or checking account to fund an investment or savings account.

5. Create separate pots of savings for upcoming life stages. Retirement may be an important goal for which to begin saving, but other goals or events need as much or more preparation.

Don’t short-change other goals while concentrating on one thing. Whether it’s a home, car or child’s education, it is important to give appropriate attention to each.

6. If you have children, find the right education plan. You have a number of choices when it comes to saving for a child’s education. Finding the one that makes sense for your situation takes planning and information. This takes us to the seventh and, quite possibly, the most important point…

7. Work with someone you know and trust. Everyone’s needs and goals are unique. Just as you go through many changes during your lifetime, your financial goals may change.

You should work with a professional who not only knows about various plans and strategies, but know you and will stay with you through the long haul.

Most people feel the best guidance they receive comes from a financial professional; they know and trust.

In the end, it all boils down to making a plan, getting started and staying the course. When you make the decision to finally start, contact a financial professional who knows you and understands your needs.

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THE EXPERT NETWORK ATTORNEYS

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