Sports agent Jeff Berry shows players the money
YOU INVENTED
WHAT? Bold innovators launch new start-ups PAGE 18
MY Aha!
Moment
Execs on ideas that changed their business PAGE 25
Innovator Sean Verdecia
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 A Sarasota Magazine Publication
PAGE 36
We don’t just get involved. We become an integral part of your corporate team. A winning legal strategy starts with a thorough understanding of your business and its goals. So not only will we offer you a wide breadth of legal skills, at Shumaker we’ll become a key player on your team. We’ll even provide a team manager, committed to advancing you toward your goal while defending your bottom line. Whether it’s our commitment to you, or to our work in the community, involvement will always play an essential role in our game plan.
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick,LLP
C H A R L O T T E
C H A R L O T T E
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick,LLP Attorneys Law S A at R A S O T A
C O L U M B U S
C O L U M B U S
S A R A S O T A
941.366.6660
•
T A M P A
T A M P A
slk-law.com
T O L E D O
T O L E D O
FEB | MAR 2015
18 WHAT?
LORI SAX
YOU INVENTED
MEET MEGA INVENTOR WALTER HERBST Building an innovation economy is a goal in our region, and our Aha! issue is filled with stories about promising startups and entrepreneurs and advice for ambitious innovators. Our cover feature “You Invented What?” showcases inventrepreneurs (an appropriate title for this group) and their trailblazing products. To support entrepreneurs, start-up professionals and potential investors in the 941, we’re thrilled to be hosting a conversation with mega inventor Walter Herbst, who will offer his lifetime of experience and ground-level view of what it takes to develop a successful product. Herbst is considered a founding father of modern design. A professor at Northwestern University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and a principal at Herbst Produkt, he has developed products from high-tech medical devices to practical housewares. He holds more than 85 patents and his work is in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Join us for this creative conversation, moderated by Sarasota product designer Rob Brady of ROBRADY, on Feb. 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at College Hall at New College of Florida. Cocktail reception is to follow. The event is free. Visit aha2015.eventbrite.com.
Super-creative entrepreneurs and their bold start-ups. Cover Photo by Barbara Banks
25 AHA!
Big ideas that changed local businesses.
HE WHIMSY BUSINESS 30 TMarietta Lee’s Museum of Art & Whimsy brings feel-good change to North Tamiami Trail.
ARDBALL 36 HManatee’s Jeff Berry represents some of the biggest names in baseball.
8
TALK
45 HR CORNER
60 THE SEEN
48
64
How to conduct a good People and events in Stuff you need to know, job interview. pictures. from New College’s big data program to X Prize founder Peter Diamandis’ take on FINANCIAL OFF THE innovation.
INTELLIGENCE
How to make your accountant love you, TOURISM BEAT and save money, too. Get ready for downtown Sarasota’s new hotels.
42
56 FAST TRACK
Movers, shakers and headline makers.
ADVERTISING SECTION susanb@biz941.com
2 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
CLOCK
Financial adviser and piano man Stephen Fancher.
53 High-Tech, Web Design and IT Guide
biz941.com Check out our website, featuring new and archived articles, and sign up for our e-newsletter, Biz(941) Daily.
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
sarasota, 120 University town Center Dr. 941.364.5300
COLLECTION
saks.com
Visit us at our new Sarasota home in The Mall at University Town Center
Celebrate! PLANNED PARENTHOOD
2015 ANNUAL DINNER GROWING THE PROMISE
Thursday, March 5, 2015 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Under the tent at USF Sarasota-Manatee
Purchase tickets online at MyPlannedParenthood.org or by calling (941) 365-3913 x1124 Sponsorship opportunities available.
CEO Dan Denton Executive Vice President & Kelley Lavin Group Publisher Vice President & Pam Daniel Editorial Director Consulting Publisher Randy Noles Vice President & Pamela Flanagan General Manager
EDITOR Susan Burns EDITORIAL Managing Editor Ilene Denton Senior Editor Kay Kipling Associate Editor Hannah Wallace Web Editor Megan McDonald Web & Editorial Assistant Chelsey Lucas Interns Bobbilynn Hollifield and Sara Mineo
ART AND PRODUCTION Publications Director Norma Machado Art Director Lauren Thomas Art Director Ian Solomon Designer Amy Hoffarth Advertising Services Katherine Orenic Manager
Exclusive Magazine Sponsor:
ADVERTISING Senior Account Executive Kim Davis Account Executive Keith Magnuson Account Executive Debra Clark Maradiaga Account Executive Dan Starostecki Account Executive Sandy Moore Account Executive Christie Busch Sales Support Manager/ Regina Walters Assistant to the Group Publisher
MARKETING Director of Cindy Christo Brown Events & Marketing Marketing Intern Danielle Dygert
CIRCULATION Circulation Director Diana Clenney Circulation Coordinator Joy Quici
BUSINESS Clerk Credit Manager Sara Clements Sales & Marketing Deborah Feinsod Assistant
CONTRIBUTING Writers David Ball, Tony D'Souza, Brad Edmondson, Lori Johnston, Kim Hackett, Cooper Levey-Baker, Molly McCartney, Rich Rescigno, Jackie Rogers, Carol Tisch, Abby Weingarten, Johannes Werner
CONTRIBUTING Photographers Jenny Acheson, Barbara and Artists Banks, Kathryn Brass Piper, Matthew Holler, Chris Lake, Gene Pollux, Lori Sax, Alex Stafford
330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236 Phone: (941) 487-1100 Fax: (941) 365-7272 Biz941.com | SarasotaMagazine.com
4 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
INNOVATE. PROFIT. REPEAT.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Come share in a compelling conversation with Walter Herbst 2 the founding father of modern product design. His products are a potent mix of art and science and range from high-tech medical devices to practical housewares. Walter holds more than 85 patents and has been recognized by Business Week magazine and the Industrial Designers Society of America as one of the Best of the Decade. His clients include Logitech, The Home Depot, and Crate & Barrel. His work has been on display since 1964 at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
You are invited to the
Aha! Creativity Conversation
WALTER HERBST, IDSA
“You can dramatically increase your chances of developing a successful product.”
Moderated by Rob Brady, CEO of ROBRADY Tuesday, Feb. 10 5:30 – 7:30 pm College Hall, New College of Florida
Meet entrepreneurs, investors and start-up professionals who are turning concepts into cutting-edge products and successful business ventures. Cocktails follow the discussion.
FOR COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS, visit aha2015.eventbrite.com or call (941) 487-1100. SPONSORS
Business Solutions that Just Make Sense • Business Line of Credit • Treasury Management Services • LIMITED TIME OFFER! SAVE $200 for Payroll Processing!*
The Publications of Gulfshore Media, LLC
Contact Sally Beyer at First Bank by calling: (941) 345-1159!
firstbanks.com
* Call for more details.
BOB’S WINDOW BOB’S WINDOW CLEANING CLEANING “Clearly the Best”
SARASOTA Sarasota Magazine Biz(941) On the Beach Visitors Annual Sarasota Health Sarasota Magazine's Home Buyer SEE Sarasota Holiday Gift Guide
“Clearly the Best” (941) 955-4607
St. Armands Magazine Southwest Florida Guide to the Arts Asolo Repertory Theatre Program
(941) 955-4607
• Commercial buildings • Commercial buildings Residential properties • Residential properties Window cleaning • Window cleaning Pressure cleaning Gutter cleaning • Pressure cleaning All work guaranteed • All workthe guaranteed Serving area since 1972 • Serving the area since 1972 bobswindowcleaning@gmail.com www.bobswindowcleaning.BIZ bobswindowcleaning@gmail.com www.bobswindowcleaning.BIZ
6 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Sarasota Music Festival Sarasota Orchestra Masterworks Program Sarasota Orchestra Pops Program Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Program Venice Magazine Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Program
FLORIDA
ArtsLife Florida Homebuyer Orlando Winter Park Magazine
INNOVATIVE COMPUTER PROGRAM PROVIDES DIGITAL LITERACY Tech Connection is Goodwill Manasota’s innovative new program to recycle, refurbish and resell donated computers and equipment. The Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum, which helps users learn and improve basic computer skills, is installed on all refurbished machines. “At Goodwill Manasota, we understand the importance of education, technology and digital literacy in our community. We believe in equipping people with the tools they need for success and self-sufficiency.” - Bob Rosinsky, President & CEO, Goodwill Manasota Goodwill Manasota is a licensed Microsoft Registered Refurbisher
CHANGING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF WORK
Donated computers are inspected after a 3-path DOD wipe, which safely and securely erases any and all data. Machines are sorted and evaluated and curriculum is installed. Team Members Tommy Hannan and Brendan Makowicz (pictured) provide world-class customer service and Tech Connection support. Refurbished computers are currently for sale at the Goodwill Mecca location at 5150 N Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. The new Tech Connection center will debut when the newest store in Lakewood Ranch opens in March 2015. To donate computers, visit your nearest Attended Donation Center or call 941-355-2721 for more information. For a list of locations, visit:
EXPERIENCEGOODWILL.ORG EXPERIENCEGOODWILL.ORG
Talk FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
I NNOVATOR
➜ Pat
McDonald
THIS FALL WILL MARK NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA’S first master’s degree program in the hot new field of data science, which collects and analyzes the explosion of information on just about anything that can be measured. In fact, New College will be the only liberal arts institution in the nation to offer the degree. Spearheaded by director of data science Patrick McDonald, an M.I.T.-educated mathematician and head of mathematics at New College, the Master of Data Science program anticipates eight to 10 students in its first year and 15 students per year thereafter. The program will develop students’ ability to analyze big data. “When I talk about big data I mean a collection of unstructured data that has to be hosted on more than one machine,” McDonald says. He cites MRI imaging, health informatics, finance and risk analysis as examples of big data sources. “There’s an enormous need for people with these skills,” he says. The data science faculty worked with Google and Amazon, and with health informatics and risk analysis companies to tailor the curriculum to meet their needs. Near the end of the program, students will work directly with corporate partners to develop products that answer a question or need posed by the company. McDonald foresees significant spinoffs of data science companies emerging here as a result of this new program. “This program will deepen our reputation and put New College and Sarasota on the map as the first program of its kind in Florida,” he says. ■ By Chelsey Lucas
8 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
ALEX STAFFORD
Director of data science, New College of Florida
BIZ RULES
By Chelsey Lucas
OVERHEARD
“The first businesses to benefit will be law firms in the U.S.” —Cuba Standard editor Johannes Werner on the impact of U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba, Sarasota Tiger Bay, Jan. 8, 2015.
3.5% METRIC
The growth in gross metropolitan product predicted for 2015 in North Port-BradentonSarasota. SOURCE: IHS Global Insight as reported in Florida TaxWatch, January 2015.
Small Business: Educate Your Employees About ACA Now PROVISIONS TO THE PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (PPACA) have been rolling out since President Obama signed the reform bill in 2010. As of Jan. 1, 2015, the law kicked in for large businesses with 100 or more employees and will take effect for small businesses with 50 to 99 employees (companies under 50 employees are not required to offer health benefits) Jan. 1, 2016. But that doesn’t mean small businesses should take a back seat through this year, says Bob Stanell, managing principal at CS&L CPAs. “Smaller employers need to pay attention to the 2015 changes to determine the pitfalls [of the law]” and how those will affect them come 2016,” Stanell says. As possible points of confusion, he points to the different reporting mechanisms and data reporting that will be required by law, as well as the myriad tax forms that are required versus those that are only suggested by law.
He also says that employee education, though not obligatory on the employer’s part, is critical. “We’re talking about expensive issues,” he says. Employees need to be aware of how their employment status affects their eligibility for certain kinds of health care coverage. For example, at press time, employers were not required to provide health care to part-time employees— those who work fewer than 30 hours per week. One resource for small business is national payroll companies, which have been gaining momentum as a result of the regulations accompanying the law. “They have a lot of resources dedicated to educating employers, so it may not be uncommon for small businesses to outsource to payroll companies for guidance,” he says. “The next 12 months will be the greatest training period [small businesses] are going to get,” Stanell adds. ■
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 9
Talk
By Susan Burns
FIVE QUESTIONS
Peter Diamandis, chairman and CEO, X Prize Foundation; executive chairman, Singularity University Engineer, physician, entrepreneur and author Peter Diamandis speaks around the world about innovative problem solving. The founder of 15 tech companies, co-founder of two universities, and the creator of the X Prize Foundation, an educational nonprofit focused on breakthroughs that will benefit humanity, Diamandis will speak at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation 2015 Better Together Luncheon Feb. 24 at noon under a tent on the Van Wezel bayfront lawn. PETER DIAMANDIS
Q. What is the most exciting technology or methodology coming down the pike and how will it transform our economy and lives? “Artificial Intelligence (AI), the ability of a computer to listen to you, your conversations, and understand desires and provide you the answers or take the actions you need to fulfill those desires. It’s been called the last invention humanity will ever need to create. AI will ultimately help bring the capability of Jarvis (from Iron Man) or HAL (from 2001: A Space Odyssey) into existence. Some like Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have voiced significant concerns. Others like Larry Page and Ray Kurzweil feel that such concerns are a long way off and, frankly, that humanity has always co-evolved with technology and will continue to do so. Next on my list is 3D printing, a technology which has the ability to disrupt a $10 trillion-dollar manufacturing industry.”
Q. How can a retirement and tourist-dominated county like Sarasota attract the entrepreneurs of the future? “Many cities around the world are trying to replicate what Silicon Valley has created. Entrepreneurs are attracted to two things: (1) venture investment capital; and (2) other entrepreneurs. It’s about creating sufficient density of both.”
Q. What is the biggest mistake companies make today? “Companies today make many mistakes. They get overly comfortable. Instead they need to figure out how to disrupt themselves before someone disrupts them. Large companies focus on incremental progress, where they should be looking at moon shots. Some of the most exciting and successful companies that have taken moon shots outside of their comfort zone include Apple, basically reinventing the music business and the smart phone industry, Microsoft entering the game business with Xbox, or
10 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Google entering the automotive business with their autonomous cars or the maps/navigation business with Google Maps.”
Q. What qualities do you look for in an entrepreneur? “Simple: passion and curiosity.”
Q. What are the biggest challenges and advantages for the future prosperity of the U.S.? “The biggest challenge is over-regulation. The government’s primary objective is stability, but during a period of exponential growth, the only constant is change, and the rate of change is increasing. Overregulation simply means that the technology created here in the U.S. goes to other countries. The biggest advantage we have is the entrepreneurial mindset and the willingness to take huge risks.” ■ Tickets to the Better Together Luncheon are $50. This event may sell out. To see if seats are still available, visit gulfcoastcf.org.
BIG Who We Are BIG is a community-engagement initiative designed to nurture entrepreneurship on the Gulf Coast. Whether you have an idea for an innovative business or the time and expertise to help someone who does, we need you!
BRIGHT IDEAS ON THE GULF COAST What We Do Through our concierge service for local entrepreneurs, we connect bright ideas with the right resources to launch or grow businesses. BIG also promotes four industry sectors where our region can compete nationally:
DIGITAL ARTS HEALTH INNOVATION MARINE SCIENCE SPORTS PERFORMANCE
Go BIG at BIGgulfcoast.org! Submit an idea: Tell us about your idea, and we’ll connect you to the right resources to take your “next step.” Share your knowledge: Volunteer as a BIG resource for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Invest in BIG: We’re a start-up ourselves, funded by philanthropy. Learn how you or your business can help.
941.486.4619 BIGgulfcoast.org an initiative of
Talk
By Susan Burns
THE LIST Falling Short
Average annual wages in Sarasota and U.S., 2013* LOW-WAGE INDUSTRIES Department Stores (except Discount) Full-Service Restaurants Child Day Care Services Supermarkets / Other Grocery Stores Home Health Care Services Skilled Nursing Care Facilities
SARASOTA
MIDDLE-WAGE INDUSTRIES Wood Kitchen Cabinets / Countertop Mfg General Medical Surgical Hospitals New Single-Family General Contractors Residential Electrical Contractors Residential Plumbing & HVAC Contractors New Car Dealers Furniture Stores
SARASOTA
HIGH-WAGE INDUSTRIES Insurance Agencies & Brokerages Administrative Management Consulting Custom Computer Programming Services Computer Systems Design Services Offices of Lawyers Commercial Banking Securities Brokerage
U.S.
$21,785 $22,706 $20,249 $18,091 $22,316 $19,962 $22,857 $22,757 $29,194 $28,039 $32,201 $30,062
U.S.
$39,053 $36,933 $50,981 $56,955 $56,224 $48,516 $43,009 $44,020 $39,637 $43,387 $57,822 $53,626 $39,391 $36,258
SARASOTA
U.S.
$55,175
$66,230
$88,800
$99,232
$83,188
$102,353
$75,065
$99,138
$73,311
$87,796
$60,901 $157,637
$67,391
$191,716
* These wages average the salaries of every employee who works in that industry. Sarasota wages compare favorably in low-wage industries, but high-wage industries here pay less than their national counterparts. SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Compiled and analyzed by Donald Grimes, University of Michigan.
12 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Ancient mariners used star-filled skies to cross vast oceans and navigate rough seas. Icard Merrill will help you steer through the legal complexities of modern life. From business matters to civil disputes to family concerns, our lawyers have experience in a wide range of legal fields. We provide a comprehensive approach to the practice of law, with your goals and well-being always our top concern. No matter the distance or storms of your particular journey, Icard Merrill will guide you to smooth sailing along the way.
941.366.8100 • icardmerrill.com Mana tee, Sarasota & Charlotte Counties
Talk
AGENDA F E B R U A R Y/ M A
FEB. 5 Manatee
Chamber of Commerce 52nd Annual Meeting and Member Appreciation Dinner, 5-9 p.m. at Fete Ballroom at Polo Grill and Bar, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. $65. RSVP required; register at manateechamber.com.
FEB. 5 Gulf Coast Builders Exchange Annual Dinner with
keynote speaker Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, 5:30-9 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. $135 for members and governmental officials; $185 for nonmembers; sponsorships available. Register at gcbx.com.
FEB. 10 Biz(941) Aha! Creativity Conversation and Cocktail Hour, how to
create amazing products and make them profitable—with global inventor Walter Herbst and Rob Brady, CEO of ROBRADY, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at New College of Florida College Hall, free tickets are available at aha!2015. eventbrite.com.
FEB. 13 The Greater
TRENDSPOTTER
RCH
FEB. 18 Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Breakfast of Champions with guest
speaker USF Associate Director of Athletics Jim Fee, 7:30-9 a.m. at Lakewood Ranch Golf &Country Club, 7650 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers. Register at lwrba.com.
FEB. 26 Bradenton
Area EDC 27th Annual Hob Nob Bar-B-Que, 5:308:30 p.m. at Dolphin Aviation, 8191 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $65 for EDC Investors; $75 for future Investors. To register, visit thinkbradentonarea.com.
Expect the single-family home median price in Sarasota and Manatee to rise by only 3-4 percent in 2015 as opposed to 2013’s 21 percent increase. The reason? Hedge fund investors are moving to secondary markets. SOURCE: Jack McCabe of Deerfield Beach’s McCabe Research and Consulting
READER METER
FEB. 26 Young
Professionals Group State of Jobs 2015, a one-day event geared towards engaging high school and college students and young professionals with growing industries and careers in Sarasota County; 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at Suncoast Technical College, 4748 Beneva Road, Sarasota. For details, go to sarasotachamber.com.
Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Annual Kickoff Breakfast, 7:30-
MARCH 20-22
9:15 a.m. at Polo Grill, 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch. $38. Register at sarasotachamber.com.
presented by the Florida Creativity Alliance in partnership with USF Sarasota-Manatee and Florida Studio Theatre. Details at flcreativity.com.
14 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
NOT SO FAST
12th Annual Florida Creativity Weekend,
What is your biggest wish for 2015?
15% A new career
73
%
12%
More free time
More income
SOURCE: Biz(941) Daily poll
Ask the Originals www.DineOriginal.com
Eat Like a Local “We’re looking forward to Happy Hour. Where would you recommend we go?”
Talk
By Hannah Wallace
BIZ BITES
Café in the Park is a picnic in downtown Sarasota.
CHAD SPENCER
(941) 758-7880 | oysterbar.net
(941) 952-9400 | halfshellseafoodhouse.com
THE PLACE
(941) 388-5550 | lynchespub.com
(941) 346-5443 | skob.com
16 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Café in the Park, 2010 Adams Lane, Sarasota, (941) 3613032. A glass-walled, sunlit, sandwich shop oasis atop a small hill in the middle of downtown Sarasota’s Payne Park, the café has both indoor and outdoor patio seating with sleek aluminum tables and chairs and a near 360-degree view of the park’s grassy expanse, fountains, playground and skate park.
THE PEOPLE
Young families with children and/or dogs; workers from the nearby courthouse and city offices.
TIME FACTOR
Counter service and just a short wait for your sandwich to be made to order and brought to your table. There’s also a to-go option if you’re really in a rush.
THE FOOD
Ten creative sand-
wiches include a grilled cheese on sourdough ($4), a Cuban ($7.25), and originals like the “Zoe” with prosciutto, goat cheese, pine nuts and honey ($8.25), or the Pilgrim, with turkey, curry mayo, red onion and cucumber ($7.25). A couple of colorful salad options and a morethan-respectable coffee/cappuccino list complete the menu. ■
ADVER TISEMENT
Thomas E. Anderson
Protecting intellectual property investments. GIFFORD, KRASS, SPRINKLE, ANDERSON & CITKOWSKI, P.C 1680 Fruitville Road Suite 301 Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 346-1530 patlaw.com
For more than 25 years, Thomas E. Anderson has helped his clients to navigate the intricacies of intellectual property.
Thomas E. Anderson’s patent practice consists of has to be part of an overall commercial strategy. I’m two separate arenas — prosecution and litigation. as much a business adviser as I am an intellectual In prosecution matters, he represents businesses property lawyer.” and inventors in evaluating technologies, conducting Anderson’s AV rating is the highest rating given patentability searches, drafting by Martindale-Hubbell, which rates applications, and applying for patent lawyers for professional skill and grants and amendments from the integrity. A founding shareholder with “I’m as much a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Gifford, Krass, Sprinkle, Anderson and and foreign patent agencies. After Citkowski, P.C., he periodically lectures business adviser as a patent has been granted, he on patent and copyright law and I am an intellectual vigorously represents his client’s contributes to various American Bar property lawyer.” rights. Association publications. He serves He also works closely with clients on the governing council of the ABA’s to ensure that intellectual property arts, communications, entertainment is properly protected, seeking federal and sports law section, and is a registration where appropriate and pursuing legal member of the ABA’s computer law and international action in the courts and at U.S. borders to prevent law sections and the intellectual property law unauthorized copying, reproduction and other acts of section of the State Bar of Michigan. He is admitted infringement. to practice in Florida, Michigan, and before the U.S. “Providing IP counsel involves a healthy amount Patent and Trademark Office. of consideration and restraint,” he says. “The In addition to his juris doctor, Anderson holds an investment associated with filing and enforcement engineering degree from the University of Michigan.
?
You Invented
WHAT? BOLD NEW PRODUCTS
AND COMPANIES
BORN IN THE
941
B Y D A V I D B A L L PHOTOS BY BARBARA BANKS
18 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Gimme Shelter SEAN VERDECIA OF ABLENOOK FOUR YEARS AFTER HURRICANE Katrina, University of South Florida architecture student Sean Verdecia was still wondering why there was no cheap, easy-to-install housing for the thousands of newly homeless. “History was doomed to repeat itself,” Verdecia says. “With [today’s] technology, anything is possible. [But] nobody had come up with a solution.” Now Verdecia, 37, says he has created that solution, called AbleNook. The company is also the name of the product, an inexpensive modular dwelling unit that Verdecia calls the iPhone of portable buildings—it can be customized with accessories and used by almost anyone anywhere. The 64-square-foot building is made mostly of aluminum with prefabricated walls and a porch. Units can be attached together to make larger living spaces, though Verdecia says a threesection, 192-square-feet unit would be ideal for emergency housing. AbleNooks can also be outfitted for higher-end residential, office and other commercial uses. Verdecia formed AbleNook in 2011 with fellow USF architecture student Jason Ross, 28, as part of a research project. They received a $12,000 grant to build a prototype and continued to improve it after graduating, with Ross in Atlanta and Verdecia working at Sarasota’s Jonathan Parks Architect, where AbleNook now shares office space. The company is looking for investors but also is considering an initial bulk order of 100 units to help fund the start-up. Unit pricing has not been set. Sarasota’s Gramatica SIPS International, a manufacturer of insulated panels, made AbleNook’s wall systems and will likely do so again. Verdecia says they are still looking for manufacturing partners around the globe to build the units—though the design and business headquarters likely will be in Sarasota or Tampa.
The Ablenook modular dwelling.
Sean Verdecia
Buy Low, Sell High JORDAN BERGER OF TECHNICAL420
Jordan Berger
“We wanted to develop a platform to provide up-to-date analysis on marijuana companies.” 20 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BILLIONS ARE BEING MADE in the medical and recreational marijuana industry, and investors want in. But since marijuana businesses involve a federally illegal product, major investment houses won’t touch them. For two young entrepreneurs, it’s a void too big to ignore. Last March, Jordan Berger, 21, and Michael Berger, 25, (no relation) formed Technical420—with the irresistible tagline, “Buy Low, Sell High”—to advise investors about publicly traded marijuana-based companies. They launched a website in July, and a thousand people signed up in just six weeks. “We found over 100 [marijuana] companies and there was no reliable information on them,” Jordan Berger says. “When you invest, you have to do research. Because the marijuana industry was evolving [so] fast, we wanted to develop a platform to provide up-to-date analysis on these companies.” Companies that handle marijuana plants can’t legally go public, so they focus on companies that provide ancillary products and services. Most are penny stocks, though as more states legalize marijuana, the industry will grow. Michael was an analyst at Raymond James Financial, fielding hundreds of calls about marijuana investing before he quit to work at Technical420 full-time. He does research and consults with investors. Tech-savvy Jordan helped pull all of Michael’s analysis into a user-friendly “dashboard.” Technical420 went live in January and in two days had 2,000 subscribers and 800 members at $20 a month. The company secured $75,000 in seed money from an investor in Miami, and Berger says they will raise another $75,000 for marketing and new products. Their goal is to create the first marijuana exchange-traded fund (ETF), and eventually bundle the best companies to trade as an index, though that will likely require federal legalization of marijuana, Berger says.
Janis Krums
Bill Jula
Business Hook-up JANIS KRUMS AND BILL JULA OF OPPRTUNITY FOR TECH START-UPS, the biggest bets usually lead to the biggest payoffs. Sarasota entrepreneurs Janis Krums and Bill Jula are betting that an online professional network, called Opprtunity, will compete with—and maybe even replace—established giant LinkedIn. It’s a bold vision for 29-year-old Krums, a Latvian native who came to Sarasota as a 10-year-old. He studied business and marketing at Georgetown University and gained social media notoriety when he tweeted the now famous photo of the 2009 U.S. Air emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River. Jula, 42, previously founded a 200,000member online business network called PROskore. The two hatched the idea for Opprtunity in early 2013 and launched a test site for opprtunity.com last June. With no marketing, they’ve seen a 10 percent monthly increase in users, who now number more than 30,000 across dozens of countries.
“Our goal was to create a smarter layer of connecting business professionals [on top of LinkedIn],” Krums says. “Now we’re seeing it can replace LinkedIn because users are getting utility out of it. It’s not just a resume posted online.” Opprtunity isn’t a social network, per se. There is no profile to manage. Instead, users submit their needs for sales leads or employment or workers or other services. An algorithm matches them up with other Opprtunity users who can meet those needs, usually within a nearby geographical area. More users means a bigger, smarter network and bigger profits. Krums and Jula are self-funded and earn revenue from users’ $20-per-month fees (there are also free memberships with less service). They intend to seek investor funding this year and hire a small team in Sarasota. Their goal is 200,000 users by the end of 2015 and, ultimately, to be the biggest professional network in the world.
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 21
Chill Factor KAHORU “KALU” WATANABE OF COOL FLOW DYNAMICS SOMETIMES A LITTLE LUCK can be as important as years of hard work. Sarasota entrepreneur Kahoru “Kalu” Watanabe can claim both with his Cool Flow Dynamics. The company, incorporated in August 2013, is producing a new technology to increase the efficiency and usability of open refrigeration cases in grocery and other stores. The technology involves something called a plasma actuator, which, it just so happens, Watanabe found at a research lab at the University of Florida. “It was pretty amazing,” Watanabe, 52, says. “I knew what I was looking for, and I found it right in my own back yard.” The actuator is used in the military to decrease drag on aircraft and missiles. Watanabe wants to use it to create a fastmoving, thin current of air that blows over the huge openings in freezer and refrigerator cases, creating a virtual door that keeps cold air in and warm air out. The actuators use very little electricity, so energy savings could be enormous. Watanabe holds an application patent for this use of the actuators and has a licensing agreement with UF to develop the technology. He obtains the funds that pay for the research, while the lead researcher, Dr. Subrata Roy, has come on board as Cool Flow Dynamics CTO. “We can function with [fewer] people because we’ve outsourced our product development, the most labor-intensive part, to University of Florida,” Watanabe says. This is the sixth company founded by Watanabe. He started Cool Flow Dynamics with $25,000 of his own money and has secured another $650,000 plus $150,000 in research grants. Watanabe expects to have a prototype developed and manufacturing costs determined this month, and to field orders later this year. Cool Flow Dynamics is also working on applying plasma actuator technology to decrease drag on trucks and increase their fuel efficiency. ■
22 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
“I knew what I was looking for, and I found it right in my own back yard.”
Kalu Watanabe
PITCH
PERFECT OK, so you’ve got an idea for a product or business that’s going to change the world—and make you rich. Chances are your start-up will need capital, and that means pitching your idea to investors. While Sarasota is full of entrepreneurs, ex-CEOs and retired executives ready to invest, that doesn’t mean funding is easy to come by. Longboat Key resident and investing expert Dean Eisner says a great start-up or business idea can be ruined by a bad pitch. Here are his tips to making your case as the next big thing.
1
4
2
5
KNOW YOUR MARKET OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORT IT WITH FACTS. “You have to understand what the company is trying to achieve in the market and if it can be sustained. Is the market growing? How is it trending, and can you scale your product or business? Don’t just tell me you’ve got a feel for it; show me statistically that this is a trend and what the growth potential is.” A BUSINESS MODEL TELLS YOUR STORY. “A concept can sound great, but sometimes idea generators really haven’t thought about the true pricing for the products or service, a good estimate of their volume and what operating expenses are needed. I’m going to want to know how my money is used to ensure that a believable business model is going to be produced and I’m going to get a return.”
3
BRING SOMETHING UNIQUE, NOT NECESSARILY THE PRODUCT ITSELF. “Now tell me why your model is the one I should bet on over the others. It could be that you have a relationship [with a distributor or vendor] and a contract in hand. It could be that you have some kind of intellectual property that prevents others from doing what you’ve done. The more you can differentiate yourself, the more your idea has a chance to win.”
EXPERIENCE ON THE MANAGEMENT TEAM IS CRUCIAL. “For most investors, this is the No. 1 item. Anyone who has established a proven track record brings credibility. For a young or new entrepreneur, that can be achieved by attracting advisers who have that experience and credibility. A quality adviser can improve the chances of the company taking off.” BE REALISTIC IN YOUR VALUATION AND DEAL. “So you’ve gotten through the first four criteria. Now what are the terms of the deal? Am I getting 10 percent of the company for putting in $10 million? That’s probably not realistic. How can I get my money out? What voice do I have as an investor? Can I fire the CEO? Now we’re down to the details. Some people are very unrealistic, so they walk away from deals, and sometimes that is the death of them.”
Dean Eisner is former president and CEO of Manheim, a $3.8 billion automotive wholesaler, and former head of investments for media conglomerate Cox Enterprises. He works with the nonprofit BIG (Bright Ideas on the Gulf Coast), connecting new entrepreneurs and ideagenerators with established advisers and investors.
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 23
Bring Your Idea to Life. Prototypes prove the possible. ROBRADY’s team of award winning engineers, designers and fabricators can help bring your research to reality. Our in-house 3D printing puts the “rapid” in rapid prototyping, turning digital ideas into physical parts.
Give your prototype the ROBRADY advantage www.robrady.com info@robrady.com
Aha! Looking for inspiration for that next big venture?
Top execs reveal some of their game-changing moments. By Lori Johnston Photography by Matt Holler
“Aha� moments pave the way for success, but exactly what turns on that light bulb? We asked seven individuals in the creative, technology, retail, arts and other sectors about insights that changed or improved the way they did business.
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 25
Leisa Weintraub is vice president of marketing and creative director for Neal Communities, which has built more than 10,000 homes in Southwest Florida since 1970. “When we were working on Central Park at Lakewood Ranch, I was looking for ideas to promote the community and to tie in with our company’s philosophy for charitable giving. I had a meeting one day in 2010 with a media partner. She said, ‘We do a lot of online contests.’ I said, ‘Contest!’ We contacted eight charities. Each one created a park bench, which was permanently installed in Central Park. Then we invited people to vote on their favorite bench. We donated $1,000 to the charity that won the most votes. We had 56,000 votes.” [The Manatee Chamber of Commerce won.]
Greg Twarowski is the founder and owner of three America’s Super Pawn stores and Carats Fine Jewelry and Watches. "I expanded on my pawn shop business by opening a beautiful jewelry store, Carats. I realized I had to be different than other jewelers. My ‘aha’ moment was partnering with designers who don’t have a local presence. Since I got Hearts on Fire [a Boston-based, luxurybranded diamond company offering premium bridal and fashion jewelry] in October 2014, I have sold a number of pieces ranging from $2,500 to $22,500. It really comes down to uniqueness and quality.”
Sara Hand is co-founder of the entrepreneurial incubator, Bradenton Innovation Center, and co-founder of Spark Growth, a consulting firm offering social media and digital strategy for businesses. “One of my biggest ‘aha’ moments is the first time I saw a company pitched to an investor in Tampa in 2007. [The presenters] threw up on investors for about an hour and a half. I realized that these investors weren’t the right prospects for them. For some reason, entrepreneurs think that anybody who has money is a prospect. I began to think about how I could help entrepreneurs find their prospects whether they’re looking for customers or an
26 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
investment. That need would become part of what Spark Growth does. “Then, in 2009, I went to my first Florida Venture Forum conference [a statewide organization that helps entrepreneurs obtain funding through education, strategic partnering and effective networking]. Soon after, I joined a group of local people for lunch, who began a conversation about an incubator for entrepreneurs. That became the Bradenton Innovation Center.”
Peter Simonson is the president of Juvent, which makes motion therapy devices that look like a large bathroom scale, to improve musculoskeletal health, promote balance and lessen pain. Simonson also invented Medtronic’s patented unique spinal implant system, TSRH-3D, which, with $1 billion-plus in sales, is used in more than 30 countries. “With Juvent, our [Peter and his brother, Juvent’s CEO Rush Simonson] ‘aha’ moment was with our mother. This technology was originally developed by Jack Ryaby [a medical device pioneer and expert in bone healing, now deceased], and it was validated for the treatment of osteoporosis. When we were evaluating the technology [to determine if we should purchase the company], my mother had a debilitating reoccurrence of a twoyear-old pelvic fracture that had never fully healed. The pain was unbearable. My mom went from a vibrant 78-year-old woman to a bedridden cripple who was only up
for two hours a day. We put her on the Juvent in her home in Florida. Within about two weeks she was up with no cane and no pain. We couldn’t believe it. “We bought the assets of the company three years ago out of bankruptcy. Now Juvent is a part of people’s lives, including professional athletes. We have the top PGA and LPA players in the world (through a relationship with golf instructor David Leadbetter), the world’s top doubles tennis player [Mike Bryan] and top football players (such as retired NFL player Ray Lewis and NFL center Eric Wood) using Juvent.”
Steven High is the executive director of The Ringling, the state art museum of Florida, which includes the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Ringling mansion, Cà d’Zan, and the Circus Museum. “In coming here and interviewing in 2011, I saw that the entire grounds were covered with cars. One of the major experiences of the institution was being turned into a parking lot. The other issue I noticed was all these negative signs saying, ‘Don’t walk there,’ ‘Don’t use this door.’ The museum was setting up barriers to people having access and enjoyment out of the experience. I really wanted to get us to think differently about how we were engaging with our community. I brought a focus on the visitor experience institution-wide, from when they drive their car to the parking lot to when they walk in the door to the experience throughout the estate. “We also hired a director of visitor experience. He manages visitor services as people come to the museum, but also looks more broadly at all those engagements that a visitor has here. We recently were ranked by TripAdvisor in the top 25 of 25,000 museums in the United States for the visitor experience.”
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 27
LeeAnne Swor, owner, L. Boutique and L. Spa, the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Retail Business of the Year, opened her store in 2004. L. Boutique sells contemporary women’s fashion. “In November 2003 I visited my brother, Mike, in Sarasota. I packed jeans, sweaters and boots since I was living in Atlanta running my store, L’Asia, where the weather was cool. When I arrived here, the weather was 85 degrees. I went to the mall to buy an outfit for Thanksgiving Day as we were planning to eat outside. Many of the mall stores were stocked with fall and holiday merchandise, but did not have ‘Florida Fall,’ as I like to call it, clothes that were appropriate for 85 degrees. That was my ‘aha’ moment. I [realized] I could open another boutique in Sarasota that provided ‘buynow, wear-now’ clothes for locals. I fell in love with the Burns Court neighborhood and in four days found a building to lease, a manager, a small house and a babysitter. The rest is my L. history.”
Mark Famiglio is the CEO/founder of Cambryn Biologics, a company that develops and manufactures biologic products for the treatment of blood clotting deficiencies, wound healing and other blood-related issues. He’s also the director of Copytalk, which handles secure transcription to financial services professionals. “The ‘aha’ moment that led to the development of the Copytalk patent occurred when I was about 39,000 feet up in the sky. I was flying with my friend and partner, Norm Worthington. We had another guest with us, [R.E.M.] musician Michael Stipe. One of the things that bugged him was not being able to take contemporaneous notes while he was writing music. In 45 minutes, the conversation translated itself into a patentable product, Copytalk. We do voice-to-text and voice-to-data voice recognition. “I owned a medical transcription company at the time. We adapted the software we had for medical transcription for mobile usage in order to be able to record documents, ideas and ‘aha’ moments as they occurred. Copytalk, founded in 2001, is growing [it’s used by more than 50,000 financial services professionals, as well as sales executives, journalists, musicians and others, at subscriptions ranging from $65-$79 a month] and makes a lot of money.” ■
28 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
30 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY 2015
The
BUSINESS Marietta Lee has invested millions in a fanciful museum that’s brought a feelgood vibe to the North Trail. By Tony D’Souza Photography By Chris Lake
Marietta Lee embraces art in her Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy.
FOR THE PAST YEAR, DRIVERS ON SARASOTA’S NORTH TAMIAMI TRAIL near Ringling College have turned their heads at the sudden and mysterious appearance of giant pink flamingos, one of them wearing a top hat. If the sight of the flamingos has brightened or made more “whimsical” even one motorist’s day, then the woman who put them there, Marietta “Mary” Lee, considers it mission accomplished. The flamingos are one of a slew of imaginative—yes, whimsical—art installations brought to this stretch of North Trail by Lee through her Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy, which opened its doors in 2010. Still flying under the local art scene radar five years later, the Whimsy Museum continues to be what Lee calls “in start-up mode,” though the flamingos, by commercial artist Fred Prescott, have made a dramatic difference. “Once they started
installing those,” says Lee, “[attendance went up] bam, like a rocket ship.” It’s just that sort of curious visitor the museum seeks to attract, one with a healthy sense of adventure who will be delighted to discover this oasis of gentle humor and warm-heartedness in the midst of our urban jungle. The Whimsy Museum is Lee’s passion and brainchild; and while she’s laying out plans to see it grow into an established Sarasota attraction, so far she’s kept the visiting hours limited to just three afternoons per week during peak tourist season, not wanting the young museum to be overwhelmed. Lee, whose father in 1948 founded the Lee Company in Westbrook, Conn., a manufacturer of miniature hydraulics with 800 employees and on whose board she continues to serve, won’t reveal exactly how much she’s spent in land costs and property development.
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 31
But she says an estimate of between $4 million and $6 million is in the ballpark. For those who do find their way here, the Whimsy Museum’s gallery and extensive gardens are a well-appointed buffet of tastefully light visual treats. Colorful and bright paintings of beach scenes and riotous floral bouquets are at home alongside silly, wall-mounted singing fish. In the central rotunda, the focal point is three ballerinas sculpted from wire—Dancers, part of a series by the San Francisco artist Michael Gard—their bodies turning in perpetual flight-like motion because Lee has hung them from motors hidden in the ceiling. Visitors are invited to hoot, holler and clap their hands; suddenly a sound-activated laser light show begins; the ballerinas become otherworldly, as though they are dancing in space. Couches line the room; one can sit back, admire the graceful spectacle, and allow all earthly cares to fall away. This is exactly the sort of surprising experience Lee wants museum visitors to have. Just when one thinks the dancers and light show cannot get more fanciful, the rotunda’s glittering disco ball kicks in. “This is a very unique museum,” Lee, originally from Guilford, Conn., says. “We try to have upbeat art, positive artwork that would make people feel good. This is a museum for happy things, funny things. [People] need a place to calm down, relax and feel good. You sit,
32 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
veg out; it takes you back to a time of innocence when you weren’t worried about paying the bills.” Though an art snob might sneer at such motives, no one at the Whimsy Museum gives any concern to that. Lee, working mostly with volunteers until hiring two paid staff last year, has put her museum together essentially alone. Her vision is ambitious and marks a real investment in the future of the economically challenged North Trail. After a career as a nurse and a decade taking care of her elderly parents, Lee (who says she’s “over 65”) had hoped to open her museum in her native Connecticut and began a frustrating search for properties there in 2008. Stymied by three different failed land contracts, she turned her attention to Sarasota, where she owned a home and had attended Ringling College, earning a fine arts degree in 1991. “Long ago when I was at Ringling, I thought it would be nice to have artists’ studios along here,” Lee says. “I knew this area and always thought the North Trail was a diamond in the rough even if nobody else did. It’s eclectic; you don’t have one cookie cutter thing after another. There’s a variety of businesses and architecture.” Working with real estate broker Marie Avery, Lee located and purchased her various North Trail properties along a three-block stretch directly across from Ringling College and just north of Whitaker Bayou.
Opposite page: animal sculptures inside and out; this page: A colorful sign and signature pink flamingo beckon museumgoers along the North Trail.
That the college, for which Lee feels great affinity, is so close by was an important factor in her decision to establish her museum here. Her three main land parcels, separated by Sylvan Drive and 22nd Street, form a large contiguous space for the museum and its planned expansions. On one parcel, she took down the Southland Motel and installed a tastefully landscaped parking lot filled with large sculptures of animals; the central parcel is home to the museum, and the third offers more room for growth. Currently waiting on city building permits, Lee has immediate plans for a café and gift shop. The extensive gardens she designed and installed require the attention of landscapers five times a week. In the museum itself, formerly a retail space, the build-out included the addition of bamboo flooring, repositioning of doorways and a full transition into a showplace for artwork. “Initially, we had a lot of stuff going on. We had hookers everywhere,” she says of one tricky issue often associated with the North Trail. “I had hookers coming up to me and telling me what I should do. They wanted [the property] to be a 24-hour ‘50s diner. Did they really think I’d buy a million-dollar property and not know what to do with it?” Organized as a private nonprofit foundation with a board of directors drawn from both Lee’s extended family and Sarasota friends, the Whimsy Museum currently charges no admission fee. More than 30 volunteers have completed a two-day formal orientation, and the museum has welcomed the public to regular events, such as its fifth season exhibition preview in late October, titled Desserts First, where partygoers dressed in costume as their favorite desserts. At a November reception for Sarasota artist James Griffith, whose large canvas oil painting, Angels Trumpets, is on display, attendees were treated to hors d’oeuvres and a lively lecture by the artist himself, including a slideshow of Angels Trumpets in various stages of production, as well as stories from Griffith’s career as a romance novel cover illustrator (he’s painted 4,000 of them) and his discovery of the model Fabio. Griffith met Lee when he took a new canvas to the Dabbert Gallery on Palm Avenue, which shows and sells his work. “I brought in a painting that was still wet,” Griffith says. “The gallery didn’t even know if they were going to take it. Mary bought it right away. She owns seven [of my] pieces now. [The Sarasota artist community] loves the museum. They’re happy there’s another venue in town. I know that my gallery is happy.”
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 33
TRAILMix
Along with Marietta Lee’s Whimsy Museum, a number of new restaurants, galleries and development projects have helped the North Trail have a nascent foodie and arts scene. Among the recent openings:
Art along a garden pathway.
Kathleen Frederick, executive director of Fort Pierce’s A.E. Backus Museum, who attended the Griffith reception, says, “What [Lee] is doing here is a colossal breath of fresh air. Whoever heard of spinning ballerinas and laser lights that are voice activated? It’s fun. This is one person’s vision and I’m impressed by it, especially her tenacity.” Lee says that in the beginning, she was told by those familiar with the particular challenges facing the North Trail that once she improved her properties, the area’s seedier denizens would move on, which has proven to be the case. Not lost in all the whimsical art is just what Lee’s museum may mean for the ongoing revitalization of the North Trail itself. “The North Trail has some gems and it has some ‘opportunities,’” says the North Trail Redevelopment Partnership’s Steven Roskamp. “For North Trail to fully turn around, it’s going to take some small organizations and ma and pa’s to come in. Sometimes, just by taking some unattractive parcels and making them attractive as Mary has done, that’s enough to potentially attract other investment.” Once her building permits come through, Lee is ready, as she says in her pragmatic New England way, “to move dirt.” She continues to canvass art shows, both locally and out of state, to build her collection, and has hopes of increasing her staff. “All museums have a director and a fund raiser; eventually we will have all that, too,” she says. For now and into the future, the museum will be supported by the foundation. “We have a plan, but it is not written in stone. The plan is to just keep moving forward,” she says. Perhaps that’s the best sort of plan of all for a whimsical museum whose focus is taking the stress out of life through art. “At my age, I wouldn’t have started this if it wouldn’t last past me,” Lee says. “This is an all-out effort; I want to give something back to the world. There’s a place here for everybody; we’re just trying to show that you can have fun. I’m an artist, I’m a friend of artists, and Sarasota’s a wonderful place to be.” ■
34 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Studio 41 1770 N. Tamiami Trail (941) 924-5224 • arnoldberns.com Opened in December 2014. The gallery features the photography of Arnold Berns in the former Twin Motel; each room of the motel has been repurposed to display Berns’ art. Edfish Gallery 3333 N. Tamiami Trail, Unit 100 fineartamerica.com/art/all/edfish/all • (941) 586-1706 Opened in November 2014. Located in the Trail Plaza, site of the former Radio Shack, it features the work of the artist Tom Sawyer and also offers custom framing. Sunnyside Cafe 4900 N. Tamiami Trail sunnysidecafesrq.com • (941) 359-9500 Traditional omelets and sandwiches in the newly refurbished restaurant at a former North Trail motel. The Coffee Loft 2025 N. Tamiami Trail kelly-gorman-hfta.squarespace.com (941) 706-4047 Owned and operated by Woodland Community Church; offers coffee, pastries, paninis. Queen of Sheba 4195 N. Tamiami Trail ethiopianrestauranttampa.com • (941) 359-8000 The second location of a popular Tampa Ethiopian restaurant, Queen of Sheba opened in August 2014 in the site formerly occupied by the Gold Dynasty. LeAnh’s 2901 N. Tamiami Trail leanhrestaurant.com • (941) 355-7909 Traditional Vietnamese pho and other dishes at the site of the former Pizza Hut. Painter’s Palate 2801 N. Tamiami Trail painters-palate.com • (941) 355-4620 Asian fusion with outdoor seating across from Ringling College.
ADVER TISEMENT
Keiser University
Turn your love of sports into a rewarding career.
Students at Sarasota’s Keiser University receive quality academic education and excellent job training, while taking advantage of innovative scheduling options and a host of student services.
KEISER UNIVERSITY is a regionally accredited, Students gain valuable real-world experience in private university serving students seeking doctoral, a sport setting by participating in four internships master’s, bachelor’s and during their sport management program. associate degrees in nearly This provides students professional “Students in the 70 concentrations. Whatever opportunities in entry-level settings sport management including professional sports teams, college they hope to do professionally, program receive students can advance their athletic departments, sport communication career opportunities through and public relations firms, sport marketing a well-rounded these highly marketable and advertising agencies and recreational education that links degree programs. The Bachelor facilities. sport management of Science degree in sport Skilled sport management professionals management presents a wide theory with industry are the true force that powers successful range of professional and sport organizations around the country practice.” academic opportunities. and around the world. Keiser University’s The sport management program creative scheduling (one class at a time), at Keiser University provides an opportunity to combine students-first philosophy and effective support a student’s love of sports with a career in business. systems will help prepare students for the fast-paced, This hybrid program couples the convenience of online established sport industry. learning with personalized, face-to-face instruction Don’t delay your dream of working in the sport in the classroom. Students learn about the business industry field. For more information, please visit the of sports, including topics such as sport marketing, school’s website at keiseruniversity.edu sport journalism, consumer behavior and social media and technology usage in the sport industry. At Keiser KEISER UNIVERSITY SARASOTA CAMPUS University, students in the sport management program 6151 Lake Osprey Drive, Sarasota, FL 34240 receive a well-rounded education that links sport (866) 534-7372 | KeiserUniversity.edu management theory with industry practice.
HARDBALL JEFF BERRY IS NOT THE FAST-TALKING SLICKSTER you’d imagine a high-powered sports agent to be. Berry, who in 2013 negotiated a record-breaking $167 million Major League Baseball contract, is also a down-to-earth family man with a disarming smile and a friendly, comfortable manner. From his east Manatee County home, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, the boyish Berry could pass as the manager of a successful sporting goods store. Except that, as co-head of Creative Artists Agency’s baseball division and an outspoken, sometimes hard-nosed advocate for his clients, Berry spends 140 days of the year flying out of Sarasota or Tampa to baseball destinations all across the country, and his phone is jam-packed with contact info for some of the biggest names in the Majors, including the Orioles’ Gold Glove-winning Adam Jones, the ex-Rays’ Rookie of the Year Wil Myers, and Buster Posey, the San Francisco Giants’ all-star catcher who just won his third World Series in five years.
36 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
In fact, it was Posey who signed the recordbreaking, nine-year, $167 million contract that Berry negotiated for him in 2013. And to those who complain that athletes like Posey are overpaid, Berry has an explanation. “Most [baseball] careers don’t extend into people’s 40s,” Berry says. “It’s critical to maximize the earnings for these players who have dedicated their lives to this profession.” Berry has dedicated his 16-year career to maximizing baseball players’ earnings, and the hits keep right on coming. Born in Owensboro, Ky., Berry played baseball at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and then spent one year as a catcher in the Boston Red Sox minor league system. Sensing little potential in his pro ball career, he enrolled in the Oklahoma City University Law School, where, in 1998, he graduated cum laude with his juris doctor. But it was his position there as a graduate assistant baseball coach that propelled him toward his future career.
Sports agent Jeff Berry
“They’d have Christmas camps, and all these pro [coaches and MLB veterans] in the area, I got to know them,” he says. “Vern Ruhle was a very good Big League pitcher and then a pitching coach for a number of years. He told me, ‘Hey, [being an agent] is something I think you should get into.’” Berry leveraged those earliest contacts to learn about player representation and eventually recruit his first clients. “Today, the young kid that we hire out of college knows every deal I’ve ever done,” he says. “But in the mid-1990s, the Internet wasn’t [in widespread use]. There was no information on how to go about getting into this business. It was just by good fortune.” After spending some time with IMG’s headquarters in Ohio, Berry came to Bradenton in 2001 to operate his own office out of the IMG Academy campus, where a number of professional athletes train. There he met Sarah, a Bradenton native (her father, Dr. Paul May, ran a Manatee Avenue veterinarian office for many years). The two wed in 2005. In 2006, Berry joined CAA Sports’ New York office, co-founding its baseball division. The family lived in New York, until their second child was born in 2010. They decided to move back to Bradenton, where Sarah’s family could provide support, especially when Berry is on the road. “I love living east of the interstate,” says Berry. “I can get to the Tampa airport in 45 minutes, to Sarasota in 20. It’s an easy commute to New York. [Living here] is a lifestyle much more than a job. It’s lovely down here.” Representing clients is all about personal connection, and that connection starts early—especially
with baseball players, who may turn professional as teenagers. “I remember meeting with Wil Myers’ family when he was 17 years old. I remember meeting with Buster Posey [at 20] and his family for the first time at a Cracker Barrel in Tallahassee,” Berry says. Berry’s first job is to translate the player’s needs and goals into a contract, while navigating the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the players union, which dictates everything from minimum salary to trade clauses to drug testing. “It’s important for a player to recognize what level of competency an agent has with regard to the things that matter in his career,” says Berry. “It is a personalconnection business, but it can’t be all personal. When you’re going through a contract negotiation, there are always difficult decision-making points, regardless of the amount of dollars at play. You have to have a mutual trust when going through that sort of life-defining moment; you want to maximize the players’ opportunities, to accomplish what their goals are.” Money is, of course, a big factor in a contract, but it’s not the only one. “There’s the total dollar value, the number of years, the tax structure. Then there are various ancillary aspects—a bonus structure, an awards structure, a performance-based structure. It can go in a million different directions, from a full no-trade provision to
“People don’t understand the mental grind.”
38 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Opposite page: Jeff Berry at home in Manatee County with his wife, Sarah, and three children. Clockwise from top a suite on the road,” he explains. left, some of Berry’s “It’s all what is most important to clients include: a particular player.” 2013 Rookie of the During negotiations with a year Wil Myers, team, Berry emphasizes his cli2012 Most Valuable ent’s upside, which might involve Player Buster intangible qualities as well as Posey and St. Louis talent. “Whatever makes that Cardinal Michael player valuable is something that Wacha. you need to be able to articulate Photos courtesy of and properly communicate to a Jeff Berry team,” he says. “Stats are important, but so is the core of who that person is, what he means to the team, and what he means in the clubhouse as well as on the field.” Signing the contract is just the beginning. Berry, who charges a standard contract-management fee per client (the MLB standard is around 4 percent to 5 percent, according to Forbes), works with a team of 20 in CAA Sports’ baseball division to make sure clients can handle anything that comes up—whenever and whatever it may be. He says, “On a day-to-day basis, I’m dealing with what a particular player has going on within his organization: Are there injury concerns? Are there player development concerns? There’s obviously the marketing aspects of the athlete.” Then there are the more unusual requests, like when a player called asking for help in tracking down a $15,000 breed of bulldog. Throughout a grueling 162-game season, including road trips that can span the continent, just about anything can happen. “People don’t understand the mental grind; it’s the highest level of pure competition there is,” says Berry. “We try to provide very talented players with a support system that gives them every opportunity to succeed.” Sometimes that support extends to advocating for rules changes. In 2011, Buster Posey suffered a season-ending leg fracture after what was at the time a legal (but brutal) collision at home plate. Berry, a former catcher, pressured the MLB to alter its rules to lessen the frequency and destructiveness of home plate collisions, which had long been a part of the sport. “There was no other position that I could think of in any sport where a grown man could run unimpeded for 90 feet into a defenseless player,” he argues. In 2014, a new rule restricted the ways in which catchers could block the plate; many players—including some catchers—as well as commentators and fans griped about the change, but Berry supports it. “I think
[this new rule] is better for the game,” he says. “I know some people disagree. But when Buster was injured the way he was, the game wasn’t better for it.” And, he adds, “You didn’t see any catchers destroyed at home plate [last] year.” Over time, many clients become family. Berry first met with pitcher Mark Buehrle and his parents in the living room of their St. Charles, Mo., home in 1999. Buehrle went on to win a World Series, pitch a perfect game and appear on a Wheaties box during his now 15-year career, all with Berry by his side. “We vacation with the Buehrles,” says Berry. “It’s much more than a client relationship. You become intertwined [with your clients’] lives and careers.” Such relationships, he says, can make the money seem secondary. “The high watermarks for me aren’t the biggest contracts,” he says. “It’s when you see a guy that you’ve known since he was a kid get his first contract or make his first All-Star Team—and to know that you’re a small part of it.” Berry credits perseverance—and a little luck—for his success. People he knew who started their baseball careers when he did are now higher-ups for a number of teams, helpful connections to have. But for aspiring agents, Berry says the bottom isn’t a bad place to start. “The key is getting your foot in the door, regardless of what entry-level position it is,” he says. The current general manager for the Toronto Blue Jays, he points out, started there working for free opening fan mail. “If I could choose any job to do in the world, it would be the one I have,” he says. “And I know how lucky I am to be able to say that.” ■
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 39
ADVERTISEMENT
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW
Hultman Sensenig + Joshi, P.A. THE FIRM’S EXPERIENCED LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ATTORNEYS GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE MAZE OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING YOUR WORKPLACE.
You + Us = Workplace Solutions You’re busy running a successful business, when unexpectedly an investigator from the Department of Labor arrives, asking to see all your time records, or an employee complains about discrimination or harassment, or someone you paid as an independent contractor files for unemployment. When faced with these and other workplace legal issues, the firm’s experienced employment attorneys can help. Hultman Sensenig + Joshi has two attorneys Board Certified by the Florida Bar as Specialists in Labor and Employment Law: Lori Hultman and Nikhil Joshi. In addition, Nik Joshi’s MBA has a concentration in human resources management, and Christine Sensenig and Lori Hultman have both practiced in-house for large corporations. These varied backgrounds and different legal experiences allow
the firm to utilize a practical, business-oriented approach to handling your workplace issues.
Philosophy: Establishing long-term relationships with clients to help minimize employment claims. Some attorneys tell clients what to do without considering the client’s wishes. Hultman Sensenig + Joshi attorneys ask questions and listen to your answers. They learn about your workplace to evaluate your needs. This commitment to learn about your business enables them to develop customized policies and training. The attorneys regularly communicate with you and work to achieve cost-effective solutions, whether it is to prevent a problem or while defending against a lawsuit. When you contact the firm with a question or problem, you can expect timely, conscientious, personalized service. Hultman Sensenig + Joshi handles your legal needs so you can focus on your business.
About the Firm
HS+J is devoted to labor and employment law, and its attorneys have over 70 years of combined legal experience. The firm provides advice, counsel and litigation defense to private and public sector employers in all aspects of employment. This includes preventative measures, like drafting handbooks, policies and employment-related documents, training management and staff, conducting investigations and defending against claims of discrimination, harassment, overtime, retaliation and whistleblower. HS+J assists with union negotiations and drafts, defends and enforces employment contracts, including independent contractor and non-compete agreements. It also conducts I-9 audits and advises about agricultural law and H2A compliance. HULTMAN SENSENIG + JOSHI, P.A. 2055 WOOD ST., SUITE 208 SARASOTA, FL 34237 (941) 953-2828 WWW.HSJLAWFIRM.COM
HS+J TIMELINE
Fla. Bar Board Certifications: 2001, Ms. Hultman, Labor & Employment Law 2011, Mr. Joshi, Labor & Employment Law
Awards:
2008-2010, 2014 Ms. Hultman, SuperLawyer 2009-2014, Ms. Sensenig, Florida Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite
Community Involvement:
HS+J supports local nonprofit organizations with board membership, financial support and training.
FROM LEFT: LORI HULTMAN, CHRISTINE SENSENIG, NIK JOSHI
Tourism Beat
By Cooper Levey-Baker
Checking In
How will downtown Sarasota’s new hotels impact the market? WHEN I TALK TO BUSINESS LEADERS, NO MATTER WHAT SECTOR THEY’RE IN, there’s one thing they’re unambiguously excited about: the sight of new hotels and condos going up in downtown Sarasota. Those towering cranes represent one of the most obvious signs yet that our economy is on a major upswing. Unless something drastic happens, downtown will see five new hotels come online within the next few years: a Westin at the corner of Gulfstream and 41; an Aloft at South Palm and Ringling; Hotel Sarasota at Cocoanut and North Palm; a Kimpton at Main and 301; and an Embassy Suites at Second and 41. If everything goes according to plan, that means 960 new hotel rooms, all within the downtown core. That’s a lot of inventory in a slice of the market that for years has been left to The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, the Hyatt Regency and Hotel Indigo. Could it be too much? “I think that some growth is a necessity,” says Hotel Indigo general manager Leslie Power. “Do I think three, four, five hotels are needed? I do not.” Hotel Indigo is the last new hotel to go up downtown; it was built in 2006. While Power says the addition of more
meeting and conference space to the market will be good for everybody, she worries that all those new hotel rooms might lead to oversaturation. The “good news,” according to Visit Sarasota County president Virginia Haley, is that all five hotels won’t open at once. The Aloft (September 2015) and the Westin (summer 2016) are scheduled to open first, with a lag before the others come online. “One of the rules of thumb in the industry is you don’t want to add more than 2 percent of inventory at any one time,” Haley says. “If you bulk up rooms too quickly, you don’t have time to build up demand.” To generate that demand, Haley’s office is contacting meeting planners and industry associations that host annual conventions, letting them know that Sarasota’s capacity for business gatherings will soon be growing. A large medical conference group, for example, had outgrown the meeting space at the Ritz-
Carlton. With the new Westin right next door, the organization will have plenty of room, and has committed to keeping its conference in Sarasota. “The danger zone would be if you were not aggressively marketing the destination, and you had the same number of visitors coming,” Haley says. “Then you’re cannibalizing the market.” Making sure to increase consumer demand along with inventory is key, agrees Jan Freitag, a senior vice president with STR, a Nashville company that tracks hotel industry data. According to his company’s numbers, room supply increased 1.3 percent between October 2013 and October 2014, while demand increased 8.2 percent. The current picture looks “very strong,” Freitag says.
“One rule of thumb is you don’t want to add more than 2 percent of inventory at any one time.”
Continued on page 44.
42 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Tourism Beat Continued from page 42.
But the 960 rooms in downtown Sarasota alone could add up to a 20.6 percent increase in supply from 2013. Once all of these units are added to the mix, will the increase in supply begin to outpace the growth of demand? The fundamental question is whether the new hotels will attract new travelers to the marketplace. Haley says yes. Both Aloft and Westin are part of the Starwood network, popular among business travelers, while Kimpton has an “incredibly loyal fan base” of younger, hipper, arts-loving tourists craving an urban experience. While leisure travelers look mostly at prices and amenities and are less likely to be loyal to
specific chains, a brand name can be very important to a business traveler, a “points junkie” who is on the road often and likes to stick with one company, Freitag says. Downtown Economic Development coordinator Norm Gollub agrees that the new brands could bring more business travelers to downtown, where they can walk to meetings with CPAs, financial planners, attorneys and more. The Kimpton, toward the east end of Main Street, will offer immediate proximity to corporate offices and the county courthouse, he says. More visitors could make that end of Main Street much more vibrant after dark. The mall attached to the Hollywood 20
movie theater, currently on the market, has struggled mightily ever since its construction. Gollub hopes the new owner will “reprogram it to a higher and better use.” With a new World of Beer nearby, as well as the new McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, Gollub hopes that east Main develops into a “hub of entertainment.” Haley knows Visit Sarasota County needs to hustle to continue growing consumer demand, well before the full slate of hotels is open for business. Right now, event planners are making arrangements for conferences that are years away, she says. “We’ve got to step up our game.” ■
Guaranteed, Every Time! Licensed, bonded and insured – Free estimates
Office – Medical Offices – Churches Schools – Condos – Homes – Rentals The Office Cleaners offers personalized services unmatched by other cleaning companies. The owners inspect the work our professional cleaners do. Our goal is to make certain all our customers are satisfied and all their needs have been fully met.
941-539-0123
info@theofficecleaners.biz www.theofficecleaners.biz
44 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Interview By Chelsey Lucas
HR Corner
Improve Your Hiring Etiquette Conducting a good job interview is essential to finding good employees.
Q
Elaine, the owner of a well-known dining establishment, received an email that her restaurant was being portrayed in a negative light on social media. A woman who had applied for work as a manager posted a complaint about how she was treated when she went in for an interview. “I was treated poorly from the time I arrived,” she wrote. “No one greeted me. I was shown to a back office and kept waiting with no explanation. I then went through interviews with four
A
staffers who asked me very few questions about myself. I was there almost four hours while they talked to me about the job. No one gave me an opportunity to ask questions. And then the restaurant never contacted me after the interview to thank me for my time or let me know I was not hired.” Elaine was shocked. She had no idea that her management team lacked hiring etiquette. She’d like to learn best practices and train her staff as well. What are the basics to conducting a good job interview?
PAT MATHEWS, PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT, WORKPLACE EXPERTS, REPLIES.
EMPLOYERS NEED TO understand that job seekers today will turn to social media if they receive poor treatment. It’s important for everyone involved in the hiring process, from the receptionist to staff members to the person conducting the interview, to be friendly and professional and to paint the company in a positive light. The first step occurs before the applicant arrives for the interview. Evaluate how well you present the job opening, and if you advertise the position on your
company website make sure it’s easy to find. If you do post [the opening] on your site, ask a staff member not involved with human resources or web to ‘apply’ for the position online and make changes to its accessibility or format from there. Don’t just rehash the job description; make the posting fun. Make it sound like this is a company people want to work for. Be clear about how the process will go: Provide an outline so the applicant knows what to expect and how much time he or she should budget. Prepare for
the interview by reviewing the job posting and the applicant’s resume before their arrival. Ensure that anyone who conducts interviews for your company has had interview training; otherwise the interviewer will just talk at the candidate. Have open-ended, case sample type questions prepared. For example, if you were hiring someone to work in a restaurant you could ask questions like ‘What would you do if a customer wasn’t happy with the food they received?’ or a more general question such as ‘What
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 45
HR Corner are good reasons for being absent from work?’ Also leave space for the interviewee to ask questions. At the close of the interview explain what will happen next, whether it’s a second or third interview, follow-up testing, or the need to interview more applicants, and let them know when and how they can expect an answer regarding the position. Once you’ve made a final hiring decision, notify everyone who interviewed. It sounds like a lot of work, but that’s what attracts quality applicants: People talk about how they were treated during the hiring process. These days you’ll probably have two job openings for every candidate, [making it] hard to
attract quality applicants. Still, the ‘do not’s’ of the hiring process include ‘don’t hire out of desperation,’ ‘don’t always trust your gut’ and ‘don’t get stuck running oldfashioned ads.’ If you only look to fill a position without taking the time to find a quality, well-suited candidate, it’s probable that you won’t pick the best fit. Many employers may not ask interviewees to complete an application and they should, since it’s the first step in learning whether the person might fit with your business. It’s not advisable to hire someone solely because you liked them. As for advertising, social media outlets like LinkedIn and Facebook are resources for locat-
ing job applicants. Make an appealing ad. The hiring process is [essentially] a practice in sales or marketing, so sell the candidate on the organization. The ‘Now Hiring’ sign in the window is outdated and won’t attract the quality people you want working for your company. If you think you need more guidance, try online resources like BizLibrary and HireVue, or local resources such as CareerSource Suncoast and the Sarasota Manatee Human Resource Association that can help train employees on hiring etiquette skills. I can also provide a checklist for conducting successful interviews. ■
David R. Kotok
Chairman & Chief Investment Officer Since 1973, Cumberland Advisors has been a trusted source for expert, personalized money management. Our firm has a wealth preservation bias and a conservative investment orientation to manage both risk and return. As a fee-for-service manager, our firm manages more than $2 billion in fixed income and equity accounts. Our clients include individuals, institutions, retirement plans and government entities.
One Sarasota Tower
2 N. Tamiami Trail, Suite 303 Sarasota, FL 34236
46 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
800.257.7013
www.cumber.com
@CumberlandADV
614 E. Landis Avenue Vineland, NJ 08360
Tickets on sale now! Saturday, March 7, 2015 Sarasota Polo Club, Lakewood Ranch
3:00 pm 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm
Gates Open Polo Match Begins Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres Dinner & Dancing
Join us for a great event and a great cause. Everyone is welcome! Please join us for our 5th Anniversary of polo and fun as we raise money for advances in research, education and the treatment of cancer.
2015 PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Since 2011 we have raised over $1 million. With your help we can continue to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families everywhere.
For sponsorships call 941.928.9296. Purchase your tickets online today.
polounderthepalms.com 2015 BENEFICIARIES:
CANCER & BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
2015 MEDIA SPONSORS:
Financial Intelligence
By Lori Johnston
A Tax Valentine How to make your accountant love you, and save money, too. MOST FOLKS DON’T EMBRACE TAX TIME WITH HUGS AND KISSES. Some fear they owe more than expected. It’s also bad timing, right in the middle of the Florida season, when businesses are busy with snowbirds and tourists, and society and charitable events fill calendars. Instead of pushing thoughts about taxes until March or April, take a new tactic toward your taxes in 2015. Your caffeine-fueled accountant will be grateful, and you’ll save time and money.
BEAT THE RUSH Procrastination is a big pet peeve among accountants. Shoot for mid-February to submit business tax info and documents, since filing deadlines start in midMarch. “We get very busy when it comes close to deadlines,” says Ken Thomas, a partner with Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC in
Bradenton. “If it comes in after mid-February, we have to make a decision as to whether we can complete it in time. If people get their information in late, we may require extensions.”
“Even though they use accountant systems such as QuickBooks, people don’t reconcile their bank accounts to them,” says Sarasota CPA John Michael Smith. “Your records are only going to be as good as your recording.”
DITCH THE PAPER BAG “We love people who take responsibility for their books and records,” says CPA Ken Honick of Pellegrino Honick McFarland & Miller, P.A. Handing over a bag or shoebox filled with receipts will draw the ire of accountants, and their extra time will increase your bill. “The less time it takes, the cheaper it’s going to be for the client,” Thomas says. “The more organized it is, the lower the costs will be.”
ORGANIZE YOUR INFO Use accounting software such as QuickBooks to record expenses, manage cash flow and reconcile bank accounts every month.
SUMMARIZE INFORMATION Accountants don’t need all your receipts. Create a summary of assets bought or sold, accounts receivable, and other expenses, such as health care and charitable contributions. “It’s not up to me to decide whether what they bought at Office Depot was personal or business. That’s their responsibility,” Honick says.
MAKE SPECIFIC NOTATIONS If you want to provide a check register and bank and credit card statements to an accountant, identify what each check is for and the reason for each credit card transaction. “It avoids us Continued on page 50.
48 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
How confident are you in your tax strategy?
Updating your plan every year is not optional; it’s essential. New regulations went into effect on January 1st, 2015. Your CPA can provide guidance on how to respond to these changes and prepare for the year ahead. Meet with a CPA who is dedicated to helping you achieve your personal and business goals in the most tax-efficient manner.
Download our free tax guide at www.CSLCpa.Com
SARASOTA (941) 954-4040
BRADENTON ( 941) 748-1040
Financial Intelligence Continued from page 48.
having to go back and ask later,” Thomas says. Fill out the tax organizer for personal taxes. Accounting firms typically send clients a worksheet to complete. Be sure to note life changes, such as moving or having a child.
GATHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS Going back and forth two or more times to gather all your documents creates frustration, Smith says. Provide tax documents, such as 1099s, and the annual summary and December statement for bank, investment and credit card accounts. Bring in, or submit
electronically, all the pages, not just those you think are most important. If the business ownership or structure has changed, or if it has received outside funding, provide those legal and financial documents. For equipment bought or sold, submit invoices or summarize what was purchased, when it was bought and the cost. Provide records that show the business mileage and the trip purpose. “It’s surprising how often people don’t think to bring that with them,” Honick says.
GET ON THE CALENDAR And get a jump on 2016. Meet with your accountant at least
50 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
once before the end of the current year to discuss your finances and any tax-saving decisions. Honick says that even learning about a death in the family or medical problems could bring up important questions that impact tax filings. “Once year-end hits, everything is in the books, basically, and you’re stuck with the result,” Thomas says. “Meet with your accountant for tax planning and communicate with them sometime in the fall.” If you still prefer to have the accountant compile everything from a check register, bring it in each quarter, instead of once a year. Honick adds: “That would be a major valentine.” ■
BoostDFM delivers innovative ideas, responsive service, and true partnership. “BoostDFM was a valuable resource for redesigning our website. In addition to their development expertise, they provided insight on mobile trends and modern web design. They were attentive to our needs, but also encouraged us to think differently and consider all the options. They proved to be a great partner and we are pleased with the result.�
Jay Clarkson CPA | Principal, CS&L CPAs
boostdfm.com
ADVERTISEMENT
HIGH-TECH, WEB DESIGN AND IT GUIDE Tech talk with local IT strategists and marketing experts.
boostDFM Q. What is a digital marketing agency? At boostDFM, digital marketing means being as well-versed in new technology as we are in traditional marketing. Our ability to combine interactive technology with innovative strategic marketing helps us deliver the best possible solutions for our clients. That’s an important distinction: We’re always looking at future marketing options so there’s no limit to the solutions we provide.
Q. What technologies do you integrate into client solutions? We are experts in interactive technologies. BoostDFM designs and builds digital projects embedded in standalone devices, mobile phones, touchscreen kiosks and displays. In addition, we combine traditional marketing efforts with innovative new technologies such as real-time analytics and augmented reality, digital advertising and
Digital Image Business Solutions
signage, websites on the Drupal content management system and mobile apps.
Q. What sets your business apart? We distinguish ourselves in three areas: quality, expertise and reliability. BoostDFM combines awardwinning design and development with innovative technologies and marketing strategies. Our responsiveness and dependability at every stage of a project and beyond make us a trusted partner for clients across a broad spectrum of markets that includes construction, tourism/ hospitality, professional services, medical, technology, consumer products and nonprofits.
Q. How do you select the best keywords for your website content? When it comes to search traffic, selecting the correct keyword/ phrase is critical. There are three different approaches: 1. Ask the client which keywords/phrases to use. 2. Traditional—utilize Google search engine estimator tool to select keywords or 3. Strategic— perform an aggregate evaluation of relevant keywords to determine which combinations will maximize traffic. Call us to increase website clicks up to four times while improving page rankings.
Q. What is strategic search engine optimization? 7317 Merchant Court, Suite A Lakewood Ranch, FL 34240 (941) 907-9293 boostDFM.com Contact: Jason Drosky
Google is all about local relevant content. The strategic SEO approach identifies the keywords and phrases that maximize traffic to create sales opportunities. You then create a FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 53
ADVERTISEMENT
landing page and post content that addresses the prospect’s request while acting as a gateway for additional products and services. This approach typically increases click-through rate and minimizes bounce rates while increasing page views and time on the site.
Although there are many factors we evaluate, most often the answer is yes. With an estimated 30 percent of employees now spending the majority of their time outside of the office, Microsoft’s Office 365 and SouthTech’s PowerView Voice (VoIP) allow workers to be connected and productive just like they were sitting in the office.
Q. Is it the right time to move to Voice-Over-IP? 7216 21st St. E. Sarasota, FL 34243 (941) 757-1880 dibsfl.com Contact: Gregg Anderson
SouthTech Q. Is it time to move my business
Consider this: Does your 2015 business plan include profitability and growth? Is your current infrastructure equipped to support planned growth? Does your current communications system incorporate all of the necessary items to support your business plan like email and mobile devices? If your answer is no to any of these questions, it is time to move to VoIP.
communications to “the cloud?”
54 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
Q. Can my company afford a new VoIP Solution? Certainly! Knowing not all VoIP is the same, with SouthTech’s PowerView Voice (powered by Star2Star) there is no equipment to purchase, and the system, service and support are included for what you may currently be paying the phone company. You have one monthly bill and a customized turnkey solution with support. Find your answer to this question by scheduling a free SouthTech assessment today.
2801 Fruitville Road, Suite 250 Sarasota, FL 34237 (941) 953-7455 ext. 337 southtech.com Contact: Jackson Haskins
Business-class VoIP Communications
Not all VoIP is the same.
SouthTech partnered with Star2Star to provide more than a new phone system. PowerView Voice combines next-generation VoIP technology with expert installation and support from the people you know and trust.
SouthTech. Your IT Navigators. www.southtech.com/voice
Fast Track
Movers, Shakers & Headline Makers
ANTHONY MANGANIELLO III
STACEY MILLER
Positions Taken
Christine Robinson, executive
director, Argus Foundation. Kristina Eastmond, operations specialist, Kerkering Barberio Financial Services. Nicola Peterson, audit principal; Marsha Weisse, audit senior; and Donna Henson, audit manager, Shinn & Company CPA. Kimberli Radke, director, office of financial management; and Dennis Murphy, development services manager, planning and development services department, Sarasota County government. Tina M. Mroczkowski, partner, trusts and estates practice group, Shutts & Bowen LLP. Sheryl Vieira, promoted to assistant vice president of marketing, Caldwell Trust Company.
CHRIS PFAHLER
JAMES FIORICA, M.D.
Jessica Krick , staff accountant, Kenneth Jarvis, PLLC Certified Public Accountants. Kevin Hagan, senior vice president, commercial relationship manager, Iberia Bank. Andy Reeves, executive director, Lighthouse of Manasota. Susie Bowie, promoted to vice president of philanthropic education and marketing, Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Tony Campano, purchasing manager, Neal Signature Homes. Anthony J. Manganiello III, associate attorney, law firm of Icard Merrill. Ryan Hoevenaar, art director; and Brittany Davis, account coordinator, Knight Marketing. Laurie Hayes, director of public relations and marketing, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.
56 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
JIM ZIENTARA
SHERRY GROOMS
Suzanne Van Drus, marketing assistant, Discount Med Direct. Tina West , vacation specialist, Travel Design Center. Ian Dolby, project manager, Bruce Williams Homes. Elisa Hansen, head librarian, The Ringling. Tracy Mitchell , fundraising producer, WUSF Public Media. Hanna Shea Persson, volunteer and special events coordinator; and Michele Slaughter, director of marketing, Manatee Players. David Carey, director of accounting, Willis A. Smith Construction. Stacey Miller, marketing manager, WCI Communities’ north region.
Fast Track Accolades
Beall’s CEO Steve Knopik was elected chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Chris Pfahler is 2014-2015 president of the State College of Florida Foundation board of directors, Cathy Kuhlman is vice president, and Lisa Bristow is treasurer. The law firms of Icard, Merrill;
Fergeson, Skipper, Shaw, Keyser, Baron & Tirabassi, P.A; and Gurley Vitale were named among 2014 Best Law Firms by U.S. News & Report and Best Lawyers. James Fiorica, M.D., is Sarasota Memorial Health Care
System’s new chief of staff. Parlane Reid, M.D., received the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, and Manuel Gordillo, M.D., was named Physician of the Year. Wade Sansbury has been named partner in charge of the Bradenton office of Mauldin & Jenkins. The Bradenton Area
Convention and Visitors Bureau won three awards
for its marketing efforts from Hospitality Sales & Marketing International. Carol Whitmore has been elected to a third one-year term as chairwoman of the Manatee County Port Authority, the governing board of Port Manatee.
Sarasota Memorial chief nursing officer Jan Mauck received the 2014 Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award from the Florida Association of Nurse Executives. Richard Ott , airfield facilities supervisor at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, received the 2014 Honorary Mark Winklemann Blue Light Award from the Florida Airports Council. Jim Zientara of Raymond James Financial Services received the Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors from WomenCertified. The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance 2014 Sandies Members’ Choice Awards winners are: Lori Denny, SouthTech; Barbara
Fast Tracker ❰❰ After 15 years at the New York Botanical Garden, JENNIFER ROMINIECKI takes the helm as president and CEO of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on Feb. 9. Q. What attracted you to Sarasota and Selby Gardens? My entire career has focused on advancing cultural institutions. The opportunity to lead Selby Gardens is the perfect chance for me to be part of growing a relatively young garden that is poised for greatness. Sarasota is truly a dynamic, cultural city, and my family and I will enjoy living in this exciting community. I found the potential, personally and professionally, irresistible.
Q. What do you see as Selby Gardens’ potential? Its bayfront location and spectacular collections are unparalleled. Following a museum model, the organization needs to create more key experiences and special exhibitions to attract new and repeat visitors. You don’t ever want people to say that they have been to Selby and that it is gorgeous, but that they don’t need to go back.
Q. Your biggest strengths? I have had the good fortune to work with some amazing, iconic cultural institutions in New York City since starting my career there in 1995. Along the way, I have developed people skills in working with board, staff and volunteers. I feel I have a talent for recognizing, developing and bringing out the best in the people around me. –Bobbilynn Hollifield
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 57
Fast Track Jones, Kerkering, Barberio & Co.; Holly Littlefield, Mauldin & Jenkins; Lori Ruth, Observer Media Group; Brian Volner, C1 Bank; Violeta Huesman, Keiser University; Amanda Vercheski, LWR Commercial Realty; Jason Seelbach, Truman’s Tap & Grill; and Yasemin Chain, ComCenter Lakewood Ranch. Peter A. Wish was elected chairman of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority. Ann Breitinger of the law firm of Blalock Walters has joined the board of directors of Realize Bradenton. Lucy Brenner of Kerkering Barberio & Co. was elected treasurer of Designing Women Boutique.
The New College of Florida Foundation was awarded a $50,000 grant from the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation for restoration of the college’s historic Caples waterfront. Michael’s On East was selected by Florida Trend for its Golden Spoon Hall of Fame. Cutting Loose Salon was recognized as a Top Performing Salon of 2014 by the American Salon Better Business Network. The Downtown Sarasota Alliance announced its 2015 board chair and officers: Casey Colburn, The Colburn Law Firm PL, chair; Mike Beitzinger, IberiaBank, vice chair; Francine DiFilippo Kent , DiFilippo Kent Gallter, treasurer; and Tony
Abate, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick LLP, secretary. Brian Forbes, an air conditioning, heating and refrigeration instructor at Manatee Technical College, was named 2014 Best Instructor by The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration NEWS and the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). Matt Bower, firm administrator of Luhrsen Law Group and president of the Sarasota-Manatee chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators, was selected as a Region 2 representative for the Association of Legal Administrators. Five members of the Sarasota
Fast Tracker ❰❰ Named COO of All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota last November, JOHN LIVINGSTON coordinates the distribution routes for All Faiths’ eight delivery trucks in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. Livingston notes that there are approximately 61,000 people in need in the area, and at present AFFB reaches nearly 51,000. To reach the remaining hungry, Livingston says, “[we plan to] solidify our operations and expand our program base with donor help.” AFFB offers a “wraparound service,” meaning that in addition to food donations it enlists volunteer medics and career counselors to aid those it serves.
58 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
“It’s not just food,” he says, “it’s working in collaboration with other services to provide for the people.” Through these collaborations, All Faiths was able to deliver about 7.1 million pounds of food and myriad types of services to people in the surrounding area in 2014. A 13-year veteran of the food bank world, where he worked as inventory control manager and eventually vice president of Second Harvest Heartland in St. Paul, Minn.,
COO of Three Square Food Bank in Las Vegas, Nev., and a brief stint at Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis, Tenn., Livingston says he lives by this mantra: “’My worst day at the food bank is better than the best day of most of the people we’re trying to serve.” –Chelsey Lucas
Fast Track Association of Realtors were honored in December with 2014 awards: Mike Bruno, Realtor of the Year; Candy Swick , Humanitarian of the Year; Kristin Triolo, Meritorious Service Award; and Jacqueline Abney and Alex Krumm, President’s Award Winners.
Sherry Richardson Grooms of Re/Max Alliance Group was named Manatee Association of Realtors Realtor of the Year.
Moving and Opening Practice Works MD, a
medical practice management
consulting firm, has opened at 2601 Cattlemen Road, Suite 406 in Sarasota. Caldwell Trust Company has moved to 1400 Center Road in Venice. Total Wine has opened at 8280 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. The law office of D. Robert Hoyle, P.A. has opened at 1001 Third Ave. W., Suite 260, in Bradenton. M.E. Reich has launched The Growth Coach SRQ.
Global Financial Private Capital has moved to expanded quarters at the Gateway to
Sarasota Office Park, 501 N. Cattlemen Road in Sarasota. Architectural Revival , a reclaimed and custom furniture retailer, has opened at 421 Central Ave. in Sarasota. A Lilly Pulitzer resort-wear boutique has opened at The Mall at University Center. The Animal Rescue Coalition has opened a freestanding spay and neuter clinic at 6320 Tower Lane in Sarasota. Carol Myers has relocated her home staging business, Stage One Home Showcasing , to Sarasota. ■
Ready. Set. GO. Great Destinations. Convenient Airport. Carriers & Routes
ATLANTA - (ATL) DETROIT - (DTW) NEW YORK - (LGA and JFK)
BOSTON - (BOS) NEW YORK - (LGA and JFK)
srq-airport.com CHICAGO O’HARE - (ORD) NEWARK -(EWR) EFFECTIVE 02/12/2015
CHARLOTTE, NC - (CLT) WASHINGTON DC - (DCA)
TORONTO - (YYZ) NOW YEAR ROUND
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 59
The Seen
Photography by Lori Sax
1
2
3
P.J. O'Rourke at Sarasota Tiger Bay Club 1 P.J. O'Rourke, political satirist, author, speaker 2 Lisa Carlton, event sponsor; John Patterson, Shutts & Bowen LLP; and Susan Nilon, WSRQ 3 Susan Holic; Rita Ferrandino, Sarasota Democratic Party 4 P.J. O'Rourke signing books for cadets from Sarasota Military Academy 5 Rick DeFuria; Kristina Ferro, Michael's On East; Morgan Bentley, Bentley & Bruning P.A.
➜ More Seen photos at biz(941).com.
5
60 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
4
Workplace Experts We Help You Build Business Results Through:
A Better Workforce A Better Workplace
Celebrating 20 Years
• A network of highly experienced Human Resources professionals. • Providing services to clients with up to 5,000 employees. ^ Human Resources ^ Leadership Development ^ Organization Transformation Sarasota/Bradenton/Tampa Ft. Myers/Cape Coral 941-727-1692 www.workplacexperts.com
2007 Manatee Chamber Small Business of the Year Pat Mathews
LOVE OUR MAGAZINE AND
WANT TO SEE MORE? Biz(941) is your best source for news and insights to grow your business.
Daniel J. Forssell, AAI
Brett M. Lacey
More Options. Better Choices. That’s Benefit Advisors! • Reliable employee benefits consulting • Committed to acting in YOUR best interest • Focused delivery of our proven expertise Subscribe online at biz941.com/subscribe
Bradenton/Sarasota
Your complimentary subscription will begin with our next issue and continue for three years.
www.benefit-advisors.com
941-201-5610
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 61
The Seen
Photography by Lori Sax
1
2
3 5
4
Suncoast Technology Forum Get-Together 1 Leisa Rasmussen, Suncoast Technology Forum (STF); John Sing, 4cube; Ana DeShields, STF 2 Janet Watson, Vito Melfi, independent business developers 3 Craig and Vera Anderson, Head Rehab LLC 4 Wayne Turnblom, Foresight Science & Technology; Leslie Knudsen, Knudsen and Associates; Nisha Abdulla, Voice-Tech 5 Jason Smith, Doug Cherry, Shumaker Loop
➜ More Seen photos at biz(941).com.
Volume 12/Number 2, February/March 2015, Biz(941) (ISSN 1936-7538) is published in January, February, April, June, September and November by Gulfshore Media, LLC, 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236. Subscriptions are free to qualified individuals. For customer service inquiries, subscription inquiries or to change your address by providing both the old and new addresses, contact: Subscription Department, Biz(941), 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236. Phone (941) 487-1100 or (800) 881-2394, Fax (941) 365-7272. Periodicals postage paid at Sarasota, Florida, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2015 by Gulfshore Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biz(941), 330 S. Pineapple Ave., Suite 205, Sarasota, FL 34236.
62 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
The Literacy Council of Sarasota
THANK THE SPONSORS OF OUR 2 0 1 5
WE APPRECIATE YOUR DEDICATION TO SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE AND IN OUR COMMUNITY. PRESENTING SPONSOR
SPONSORED BY
TABLE SPONSORS ARTISTREE CAPSTAN FINANCIAL CUMBERLAND ADVISORS MULTICULTURAL HEALTH INSTITUTE SARASOTA INSURANCE SERVICES
USF SARASOTA-MANATEE US TRUST THE RINGLING VISIBLE MEN ACADEMY WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE
WORKPLACE EXPERTS MANATEE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SARASOTA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
BIZ(941) 63
Off the Clock
By Ilene Denton
"The last time we performed, we raised $300."
STEPHEN FANCHER
Piano Man Financial adviser Stephen Fancher stays in tune. BY DAY, STEPHEN FANCHER is a financial adviser with MLC & Associates. By night, at least a couple of nights a month, he and business partner Bart Lowther tap into their inner lounge entertainers at Michael’s On East’s bar as the piano and vocal duo, MLC Sharp. (“Pop songs, Sinatra, Billy Joel, the Beatles,” Fancher says.)
When their tip jar fills, they donate the proceeds to the nonprofit Children’s Healthy Pantry. “The last time we performed, we raised $300,” he says. A former New York City-based classical pianist and conductor who taught music in Stamford, Conn., for eight years—he was Stamford’s Teacher of the Year in
64 BIZ(941) FEBRUARY | MARCH 2015
2012—Fancher moved to Sarasota two years ago with his young family to join brother-in-law Brian Mariash in the financial services industry. The grueling schedule of teaching five choruses, an after-school music program and before-school guitar program and being music director of a large Chappaqua, N.Y., church with several choirs and concert series was playing havoc with his young family, especially around the holidays. “My first daughter was born in 2010, and I missed her first Christmas and a lot of important events along the way,” he says. Fancher says the leap to financial services was not really such a stretch. “I use my teaching skills in a different way,” he says, “because the biggest part of my job as a financial adviser is teaching. It’s a complicated subject just like music is, and you have to make it understandable.” Now, besides his lounge act, Fancher is a member of Sarasota’s Key Chorale. And he says there’s always music at work. Mariash is a former music teacher, too, and so are many in their financial team. ■
Your Suncoast News We’re Here For You MySuncoast.com Scott Dennis
Hayley Wielgus
Chief Meteorologist Bob Harrigan
Download our all-new News App today!
HOPE for Heart Disease
New
When you suffer from severe aortic stenosis, you give up much of what makes life enjoyable, but don’t give up hope. Blake Medical Center is one of the few hospitals in the nation approved to provide transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for those considered high risk or inoperable using traditional valve replacement surgery. Isn’t it time you take back your life?
Learn more about the Heart & Valve Institute at BlakeMedicalCenter.com. To discuss TAVR and see if it is right for you, call 1-855-FL-HEART, or ask your doctor for a referral. 2020 59th Street West
Bradenton, FL
941-792-6611
blakemedicalcenter.com