Greater Richmond Grid #8 by Palari Publishing LLP

SONGFEST:

MAYOR DWIGHT JONES

DINE

RVA VIBE THE ATKINSONS

DOWNTOWN 2011 RESTAURANT GUIDE: DISCOVER YOUR BRUNCH, LUNCH OR DINNER EATERY OPTIONS

ROCK ’N ROLL WITH TRUE GRIT & SWAMP STOMP

CREATES A CITY ARTS & CULTURE DISTRICT

Andy Stefanovichʼs

ʻLAMSTAIHʼ

Engineering Ingenuity

CONNECTING LIVE + WORK + PLAY

BLOGS BOOKS FAMILY BIZ SAVVY COMMUNITY INNOVATORS RESTAURANTS SOCIAL MEDIA

FEATURING THE OFFICIAL RACE GUIDE FOR

THE UKROPʼS MONUMENT AVENUE 10K 24 PAGES

INCLUDING: COURSE MAPS, PAST WINNERS, C O S T U M E S , R A C E D AY R E S O U R C E S , PARTY STOPS & PERFORMERS

ACTiV E

RVAʼS RECRE ATION & WEL LNESS COMM UNITY MARCH | A PRIL 2011 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 #1

MORE FEET . MORE FU UKROPʼSN. MONUM N T AVENUE 1E0 K 24

PAGES OF COURSE MA PAST WIN PS, NERS, COSTUME S, RACE DAY RESOU PARTY STO RCES, & PERFORM PS, ERS

ACTiVE RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

A C T i V E RVAʼS

RECRE ATION & WEL LNESS COMM UNITY

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FREE | ISSUE #8 | MAR/APR 2011

rid G R E AT E R R I C H M O N D

ALSO ON THE GRID:

FIND MORE INFO AT:

VENTURERICHMOND.COM

SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW THE SITE.

LIVE

LIVE CONTENTS

Greater Richmond

Grid

JANUARY, MARCH, MAY, JULY, SEPTEMBER & NOVEMBER

page 4

Greater Richmond Grid

Hot Tweets

Executive Publisher Ted Randler 804‑355‑1236

Richmond Tweeple

page 5

Ted@RichmondGrid.com

Obama vs Bieber Much hubbub has been made over Klout, which provides analytics that measure a userʼs inﬂuence across their social network.

ACTiVE

RVA’S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

Executive Publisher David Smitherman 804‑355‑1035

page 6

Dave@RichmondGrid.com

Go to

RVA Downtown: Sharing the Story

Richmond Grid.com for a complete listing of

A toolkit for boosting Richmondʼs unique creativity brand.

the magazine’s distribution locations throughout the Greater Richmond Region. Also online, connect with Grid’s writers and photographers.

page 7

COMMUNITY NEXUS Leveraging Arts and Culture

T0 ADVERTISE CALL

At his State of the City Address, Mayor Dwight Jones announced his intentions to create an Arts and Cultural District (ACD) in Downtown Richmond.

804-355-1035 General comments, story suggestions and letters to the editor for publication consideration should be directed to Ted Randler at Ted@RichmondGrid.com.

The articles you ﬁnd in the maga‑ zine are also available online as well as additional articles that post be‑ tween print publications.

Social Media Key

INDICATES MEMBERSHIP TO

twitter.com www.myspace.com www.facebook.com www.youtube.com www.linkedin.com

Mayorʼs Youth Academy Seeks Community Partners

Paradigm Shift or Business as Usual?

page 11

BY TED RANDLER

t is tempting to roll out the ʼ90s marketing cliché and de‑ clare that current mobile technology is causing something of a paradigm shift in media̶par‑ ticularly when acknowledging the influence of Facebook and Twitter upon the turbulent state of affairs in the Middle East. And while we continue to see the profile of Richmondʼs own so‑ cial media scene evolve̶elevated by the addition of Tumblr [see page 4 ] to our business commu‑ nity̶I think change, though sometimes disruptive, is part of the way innovation has to happen on a regular occurrence. How one anticipates and even embraces change is perhaps key to oneʼs successful career no matter whether you are involved in media, business or the arts. That is why I like working as a content developer and publisher. You end up wearing your aptitude for innovation on your products, so Ted Randler

to speak. Every issue you pro‑ duce̶especially with a magazine that documents the regionʼs multi‑ farious communities̶you have to be nimble with trying new ideas to capture how we interconnect. This brings us to several changes that have occurred to Greater Richmond Grid since our last issue. The magazine has grown from four issues to six a year. By publishing every other month we can capture, in a more timely man‑ ner, the regionʼs ever‑evolving live, work and play innovations. Now, being available in all 24 Martinʼs stores, our distribu‑ tion extends throughout Greater Richmond. With this issue we also proudly launch ACTiVE: RVAʼs Recreation & Wellness Community [see page 25 ] that highlights Rich‑ mondʼs expanding options for ﬁt‑ ness and ever‑popular sporting traditions like the Ukropʼs Monu‑ ment Avenue 10k. David Smitherman

March/April 2011 • Volume 1 • Issue

3 • #3

Perfect Mom? Please don’t go there.

he other day I had one Kate Hall, publisher of our children what is often named his a recur‑ mommy (thank you prescho ring ʼs tummy “Sasha” conversation ol teachers and for always with a friend like to announ being prepare of mine, where ce that his mama d for she said, “Wow, had a big belly this). youʼre like the at public func‑ perfect mom! tions. Loudly. You built this website, you I am the mom keep things whose cup‑ to‑ gether at home, boards would you have an ac‑ spew a mounta in tive social life, K & K Designs is of plastic contain and you make now ers like vol‑ it look easy, too! canic ash when open . . . and hiring Youʼre just so opened, and ! put‑together.” whose closet could possibly house a small pack of wolves, unnoticed. After I quickly deflated my head and snapped back into re‑ ality I immedi I am the mom ately correcte who forgot d her: we all know to pick up milk this isnʼt true, at the store, so the concept of the kids are mad a perfect mom at me because is a fallacy. they canʼt have The Mom cereal for din‑ ner (yes I do Who Wouldn’t Say sometimes let them do this̶do In fact, when talking to the nʼt shoot me). I Love You co‑creators of The Mom Com‑ plex.com, created So Iʼm not perfect by two fabu‑ , which lous ladies at is why I donʼt Richmondʼs want you to yes, I do The A Working Mom’s be Martin Agency upset if you , we laughed run into me in about how this Intern public some al Struggle and I look nothing times let whole concept like of “the perfect this glamor “...this is the sort of ous headsh mom” just puts them do this̶ reality ot. I up a giant, unscala just have really generally hits just when check that ble wall that really good I’m finally prevents moms photog raphers donʼt shoot starting to feel like from real talk. . me . I have this whole

In This Issue

I am the mom who forgot to pick up milk at the store, so the kids are mad at me because they canʼt have cereal for dinner (

)

How, for exampl You see, I am Youʼll likely the mom who see me in my e, we all often looked “put‑tog favorite pair packs the lunch ether” (thereʼs of jeans with then for‑ black a that sneaky gets to put blouse on and term again) the lunchbo my Frye at our the x into cowboy recent luncheo backpack. boots, often n at Bistro Bo‑ with little bette as we makeup, sweaty talked about and frazzled how one of our children because Iʼve I am the mom forgotten some‑ smashed a who forgot brand‑new flat‑scre to rsvp for the thing for said children, am birthday party en TV with late a golf club. and is calling at the last minute, getting a story on the site, or and probabl have once again y is buying misplaced my the debit card party girl a gift How one of in my purse card while gro‑ our children that has was sent to school cery shoppin enough junk g thirty minutes in the bottom with a note that and house key before the party. I could survive and told either on a desert is‑ his nanny or land with solely another family its contents for member would at least a week. I am the mom pick him up who forgets since mom had itʼs Teddy‑B ear‑Day at to get on an air‑ pre‑ plane at the school and sends So give me last minute. sad little a hug. Youʼre How into the school empty‑h child probably much more organized anded than I am. And thatʼs okay.

work-life balance thing

figured out.”

EMPATHY FOR THE PARTNERED PAREN

T “As a single-mom, the pressure to always be on point is enormous and sits heavily on my soul.”

: PAIGE STEVENS

Creating Opportunities

PHOTO | KATE H ALL HEADSHOT

Greater Richmond Grid & RichmondGrid.com

page 10

10 REASONS RICHMOND ROCKS!

Ten places to spend time with grandchildren.

RICHMONDMOM .COM

RICHMONDMOM.COM MAGAZINE Perfect Mom? Taking on the Myths of Motherhood How the whole concept of “the perfect mom” just puts up a giant, unscalable wall that prevents moms from real talk.

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On the Grid

SOCIAL MEDIA Creating Inside ‘The Box’: Tumblr Comes to Town

is published in the months of

WORK CONTENTS

Creating Inside ‘The Box’: Tumblr Comes to Town

BY PAUL SPICER

BIZ SAVVY Regional Business News

You Can’t Do That On Facebook. Or Can You? A question I hear often is: “can you ﬁre someone for their social media messaging? Or is doing so just asking to be sued?”

page 18

Open for Business: Amazing Tales of Entrepreneurship

page 19

Just Ask Peter: A Cure for Office Technology Frustration page 21

COMPANIES & CAREERS Incentives for Existing Businesses When new companies locate in a community, we hear a lot about the incentives oﬀered to them by state and local governments. But what about incentives for existing businesses?

page 22

VENTURE CAPITAL The Give & Get of Seed Money: Smart Start-Up Companies Share Venture Capitalists’ Expectations page 23

INNOVATION ‘The Road Warrior Show’

Nhat Pham has become known in RVA as the “Social Media Samurai” and “Wireless Warrior.”

‘Look at More’: Engineering Inspiration Andy Stefanovichʼs new book explains his proven LAMSTAIH approach (Look At More Stuﬀ, Think About It Harder).

page 24

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[on the stairs] Scott Ukrop of 3North̶the design collaborative of ar‑ chitects and creatives that developed the Corrugated Box Building̶welcomes the Greater Richmond Grid revelers. Nestled between historic ware‑ houses, not far from the rutted banks of the James River, sits the Corrugated Box Building (201 West 7th Street). Inside is our future. Look closely, deep within the old box factoryʼs 40,000 square feet, and youʼll find what it means to be Richmond, truly Richmond. Surrounded by original manufac‑ turing companies, and the hiss of trains nearby, a scrappy band of en‑ trepreneurs, artists, and seasoned business minds are busy at work. While the Corrugated Box Building is home to an entire com‑ munity of creative thinkers worth bragging about, a recent addition to the revamped warehouse is scoring national headlines. Tum‑ blr, a popular mircoblogging plat‑ form with headquarters in New York City, recently opened a sec‑ ond office in the collaborative workspace for which Richmonders are so proud. Primed as Richmondʼs next great success story, Tumblr has rolled into town on the heels of a recent $30 million round of fund‑ ing and news of a spiking audi‑ ence of well over 50 million. With an average of 2 million posts per day to the over 13 million blogs on the platform, Tumblr is seen by industry watchers as having a bright future, one that is closely linked to Richmond. To the surprise of many out‑ side of tech circles, Tumblrʼs mobile app developers and community support teams were already firmly entrenched in Richmond well be‑ C O M

fore the announcement of its new RVA based oﬃce. In fact, Rich‑ mondʼs Marc LaFountain was Tum‑ blrʼs third employee. After emailing and calling Tumblr to insist that he could respond to support needs faster, LaFountain landed the role of Community Director where he now personally reads and responds to thousands of email messages and is credited for creating a sense of true community around the Tumblr brand.

Maloney: “Our network is designed to self populate.”

Soon other Richmond talents, like third party developers, Jeff Rock and Garrett Ross, of Mobelux, started showing off their Tumblr in‑ spired creations. Rock and Garrett launched Tumblrette, a popular iPhone app that was impressive enough to morph the duo into offi‑ cial Tumblr developers. A closer look at Tumblr, which was created by David Karp, shows a feisty and loyal fan base with 85% retention rate compared to Twitter, which hovers around 40%, accord‑ ing to staff blogs. Tumblr, who shares two lead investors with Twitter, has John Maloney, maker

of UrbanBaby, sitting in the cap‑ tainʼs chair as CEO of a thriving out‑ fit that has recently spread into Europe, Japan, and Brazil. “Our net‑ work is designed to self populate,” explains Maloney. “Its growth is very natural and organic.” Fans of Tumblr report that ease of use in posting just about anything (text, images, videos, links, quotes, and audio) is a key dif‑ ferentiator for the platform. Others report that Tumblr complements a wide range of online and offline communication channels instead of competing with them. “Tumblr has taken my relationships on Twit‑ ter and deepened them,” explains Jeff Kelley, Senior Experience Strategist at Feedback Agency. “I was recently in New York City and met up with a bunch people that I knew because of Tumblr.” At a January press event at the Corrugated Box Building, Maloney and Karp were on hand to answer questions about their plat‑ form and to chat with local Tum‑ blr fans. After the meeting Kelley concluded, “The businesses that could shoot up from having Tum‑ blr here in Richmond is amazing. Itʼs like a seed that could sprout a super tree.” Later that month, braving January 26thʼs wicked snow, 150+ of RVA's citizens and Grid enthu‑ siasts arrived for the magazineʼs issue launch and fete to welcome Tumblr̶where all enjoyed treats from The Lunch Porter and min‑ gled with some of the facilityʼs creative tenants. Paul Spicer

UKROP PHOTO : PAIGE STEVENS | MALONEY PHOTO: PAUL SPICER

After investigating a host of business options, Pam and Derron ultimately selected Doc Popcorn; a retail popcorn business. Pam will be the ﬁrst to tell you that her initial reaction was “Popcorn?”

Tried to resist @JdotBrownʼs bragging but oﬃcially joined Team Droid... and now I oﬃcially have no idea how to use my phone! minor prob! 13 Jan

Are we at a culinary crossroads where “chain restaurant” is what people think of when they hear the term “comfort food?” 14 Feb

Maybe bloggers should wear uniforms to identify ouselves as crossing guards of info, opinion‑making authorities. “Ask me. I'm a blogger.” 4 Feb

In case youʼre wondering...wheeling, dealing, gambling & negotiating is NOT something I enjoy or am good at. #ﬁrsttimehomebuyer 31 Jan

I havenʼt turned my phone on for almost 24 hours. Part of me is worried about it, part of me doesnʼt really care too much.

9 Feb

I can't tell if my whole body hurts because I am so dang awesome or because I slipped and fell down the stairs this morning. 1 Feb

See extended Tweet Talk on RichmondGrid.com

COMPILED BY PAUL SPICER

@Laura_Geller

Following: 380+ | Followers: 1,198+ | Listed: 76+ LAURA GELLER Web: www.nbc12.com Bio: NBC12 reporter who loves doing something diﬀerent every single day. Northwestern Medill alum. Long Island native. Die hard Yankee fan!

PLAY CONTENTS ACTIVE: RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

ACTiVE

RVAʼS RECRE ATION & WE LLNESS COM MUNITY MARCH | APRIL 2011 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 #1

“I must admit, I was hesitant about Twitter at ﬁrst, thinking it might be a tedious, character‑restrictive version of Facebook. You can ask @ryanobles, it took a lot of convincing to get me to sign up for an ac‑ count. Well, clearly I was wrong. Twitter has become part of my everyday life and a very important tool in the news business. In the more obvious uses, it al‑ lows me to immediately update followers from breaking news scenes and tease stories I'm working on for our newscasts. Also, it gives viewers more access and a voice in our coverage. It enables them to tell me how they feel about the pieces we are airing.”

MORE FEET. MORE FUN. UKROPʼS MONUMENT AVENUE 10K 24

PAGES OF COURSE MAPS, PAST WINNERS, COSTUMES, RACE DAY RESOUR CES, PARTY STOPS, & PERFORMERS

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECRE ATION & WE LLNESS COM MUNITY

@RVAfoodie Following: 638+ | Followers: 1,917+ | Listed: 149+ JASON GUARD Web: www.rvafoodie.com Bio: For me, fun is: bicycles, cooking, writing, politics, and bargain hunt‑ ing. En route to MPA. Married to @DarlingOctopus, dad to Jasper Diego. Work in adult ed. “To be honest, one of the downsides of Twitter is that itʼs all consuming, at least if you try to keep up with it. I like the free association that you donʼt get with Facebook. I was hesitant about joining Twitter, and thereʼs a steep learning curve when building a worth‑ while community, so Iʼm not excited to go through that again with another platform. Right now, Iʼm using Twitter in my day job promoting adult education, food blogging and social commentary.”

page 25

LETʼS GO OUT Downtown Dining 2011 Restaurant Guide Explore more than 165 Downtown restaurants̶ many are just a walk away.

page 65

SONGFEST

@RiverCityGal Following: 1,785+ | Followers: 2,036+ | Listed: 127 STEPHANIE BRUMMELL Web: www.fahrenheittechnology.com Bio: By Day: Writer and Accounts Manager at @FahrenheitEM. By Night: Red wine drinker, sushi snob, avid runner and spinner, lover of the River City. “I really want 2011 to be my year to make more and more business connections as well as share more unique content across Twitter. I need to focus on making my online relationship with some of these people strong oﬄine relationships as well. I spend a good part of my day on Twitter, both my personal and professional accounts.”

17 Jan

A sink full of dishes devalues my perceived self worth.

RICHMOND TWEEPLE

Social Media

6 Feb

Hot Tweets

LIVE

So I read “No Angel” about the Hells Angels... & now all the book suggestions on my Kindle involve bikes & biker gangs. #momwouldbeproud

@RossCatrow

RVA VIBE The Atkinsons, A Good Natured Riot, The Milkstains

page 69

GLITZ & GLAM R U There? At a restaurant, one is more likely to see a couple each intent on a smart phone screen rather than outrageous ﬂirting across the table.

What’s Kyra Wearing?

Following: 80+ | Followers: 659+ | Listed: 47+ ROSS A. CATROW Web: rvanews.com Bio: Loves Richmond. “I try not to [tweet] anything too interesting, impor‑ tant, or entertaining, but usually if I say something about bacon it is sure to garner a handful of replies. Beer related tweets seem to have the same eﬀect. Be‑ fore the birth of my child I was on Twitter complain‑ ing about the condescending tone of parenting materials focused towards fathers. The awesome Liz Pearce over at Commonwealth Parenting (@commnwlthparent) saw my tweets and oﬀered to buy a round of beers for any dads that wanted to hang out and talk about life, sports, fatherhood, whatever. And thus #dad‑ chat was born.”

I ﬁnd exercise apparel maker Lulu Lemon (www.lululemon.com) to be a great resource for just about any aerobic activity.

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www.stranges.com

Northeast 321-2200 3313 Mechanicsville Pk., near Laburnum Ave.

Bon Air 321-0460 8010 Midlothian at Buford Rd.

West End 360-2800 12111 W. Broad St. between Rt. 288 & Short Pump Town Ctr.

Hull Street 321-0470 6710 Hull Street at Chippenham

Obama vs Bieber BY PAUL SPICER

SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW THE SITE.

he olʼ tweet box is to identify internet influ‑ a funny thing. Is ence and to provide a way the semi‑anony‑ to track the impact of con‑ mous blogger for Filthy tent (opinions, links, and Richmond really more in‑ recommendations). fluential than the top brass “Iʼm always skeptical at City of Richmond? Does of any approach in social the boutique‑marketing media that tries to keep agency Copeland Casati score of peopleʼs influence Media have more pull than and message in a specific Busse the big boys at the Martin way,” says Chris Busse, Agency? And does booze‑ Partner and Manager of slinging columnist Jack Lauter‑ Technology at Fahrenheit Emerg‑ back have more swagger than the ing Media Group. “However, Henrico Police? Klout seems to have a pretty de‑ The answer to these nail cent evolving formula and I had a biters is a mixed bag. If you were bit of an ʻahaʼ moment the other to tally up the scores at week which really made me take a www.klout.com, than the answer second look at the service.” Busse is yes to all of the above. says that he subscribes to Jason Much hubbub has been Calacanisʼ “Launch” email list and made over Klout, which provides in a recent issue [L006] the writer analytics that measure a userʼs in‑ wanted to poll subscribers on a fluence across their social net‑ topic. To do this, the writer sent work. Recently Klout went as far as questions to the top 250 sub‑ to announce that Justin Bieber is scribers based on their Klout more influential than Barack score. The mailing list software Obama. Before you shout they use, MailChimp, in‑ from the rooftop about the tegrates with Klout to fall of Western Civilization, provide this valuable in‑ realize that the point of formation in an easily ac‑ Klout is not to measure cessible way. “I saw this as who is more influential in a great application of the the world, but to instead Klout scores̶instead of provide pretty darn good saying ʻthis guy has a indicators of influence Klout of 63, he must be in‑ across the social web. fluential,ʼ they used it as a To do this, Klout ana‑ filtering mechanism to Hughes lyzes data collected from narrow down a list of sites like Twitter and Facebook to thousands of people into 250 who measure the size of a personʼs net‑ had a higher likelihood of being work and most importantly̶the involved enough in their subjects kind of content a person creates to provide good answers to the and how others interact with it. questions they were asking.” To come up with the magic Nathan Hughes, a founding “Klout Score,” the San Francisco board member of Social Media based company takes a deep dive Club Richmond, says that heʼs into Twitter follower count, taken Klout, along with other retweets, how influential the measurement tools like Twit‑ people retweeting you are, list alyzer, for a test drive with varied memberships, unique mentions, results. “The best thing I can sug‑ and more. The whiz kids at Klout gest is using bit.ly or other short‑ then blend this data with infor‑ ening services. By signing up for mation collected from Facebook, an account and using the service such as comments, likes, and for most links you send out, you number of friends. can see how much traffic you are Klout scores̶ranging any‑ generating from each link.” He where from 1 to 100, with higher cautions, however, “The amateur scores representing a stronger measurement services are only level of influence̶are produced but so useful. They donʼt break it using 35 variables to measure true down so you can see what sub‑ reach, amplification, probability, jects you really have ʻreachʼ on. and network score. This method‑ Me, Iʼd rather just tweet and try to ology, which can take up to 72‑ be useful. If it doesnʼt make me hours to implement, is intended ʻinfluentialʼ then that's okay.” Nathan Huges

Chris Busse

LIVE

RVA DOWNTOWN: Sharing the Story

This initiative does more than tell the sto‑ ries of Richmondʼs creativity, past, pres‑ ent and future.

search, government, education and the arts. These partners are committed to using their resources in ways that add to the creativity and innovation that fuels our city. Over time, we hope to inspire more cre‑ ativity in every walk of life and to build recognition for Richmond as a nucleus of creative vitality that spreads well beyond the cityʼs borders.

We have created a new, open source ap‑ proach that invites the entire community to participate and share. This initiative is living proof of the creativity it celebrates.

We are giving you, the creative leaders of Richmond, the resources and background you need to participate in the initiative. Itʼs your opportunity to contribute to the campaign and to prove Richmondʼs cre‑ ativity by showcasing your own.

To do this eﬀectively, we developed tools to invite the community to participate in the initiative. These tools include online and oﬄine resources to allow individuals and groups to help tell the story.

Together we can help individuals and companies alike, from Richmond and all around the region and the country, dis‑ cover the creativity and vibrancy of downtown Richmond.

We are cultivating partnerships with leaders in the community, business, re‑

Thanks for participating, Venture Richmond

READ THE BOOK on the RVA initiative. Available online and in print. Designed by J H I.

Continued on next page.

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RVA Creates Toolkit

he RVA Downtown initiative is not a traditional branding campaign. The goal isnʼt to coin a catchy phrase or to craft clever advertising. In‑ stead, the focus of our eﬀorts is to recog‑ nize the groundswell of creativity and innovation that originates here and to build on this momentum by encouraging creativity in all aspects of the community.

RVA DOWNTOWN: THE IDEA Embrace and adapt the identity that was created organically by so many different people and use RVA as the official symbol of who we are. Use the RVA as the visual identity that connects us and our communications.

HERE ARE SOME TOOLS TO PARTICIPATE:

VISIT RVACREATES.COM A collaborative effort between Venture Richmond, the City, universities, businesses and over 100 other stakeholders to create a stronger identity for Richmond. The website is a nexus for the initiative and provides opportunities for your participation.The website was developed by West Cary Group.

WATCH THE VIDEO GET INSPIRED GET CREATIVE The City’s new Natural Gas powered Refuse Trucks are being transformed into mobile galleries with RVA graphics designed by J H I and funded by Venture Richmond.

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Creativity is ours for the taking, ours for the making. Let’s make it happen. It’s what RVA does best. RVA Creates. The video was produced by Elevation and Running With Scissors.

LIVE

GENERATE YOUR OWN IDENTITY We invite you to import pictures of people, places and things that are both uniquely Richmond and uniquely creative, to generate your own personalized RVA identity.

RVA Creates Toolkit

VIEW THE BLOG A blog about the creative things you do in RVA that features guest posts—the first from Mayor Dwight C. Jones. RVA Creates’ social media is being managed by The Hodges Partnership.

LIKE & FOLLOW Keep tabs on RVA Creates via @RVACREATES on Twitter and “Like” RVA Creates on Facebook.

RVA Creates “What would the designation of a large portion of downtown as an arts district mean to you?” @rvacreates We’re collecting your examples of creativity in RVA. If you or someone you know is doing something cool, drop us a line.

@rvacreates New blog post: Ten Creative Things about Richmond Weigh in on creativity in #rva

Sara Allen Dunnigan “So, this month we're talking about CREATIVE careers in the Richmond area in celebration of the launch of RVA Creates! One thing we know - employers LOVE creative thinkers.

Send your stories of creativity to RVACreates@gmail.com

THINK INNOVATION Richmond’s past, present and future is the story of creativity in action. Today, the region is home to some of the nation’s most innovative individuals, businesses, organizations and neighborhoods. Use the RVA as a window into local ingenuity.

Images created from the RVA Generator at RVACreates.com

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COMMUNITY NEXUS

[center stage] Mayor Dwight Jones made his February 3rd State of the City Address 2011 from the stage of the newly revitalized Hippodrome Theatre in Jackson Ward.

Geographically the ACD consists of Broad Street, Grace Street and Franklin Street from 10th to Belvidere (including the State Capi‑ tol complex); and the area bounded by Madison Street, W. Marshall Street, 1st Street, Jackson Street, 2nd Street, Leigh Street, and N. 11th Street.

N 10th St

N 13th St

N 11th St

Bank St

N 14

N 9th St

N 10th St

N 7th St N 6th St

N 5th St

N 4th St

N 2nd St

N 3rd St

N 1st St N Foushee St t

N Jefferson St

N Adams St t

son St

N Monroe St

N Henry St

Capitol St

Capi tol Sq

St College St N Old 14th

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E Marshall St

E Franklin St

E Main St

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S 13

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E Grace St

et C

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W Franklin St

E Broad St

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vern Go

W Grace St

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W Broad St

W Marshall St

N 8th St

E Clay St

N 12th St

Turpin St

N 12th St

N 4th St

St James St

Price St

Pulliam St

E Leigh St

E Jackson St

oo Br

Munford St N Belvidere St

Du va

W Clay St

N Belvidere St

N Pine St

he Cityʼs arts and cultural organizations are among our great‑ est assets,” Mayor Jones stated regarding the proposed ACD. “Arts and culture at every level are critical to the future of our city.” Consistent with this, in 2009 a group of arts industry leaders and professionals convened by CultureWorks initiated a process that laid out the elements of an arts district. The cultural district concept builds upon this groupʼs critical work by establishing boundaries that will encompass a significant number of creative enterprises, entertainment venues and his‑

h ig Le

W Leigh St

Catherine St

W Broad St

Judah St

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AT HIS STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, MAYOR DWIGHT JONES ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS TO CREATE AN ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT (ACD) IN DOWNTOWN RICHMOND.

Came

The map shows ACD as the polygon created by drawing a continuous line along the following path. Start‑ ing at the intersection of E. Leigh Street and N. 11th Street, head south on 11th Street, then head east on E. Broad Street, then head south on 12th/Governor Street, then head west on Bank Street, head North on 9th Street, head west on Franklin Street, head south on 2nd Street, head west on Main Street, head north on 1st Street, head west on Franklin Street, head north on Belvidere, head east on Marshall Street, head north on Madison Street, head east on Clay Street, head north on 1st Street, 9 head east on East IJackson Street, l St uva headBelvidere south on 2nd W DStreet, head east on E. Leigh Street to 11th.

Leveraging Arts and Culture

toric and culturally significant buildings. The proposed arts and cul‑ ture district will help promote the improvement of the Cityʼs urban core by leveraging arts and culture for their maximum economic development and revi‑ talization benefit. The ACD will serve as the initial geographical focus of a pilot program entitled ArtBusi‑ nessRichmond, a multi‑tier strat‑ egy that consists of: • strategic property rehab, • small business development (technical assistance services and micro‑finance support), • and funding for façade improvement. Other activities, like stepped up code enforcement and beautification, may also be carried out under the banner of improving the ACD. Services will be a coordi‑ nated effort of the Department of Economic & Community De‑ velopment, the Office of Mi‑ nority Business Development, the Department of Planning & Development Review as well as the Cityʼs civic and non‑ profit partners.

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Creating Opportunities: Mayor’s Youth Academy Seeks Community Partners YEARS OLD PROVIDED EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES DESIGNED TO PREPARE THEM FOR FUTURES IN THE WORKFORCE AND COLLEGE .

s a result of last yearʼs prog ram, approxi‑ mately 500 youths re‑ ceived job readiness training, employment opportunities, and a culture arts opportunity throughout the City of Rich‑ mond. Participants were em‑ ployed by local businesses, state and local government, non‑profit organizations, and local universities. These ef‑ forts provided safe and con‑ structive environments for youths throughout the summer. The Mayorʼs Youth Acad‑ emy (MYA) is a year‑round pro‑

Youth engage in various community and educational activities that allow them to address issues facing their communities from a young adult’s perspective. gram developed by the office of the Deputy Chief Adminis‑ trative Officer for Human Serv‑ ices. Throughout the year youth engage in various com‑ munity and educational activi‑ ties that allow them to address issues facing their communi‑ ties from a young adultʼs per‑ spective. This yearʼs Mayorʼs Youth Academy (MYA) Summer Works Initiative is scheduled to launch in May 2011, with pre‑employment training for

The Mayor is calling upon all local businesses, religious organizations, non-profit and academic communities to assist in hiring area youth for the summer. [ This photo and below ] Mayor Dwight Jones took an active interest in last yearʼs Youth Academy.

SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW THE SITE.

For more information: www.richmondgov.com/ mayorsyouthacademy Email MayorʼsYouthAcademy participants enrolled. The Mayor is calling upon all local businesses, religious organiza‑ tions, non‑profit and academic communities to assist in hiring area youth for the summer.

How can you help? By sponsoring or hiring a youth for the duration of seven weeks, you can pre‑ pare a youth for the future that lies ahead.

@Richmondgov.com. Phone 804‑646‑7933 or 804‑646‑7491.

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Community Nexus

D URING THE SUMMER OF 2010, M AYOR D WIGHT C. J ONES LAUNCHED THE M AYOR ʼ S Y OUTH A CADEMY (MYA) S UMMER W ORKS I NITIATIVE . T HIS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AIMED AT R ICHMOND C ITY YOUTHS AND EMERGING YOUNG ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 AND 19

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Only $180,000 in Hanover County. This Ranch Style Home Features Over 1650 sq ft 3 Large Bedrooms & 2 Full Baths. Master Suite With Walk‑In Closet, Full Bath & Pri‑ vate Access To Rear Deck & Backyard. Eat‑In Kitchen With New Dishwasher & Stove in 2007, Breakfast Nook & Pantry. Spacious Family Room Features A Beautiful Fireplace & Hardwood Floors. New Roof, Win‑ dows, Heat Pump & Hot Water Heater In 2007. Fenced‑In Backyard Has An Above Ground Pool, Pond & A Detached Storage Shed. This Home Is Handicap Accessible

West End! Youʼll in‑ stantly feel at home upon enter‑ ing this meticu‑ lously maintained open floor plan with bright kitchen and HUGE family room with gas fire‑ place. Upstairs fea‑ tures four large bedrooms each with its own spacious closet and windows that bring in just the right amount of sunshine. The huge backyard comes equipped with a privacy fence & deck. To make your purchase even sweeter, a First American HOME WARRANTY is included for your peace of mind. Close to SHOPPING, RESTAURANTS, IN‑ TERSTATES. PRICED TO SELL AND EASY TO SHOW. This stunning Pebble Creek home boasts an open floor plan with 4 bed‑ rooms and 2.5 baths. Hardwood in kitchen, dining room, living room and foyer. Outdoors enjoy your weekends grilling out on your deck. Gorgeous landscaping, 2 car front entry garage and a re‑ laxing backyard round out this lovely home. As an added bonus, the Community Clubhouse is right down the street for a quick game of tennis, basket‑ ball, or swim‑ ming in season. Donʼt forget the work‑out room!

Lakeside̶JUST REDUCED AND OFFERING $5,000 credit for closing cost. Welcome Home to 411 Lakeside Blvd! This Adorable Cape Cod Style Home Is Move‑In Ready. Newer Roof, Windows, Updated Electrical & New Flooring Throughout Home, Entire Inside & Outside Recently Professionally Painted. Double Lot, Over 1/2 An Acre! Plenty Of Privacy. Paved Driveway With Car‑ port, Screened‑In Rear‑Porch With Recessed Lighting. Washer, Dryer, Refrig‑ erator All Convey!

THE JENNIFER JAMES TEAM is made up of two full‑time agents; Jennifer James (photo right) and Stacy Stout Barnett (photo left) who work with four referral agents, one fantastic oﬃce administrator, three closing coordinators, two loan oﬃcers, and four insurance agents. We have relationships with title companies, insurance compa‑ nies, carpet cleaners, movers, lenders̶just about any service you need for real estate buying and/or selling.

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March/April 2011 • Volume 1 • Issue 3 • #3

Perfect Mom? Please don’t go there.

he other day I had what is often a re‑ curring conversation with a friend of mine, where she said, “Wow, youʼre like the perfect mom! You built this website, you keep things to‑ gether at home, you have an ac‑ tive social life, and you make it look easy, too! Youʼre just so put‑together.” After I quickly deflated my head and snapped back into re‑ ality, I immediately corrected her: we all know this isnʼt true, the concept of a perfect mom is a fallacy.

PHOTO | KATE HALL HEADSHOT: PAIGE STEVENS

In fact, when talking to the co‑creators of TheMomCom‑ plex.com, created by two fabu‑ lous ladies at Richmondʼs The Martin Agency, we laughed about how this whole concept of “the perfect mom” just puts up a giant, unscalable wall that prevents moms from real talk. How, for example, we all looked “put‑together” (thereʼs that sneaky term again) at our recent luncheon at Bistro Bo‑ bette as we talked about how one of our children smashed a brand‑new flat‑screen TV with a golf club. How one of our children was sent to school with a note and house key and told either his nanny or another family member would pick him up since mom had to get on an air‑ plane at the last minute. How

one of our children named his mommyʼs tummy “Sasha” and like to announce that his mama had a big belly at public func‑ tions. Loudly.

I am the mom who forgot to pick up milk at the store, so the kids are mad at me because they canʼt have cereal for dinner (yes, I do sometimes let them do this̶ donʼt shoot me). You see, I am the mom who often packs the lunch, then for‑ gets to put the lunchbox into the backpack. I am the mom who forgot to rsvp for the birthday party and is calling at the last minute, and probably is buying the party girl a gift card while gro‑ cery shopping thirty minutes before the party. I am the mom who forgets itʼs Teddy‑Bear‑Day at pre‑ school and sends sad little child into the school empty‑handed

Kate Hall, publisher (thank you preschool teachers for always being prepared for this). I am the mom whose cup‑ boards would spew a mountain of plastic containers like vol‑ canic ash when opened, and whose closet could possibly house a small pack of wolves, unnoticed. I am the mom who forgot to pick up milk at the store, so the kids are mad at me because they canʼt have cereal for din‑ ner (yes I do sometimes let them do this̶donʼt shoot me). So Iʼm not perfect, which is why I donʼt want you to be upset if you run into me in public and I look nothing like this glamorous headshot. I just have really really good photographers. Youʼll likely see me in my favorite pair of jeans with a black blouse on and my Frye cowboy boots, often with little makeup, sweaty and frazzled because Iʼve forgotten some‑ thing for said children, am late getting a story on the site, or have once again misplaced my debit card in my purse that has enough junk in the bottom that I could survive on a desert is‑ land with solely its contents for at least a week. So give me a hug. Youʼre probably much more organized than I am. And thatʼs okay.

In This Issue K & K Designs is now open . . . and hiring!

The Mom Who Wouldn’t Say I Love You A Working Mom’s Internal Struggle “...this is the sort of reality check that generally hits just when I’m finally starting to feel like I have this whole work-life balance thing figured out.”

EMPATHY FOR THE PARTNERED PARENT “As a single-mom, the pressure to always be on point is enormous and sits heavily on my soul.”

10 REASONS RICHMOND ROCKS! Ten places to spend time with grandchildren.

RICHMONDMOM.COM

K & K Designs is now open . . . and hiring!

The Mom Who Wouldn’t Say I Love You

You may have seen the fabulous new in-home company launched right here in Richmond by two Richmond moms I wanted to write a funny Valentine’s day piece, BY ALEX IWASHYNA who are quickly taking the home-show scene by storm. but I just can’t get Saturday morning out of my head. n addition to the dozens of reps K & K is recruiting nation‑ wide, now theyʼve got their own space in the West End. K & K has a new, swanky of‑ ﬁce in Richmondʼs West End. Theyʼre starting to ﬁll up their warehouse space with mono‑ grammable party tubs, totes, and of course the equipment they use to design and create the amazing wall‑adhesives they are known for. Says owner Kristin Melton, “Weʼve gone from a bedroom, a whiteboard of dreams and creative ideas, to a business employing women all over the country. Itʼs like a dream come true!” She and Katy Cohen have built the business from design and concept now to brick‑and‑mortar, and we couldnʼt

be more proud of them. Want to learn about becoming a rep.

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was at a coffee shop in line be‑ hind a little girl and her mom. The dark‑haired girl, who may have been five, turned to her mom and said, “I love you, Mama,” in the sweetest voice. Even pre‑coffee, I smiled. The mom said nothing. I waited. Confused. She didnʼt even glance at the little girl. Here I was with my HOW SWEET smile ready for that mama and she just stood there. And then finished her order and moved down the line. Iʼve never seen any mom waste an opportu‑ nity to look good in front of other people. And what looks better than your child adoring you? It screams IʼM AN AWESOME MOM. But I let it go. Brief glimpses into other peopleʼs lives are unfair, and Iʼm sure that my chil‑ dren have spoken to me while I was lost in thought. About twenty minutes later, we are sitting near the mom and her daughter by chance, and the daughter looks up at her mom and again says: “I love you, Mama.” Silence. I donʼt even think that the mom looked up. My heart hurt. Eventually, a grandma showed up and made all the appropriate oohs and aahs over the child. Grandma even stopped me to ask about my children who are com‑ pletely uninterested in telling me how much they love me. They would

Iʼd rather have yelled at my kids in the car (which I did and it sucked) than have lost the ability to swoon when my son tells me that he loves me.

ALEX IWASHYNA BLOGS AT LATE ENOUGH (WWW.LATEENOUGH.COM) ABOUT LIFE, PARENT‑ ING, MARRIAGE, ZOMBIES, CULTURE, RELIGION AND HER INABILITY TO WAKE UP IN THE MORN‑ ING AND NOT HATE EVERYONE.

RICHMONDMOM.COM

have probably mentioned loving apple juice and cream cheese if pressed. I kept glancing at this mother. Now, I hate being ignored. Maybe itʼs why Iʼve wielded it as my weapon of choice against peo‑ ple who wrong me. And maybe thatʼs why the scenario bothered me so much. I donʼt know. The mom did‑ nʼt look hung over or strung out. She just seemed oﬀ. Like a light switch. Or a robot. She went through all the motions but had nothing be‑ hind them. Perhaps she just lost another child. Or her hus‑ band. And all she has is the act of living. Perhaps sheʼs a psychopath. De‑ void of the ability to connect with other human be‑ ings. (All right, all right, Iʼve been watching Dexter.) I didnʼt under‑ stand. But my urge to hug the little girl, who told me she played soccer and princesses, was so intense. Iʼd rather have yelled at my kids in the car (which I did and it sucked) than have lost the ability to swoon when my son tells me that he loves me. I hope for the little girlʼs sake that it was a glitch in the day. I hope that she isnʼt a little girl who only gets a Valentineʼs Day once a year. When she should be getting one every day. Now excuse me while I go hug my children.

A Working Mom’s Internal Struggle Weighing the Positives & Negatives: Not All Questions Have Concrete Answers he walks toward me, arms outstretched in apparent benevolence, grasping the TV remote. I say thank you and take it from her, placing it away from little hands lest we find ourselves with another accidental order of The Bounty Hunter on pay‑per‑view. With the remote safely out of reach, I kneel in front of her ready for hugs and kisses. Instead, she slaps my cheek. Hard. With purpose. My penance, I

“For most of the week, I donʼt get to enjoy mornings with her when sheʼs happy, playful, and liberally doling out affection. Her teachers do.” assume, for taking her “toy” away from her. With a firm, “No! We donʼt hit!” I take her hand and place it by her side. And with that one act, the face contorts, the knees crum‑ ple, and my 14‑month‑old throws herself backward in total melt‑ down mode.

“...this is the sort of reality check that generally hits just when Iʼm ﬁnally starting to feel like I have this whole work‑life balance thing ﬁgured out.”

I stare down at her with a mixture of incredulity and sad‑ ness. “Iʼm sorry youʼre so upset,” I say. “I hope you feel better soon.” Then, giving us both a moment to regain our composure, I walk away in frustration. A few minutes later we have the nightly battle with her high chair, wherein she bucks and flops against the tray, looking much like a fish out of water whoʼs possibly also having a seizure. And a little while after that, yet another melt‑ down just before bed. My child is not a brat. Itʼs the end of the day, and sheʼs simply tired. Itʼs not her fault. Itʼs exhaust‑ ing to spend the day singing songs, putting together puzzles, playing with blocks, learning at the sensory table, climbing on the indoor play structure and all the other fun things she does at day‑ care. All with a sweet, affectionate demeanor about which her teach‑ ers rave. And then she comes home. Not all evenings are bad, of course. Some are really great. But most fall somewhere squarely in the middle. And on this particular night, as I gratefully put her to bed after a mere two hours of together‑ ness, I sadly reflect̶not for the first time̶that for five out of seven days a week, I donʼt get to experience the best of my child. For most of the week, Iʼm not the one watching her eyes light up when breakfast̶her most favorite meal of the day̶ is served. Her teachers are. For most of the week, I donʼt get to enjoy mornings with her when sheʼs happy, playful, and lib‑ erally doling out affection. Her teachers do. For most of the week, I wonʼt be the recipient of her smiles when she wakes up from her afternoon nap, alert and ready to play again. Her teachers will. Iʼm the one who serves her dinner and, therefore, facilitates the nightly high chair battle; the one who handles the abrupt mood swings during evening playtime, when her little body and mind are utterly worn out from the day; the one whoʼs forced to wake her from

contented sleep in the mornings and then struggles to dress her throughout the resulting fussiness. For most of the week, Iʼm all work and no play. The bad guy. The punching bag. This is not something on which I ruminate daily as I trudge through life wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. No, this is the sort of reality check that generally hits just when Iʼm finally starting to feel like I have this whole work‑life balance thing figured out. When Iʼm humming along nicely and kind of feeling like supermom. And when Iʼm happiest and most confident in my job. Itʼs a job that, like any job,

KRISTIN ALEXANDER

doesnʼt always leave me feeling happy and confident. Itʼs also, how‑ ever, a job that allows me the best possible scenario in terms of scope, location, and flexibility. But itʼs a job Iʼm not sure Iʼd keep if a single in‑ come was a realistic possibility for my husband and me. Because – letʼs face it̶Iʼve never been the most career‑minded person. And yet, without this job, I wonder if a part of me would feel lost. Lacking. Ungrounded. So, as I reflect on all of this, I concede̶again, not for the first time̶that I will most likely never reconcile the ongoing conflict that churns within me over being a working mom.

KRISTIN ALEXANDER BLOGS ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM MOTHERHOOD TO STINK BUGS AT HER VIRTUAL MIND DUMP, THATʼS WHAT SHE SAID: WWW.TWSS‑BLOG.BLOGSPOT.COM . FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER AT @KALEXA75.

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Empathy for the Partnered Parent When my son was just two months old, I told my now ex-husband I was leaving. Four months later, I moved out of his house and in with my parents. For two years I worked and muddled about, trying to figure out BY RICHMOND MOM CRYSTAL PINTAC what I wanted to do with myself and my life. uring this time I struggled with several things, espe‑ cially my new‑found identity as a single mom and divorcee. Sure single moms existed eleven and a half years ago, but so much re‑ search was being published demo‑ nizing single moms, bludgeoning our egos, repeatedly telling us we were ruining our kids. Single moms with sons per‑ haps bore the brunt of said re‑ search because there wasnʼt a live‑in adult with a penis to balance out the dynamic. Itʼs much the

It is a jolt to their routine and way of life whereas for me, it has been my world since the beginning. Another example: Last sum‑ mer, friends in the neighborhood just had a baby and often the hus‑ bandʼs job required him to leave town. One weekend, while we were visiting in the dog park, the wife went on and on about not being able to get any work done, her mother‑in‑law had to come over to help and just wow, parenting “alone” is hard! I hope at that time I kept a ﬂat aﬀect, because again, in‑

over the summer. This includes going to the store whenever you want, going to happy hour with friends on a mo‑ mentʼs notice or shoring up the an‑ chor that keeps you at home more often than not. (Letʼs not even get on the subject of dating – thatʼs an entirely separate blog post.) Then there is the positive ﬁ‑ nancial aspect of being a partnered parent as well, that is if both of you are working full‑ or part‑time. I am the only one who pays our bills and if I donʼt work, I donʼt get paid.

“I am all the kidʼs got, for better or worse.” same way single dads are vilified for not having a vagina around (ex‑ cept that happens far less as often the female contingent step in auto‑ matically). Finally, this year, single moms have been vindicated! So back to the title of this post: Empathy for the Partnered Parent. This, I think, is where I strug‑ gle most. As a budding clinical so‑ cial worker, we are taught to begin where the client is, remain open and empathetic, and most impor‑ tantly, non‑judgmental. For the most part I succeed at these things̶except when it comes to my own life and situations that af‑ fect me directly. Per example: About three months ago, the husband of a co‑ worker accepted a six‑week job in France̶they were desperate after him being without a job for close to a year̶and one day I inquired how things were going with the separation. She almost immedi‑ ately launched into the difficulty in taking her son to football practice, attending open house once school started, taking days off when he got sick and balancing being a “sin‑ gle” mom with work. I remember her mentioning the amount of time off from work she needed in order to take care of these things. When this happens, I try very hard not to look at parents with partners (aka live‑in support thatʼs around 24/7) and say, “Wel‑ come to my world!” because I un‑ derstand it is hard to have that support one day and not the next.

RICHMONDMOM.COM

And when I canʼt go to work, I donʼt make any money to pay the bills. See where Iʼm going? Donʼt get me wrong, I adore my kid and think heʼs the most beautiful boy on the planet. I would die for him and ﬁght someone to the death in order to protect him. But being a single‑mom is super hard and draining. I crack often. More often than not I feel like Iʼm the mean mom and his dad gets to have all the fun. Constantly being the strong one, or as my bestie said, being everything to everyone at the same time, takes its toll. And when I blow, my kid suf‑ fers the fallout and not because I chose to take it out on him, heʼs the only one around and is only begin‑ ning to understand what I mean when I ask him to leave me alone for 30min. As a single‑mom, the pressure to always be on point is enormous and sits heavily on my soul. So when you complain about not having the day to yourself ʻcause school got canceled due to snow, remember all the moms out there who either get that luxury rarely or not at all.

side my head I was thinking many There are a lot of single parents non‑empathetic thoughts! who donʼt have a middle class in‑ Because when your partner come with paid sick time, vacation goes out of town for a few days, time or family leave. Many single you are not truly parenting “alone” parents live paycheck to paycheck and you know it is only for a short (like me) with little left over to put time and there will be an end to into a savings account. I work any‑ that “aloneness.” where from 40‑45 hours per week I donʼt get a break. I donʼt and have 4 days of paid sick time, have someone coming home at 6 but I save most of it if not all for p.m. who can help me check the times my son is sick since he canʼt kidʼs homework, get dinner on the go to school when contagious. table, let the dogs out then feed And when he canʼt go to them̶I am all the kidʼs got, for school, I canʼt go to work. better or worse. Itʼs hard for me to be socia‑ ble during the week because itʼs a school night, the kid needs to get fed, have his homework checked, maybe even study a bit, Ten reasons to love Richmond and ten BY RICHMOND take a shower and get in bed at places to spend time with grandchildren. GRANDMOM RHONDA DAY a decent time. And I canʼt afford 1. Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens a babysitter. On the weekends he is with 2. Maymont Park me, I try to do things that are kid‑ centered because he is, after all, a 3. James River Park kid and our weekdays are fraught 4. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with getting things done as fast as possible. Weekends are for doing 5. The Flying Squirrels something fun and exciting as well as taking the time to enjoy 6. Children’s Museum of Richmond each other. This often means my time 7. Monument Avenue with mostly kid‑free people is lim‑ 8. Pocahontas State Park ited to every other weekend. This means I only get four days out of 9. Science Museum of Virginia every month to focus solely on me. 10. The Richmond Zoo Four days. Of every month. (Chesterfield County) Only. Perhaps this is also why I Maymont Park is just one of end up shoving way too much fun Richmondʼs great places to visit. into the 3 weeks I donʼt have him

10 Reasons Richmond Rocks!

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Legal Brief

BY CHRIS GATEWOOD

YOU CANʼT DO THAT ON FACEBOOK. OR CAN YOU? If your company is not yet active on social media platforms, you can rest (un)assured that your employees are. And heaven knows what they will post. A question I hear often is: “can you fire someone for their so‑ cial media messaging? Or is doing so just asking to be sued?” A few recent court cases shed light on these questions. But as with much of employment law, there are not many bright line rules. In Connecticut, an employee named Souza criticized her super‑ visor on Facebook. She used terms that were sometimes vulgar, and she claimed that the supervisor was mentally unstable. The employer, AMR, fired Souza. There was good and bad news for the employer: The good news was that AMR already had a social media policy in place, and Souzaʼs online comments had defi‑ nitely violated it. The bad news for AMR was that its employees are unionized, and the federal agency that oversees union employment matters thought that the firing was too heavy‑handed. The NLRB filed a complaint against AMR, saying that Souzaʼs firing violated federal labor law requirements that union employees be allowed to talk about working conditions and criti‑ cize bosses. The NLRB believes that this requirement applies on Face‑ book just as it does anywhere else. The case recently settled. In an‑ nouncing the settlement, the NLRB shared that AMR agreed to change its

social media policy to allow its employ‑ ees to discuss wages, hours, and work‑ ing conditions. The takeaway for non‑union workplaces is a little different. Every company by now should have a so‑ cial media policy, and should train its employees in hopes of preventing messages that will create problems. Different workplaces will need dif‑ ferent policies about what can be tolerated and the adverse actions that can be taken when employees send the “wrong” messages. Even as it was settling the Souza case, the NLRB initiated a case against a Connecticut bus company for simply maintaining an over‑broad social media policy. Souzaʼs case is not that un‑ usual. The number of cases of Face‑ book firings and Twitter terminations is growing all the time. Employers as diverse as restaurants, hospitals, professional sports teams, grocery stores, and insurance com‑ panies have all fired workers be‑ cause of online commentary. My boiled‑down best prac‑ tices are these: If you are an employer: (1) think about where the lines should be drawn for your business, (2) draw them in a policy that is easy to understand, and (3) communicate that to your people. If you are an employee, it is even more simple: (1) forget the “privacy” settings and assume your boss will see it, and (2) think before you post.

Providing outside general counsel services to companies with or without a legal department, Chris Gatewood is an attor‑ Chris Gatewood ney & founder of Threshold Counsel, PC, (www.thresholdcounsel.com)

presents…

Directed by

James Ricks

April 7 – 30, 2011 Pine Camp Arts Center 4901 Old Brook Road, Richmond, VA 23227

Box Office 804.340.0115 www.HenleyStreetTheatre.org

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Richmond 7th Best City in US For Business by Marketwatch Richmond was ranked seventh in the most recent review of best cities for business. The Wall Street Journalʼs online magazine Marketwatch rankings are based on a 14‑point index that evaluated the concentration of businesses within a metro area according to several gauges as well as an economic score that looked at a number of metrics, including unemploy‑ ment, job growth, population growth, per‑ sonal income and local GMP (Gross Metro SCAN QR CODE Product). TO VIEW THE SITE.

Marketwatch cited Richmondʼs strategic lo‑ cation an hour and a half to metro Washington, D.C. by car as well as its lower‑cost business environment contributing to its high ranking and return to the prestigious list. Richmond was noted for its high concentration of S&P 500 companies. The S&P 500 is comprised of 500 large‑cap Amer‑ ican companies covering about 75% of the American equity market. That list includes CarMax, Dominion Resources, Gen‑ worth, MeadWestvaco and Massey Energy Company.

Henrico’s Peak 10 Inc. Expands On February 15th, Peak 10 Inc., a managed services com‑ pany with data centers, an‑ nounced the opening of its second enterprise‑class facility contiguous with current opera‑ tions in Richmond. The 13,500 square‑foot addition brings Peak 10 Richmondʼs total foot‑ print to nearly 30,000 square feet and will be the companyʼs 19th data center facility within its 10 U.S. markets. “We are excited to have our Richmond 2 facility com‑ plete. We began the expansion project due to high customer demand from enterprise com‑ panies stretching from the Tidewater, Virginia area to Washington, D.C.,” said Mark Wensell, Ph.D., the vice presi‑ dent and general manager of Peak 10 Richmond. “The sec‑ ond facility will allow us to con‑ tinue serving the needs of our current and future customers and is a key part of our contin‑ ued growth strategy.” The second Richmond

data center is engineered with multiple levels of security, un‑ interruptible power, HVAC sys‑ tems, ﬁre suppression and around‑the‑clock monitoring and management. It is intercon‑ nected with Peak 10ʼs private network, providing customers with the advantage of highly available Internet access and the ability to leverage 17 data centers in nine other markets when implementing disaster re‑ covery solutions. “We have consistently ex‑ ecuted our plan of expanding organically and investing cap‑ ital in our existing markets with an acute focus on service quality and customer respon‑ siveness,” said David Jones, the president and CEO of Peak 10. “This new data center fa‑ cility in Richmond exemplifies this strategy. With our rela‑ tionship with Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe, and RBC Capital Markets, Peak 10 is positioned for long‑term growth and expansion.”

Dixon Hughes and Goodman & Company Merge to Form Foremost CPA Powerhouse in Southern U.S., 13th Largest in Nation

Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. Expands at VA BioTechnology Research Park In January, First Lady of Virginia Maureen McDonnell welcomed medical leaders, ten‑ ants of the Virginia BioTechnology Re‑ search Park, Rich‑ mond Mayor Dwight Jones, and public offi‑ cials from the Com‑ Tonya Mallory monwealth of Virginia at the ribbon cutting for the $4.2 million expansion of Health Diagnostic Labora‑ tory, Inc. (HDL, Inc.) office and lab space in the Biotech Eight building. “Our ribbon cutting ceremony is a time to celebrate not only the growth of Health Diagnostic Laboratory, but more importantly, the progress made towards the fight against cardiovascular and related diseases,” said Tonya Mallory, HDL CEO, who along with the firmʼs Chief Medical Officer Joe McConnell, cofounded the company.

VA Legislature Approves First Research & Development Tax Credit In February, the Virginia General Assembly approved legisla‑ tion to create the Commonwealthʼs first research and devel‑ opment tax credit. This was the top legislative priority of the Virginia Biotechnol‑ ogy Association and was supported by strong bipartisan ma‑ jorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The new law, once signed by the governor, will create a 15% refundable tax credit for R&D expenses and 20% if that re‑ search is done in partnership with a Virginia public or private university.

AMAZING TALES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

I have had the pleasure of knowing Pam and Derron Simon for a num‑ ber of years, through our children. A few months ago, Pam called me to get my opinion on a franchise she was considering. When we met to discuss it, I started asking Pam some questions about her goals and she realized that while this particular business was interesting, she had not thought about its ability to help her achieve the things in her life that were important to her. Pam has been in pharmaceuti‑ cal sales for her entire career. This has been a fulfilling and lucrative ca‑ reer for her. But over the past few years, as the industry has changed, it has become much less stable. Merg‑ ers, downsizing and layoffs have meant that her career has become much more unpredictable. While she wasnʼt quite ready to leave her current job, Pam wanted to have an alternate source of income so that the next time there was a layoff on the horizon, her family would have more financial stability. Pam and Derron also really wanted something of their own. They wanted something that they could grow and expand. As parents of active children, they wanted the Robin Smith

ability to use the business as a vehi‑ cle for community involvement. They also wanted something simple. After investigating, a host of business options, Pam and Derron ultimately selected Doc Popcorn; a retail popcorn business. Pam will be the first to tell you that her initial re‑ action was “Popcorn?” As with many of my clients, she wanted to quickly dismiss the idea. However, she and Derron did their homework and found that it had many of the attributes they were looking for. After all, you donʼt get much simpler than popcorn. In ad‑ dition, this business gave them a way to be involved in the commu‑ nity through sports team sales. They are also the first franchisees in the area, giving them the ability to grow throughout the region. Pam and Derron opened their kiosk in Chesterfield Towne Center, the week before Christmas. When I caught up with them recently, hereʼs what Pam had to say about business ownership: “This has been absolutely amazing. When you walk through the mall and see people enjoying your product̶how more gratifying can it get? I would encourage any‑ one that wants a business to think outside of the box and allow serendipity to play a role in your de‑ cision, stay true to what you want but be open to different, unique businesses that give you a competi‑ tive edge in your market̶you too could be owning something that you never imagined!” Visit them any day at Chester‑ field Towne Center, near the kids play zone!

Robin Smith is the owner of The Entrepreneurʼs Source. www.e‑sourceva.com.

COBB Technologies Cobb Technologies is a Rich‑ mond‑based, Family‑owned oﬃce technology dealer, headquartered in Richmond. 20 years serving Richmond businesses with digital copiers, printers, scanners, and fax solutions. You've heard the radio ads with Freddy Cobb; we invite you to talk to Peter Larsen at Cobb Technologies and learn the rest of the story!

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Biz Savvy

ton, D.C., Dixon Hughes Goodman will be the largest certified public accounting firm based in the southern U.S. and the 13th largest in the nation. With two offices in the Richmond area, the firm pro‑ vides traditional services in the areas of business accounting, au‑ diting, and taxes as well as other related services.

BY ROBIN SMITH

WORK

Goodman & Company LLP and Dixon Hughes PLLC announced in January that they will merge their firms and affiliated entities effective in March. Headquar‑ tered in Charlotte, the combined firm will be known as Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP. With more than 1,700 people in 30 of‑ fices in 11 states and Washing‑

Open for Business

FRAME YOUR FAME Two Henrico County Mainstay Corporations Announce Increased Earnings

Turn Grid’s articles about your company, your products , your exhibit, band, book or innovation... into treasured keepsakes. All framing is done locally by FRAME NATION. Prices start at $165.00 Click on REPRINTS at RichmondGrid.com

Both Markel Corporation̶an in‑ ternational insurance holding company headquartered in Hen‑ rico's Innsbrook Oﬃce Park and Altria Group, Inc. (number 137 on the Fortune 500 list) also with its HQ in the county, announced strong earnings in February. According to Markelʼs 2010 fourth quarter earnings report, improvement in diluted net in‑ come was the result of improved investment returns. The com‑ pany reported a net income of $267.7 million in 2010, a con‑ siderable improvement over the $202.4 million earned in 2009. According to the Altria 2010 Q4 and full year report, the company delivered strong results in 2010. Altria is a well‑ established branded consumer

products company with an American heritage covering over 180 years. “Altria successfully navi‑ gated a challenging economic environment in 2010 and deliv‑ ered strong results to our share‑ holders,” reported Michael E. Szymanczyk, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Altria. “Altria grew its adjusted di‑ luted earnings per share by nearly 9 percent in 2010, and increased its quarterly dividend rate by 11.8 precent reflecting the underlying financial strength of our businesses. Al‑ triaʼs total shareholder return in 2010 was 32.9 percent, outpac‑ ing the S&P 500ʼs total return of 14.8 percent for the eleventh straight year.”

‘AND ACTION!’ RVA is a Top Filmmaking City Holding its own among in‑ dustry pick heavyweights like Los Angeles and Brooklyn, New York, Rich‑ mond was rated among MovieMaker magazineʼs feature “10 Best Cities to Be a Moviemaker in 2011.” MovieMaker: The Art and Business of Making Movies (Issue 91 Volume 18), an eighteen‑year‑old industry publication, cited the recent launch of the 15 to 20 percent refundable tax credit as well as other ﬁnancial incentives that add to the regionʼs viability for ﬁlm projects. Other points in the areaʼs favor included its varied loca‑ tions and characteristics. “With its diverse topogra‑ phy (ranging from historic, rural settings to a bustling metropolis, within just a few minutes of each other), Richmond provides a

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treasure trove of backdrops for moviemakers to explore,” the ar‑ ticle noted. In 2009 the Virginia Film Oﬃce reported direct and indi‑ rect impact of Virginiaʼs motion picture and video production in‑ dustry was $346 million, repre‑ senting 2,701 jobs for the state.

Just Ask Peter A CURE FOR OFFICE TECHNOLOGY FRUSTRATION panic. That presentation for a client MUST be printed or copied right away! What if you could go to your providerʼs web site, log in to a secure area just for your ac‑ count, and enter a service call re‑ quest with an instant message directly to your provider? And then get an IM right back saying the call is placed and a re‑ pair technician is on the way? BY PETER LARSEN

Everywhere I go in Richmond I hear businesses say that their #1 frustration with oﬃce technology is something like this: “How can I automate copier meter reads, service calls and sup‑ ply ordering?”

Grid readers, do you want to know how? Just Ask Peter. You know the drill: Itʼs time to let your copier provider know your copierʼs meter read. The provider needs the number of clicks in order to bill you properly, right?

Cool? Yes, and itʼs another great service oﬀered by many area oﬃce technology dealers. Finally, how about the process of supply ordering? You know̶ toner, developer, printer ink. Have you ever RUN OUT of toner or ink right in the middle of trying to print a presentation or mission crit‑ ical report? We all have. What can be done to alleviate that? The same technology that sends the “meter agent” out to your printer can send a “supplies agent” out electronically also.

It can be a real pain to go to the copier, somehow ﬁgure out how to get a meter read, and then either call your provider or fax that meter read to them.

The little electronic agent ﬁnds your printer, scans all the supplies electronically (maybe Iʼll tell you how in a future Grid arti‑ cle), and sends a message back to your printer provider.

Well, some Richmond‑area office technology dealers offer a way to take that burden off your shoulders, providing a FREE and safe way to collect your meter readings automatically.

Your provider receives that IM and sends the toner, devel‑ oper or printer ink right out to you! Amazing? You bet, and what a stress reliever for you and your office.

You donʼt have to do a thing. Special software sends a “meter read agent” out to your copier, col‑ lects the meter read in the back‑ ground, and sends it electronically back to your provider.

So, check out some of the local copier/printer providers here in River City and see if they have these cool and practical technologies.

Cool, huh? Plus, it virtually eliminates billing errors. Then thereʼs the dreaded service call. Your printer or copier is not functioning properly. Youʼre in a

Automating meter reads, service calls and supply ordering can make a real diﬀerence in how your business runs. Weʼre all look‑ ing for ways to reduce stress in the oﬃce; this is one easy way to ac‑ complish just that!

Peter Larsen has been in the document management in‑ dustry for 13 years. He has provided multi‑function copier solutions for Xerox Corporation and IKON Oﬃce Solutions prior to joining Cobb Technologies.

Peter Larsen

COMPANIES & CAREERS

Find more business resources at BusinessFirst.com a program supported by the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.

Incentives for Existing Businesses WHEN

NEW COMPANIES LOCATE IN A COMMUNITY, WE HEAR A LOT

ABOUT THE INCENTIVES OFFERED TO THEM BY STATE AND LOCAL GOV‑ ERNMENTS.

BUT WHAT ABOUT INCENTIVES FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES?

Is your company one of the fastest grow‑ ing privately held firms in the United States? Find out by applying for the Inc. 500|5000 list. The ac‑ colade is impressive and the exposure provided is good for your business as well as your bottom line.

[Above] Map from guide shows the Enterprise Zones located across the state.

ortunately, the Com‑ monwealth of Vir‑ ginia and its communities value existing businesses and support their eﬀorts to grow and prosper. Though media at‑ tention tends to focus on in‑ coming businesses, state and local governments oﬀer a variety of incentives to encourage the creation of new jobs and investment. The majority of these incen‑ tives are aimed at helping existing businesses expand their current operations. Businesses can qualify for incentives through a vari‑ ety of activities, including creating new jobs, training workers, making new invest‑ ments in facilities or equip‑ ment, or even creating daycare facilities for their employees. And the best news of all is that you donʼt have to be a large company

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Gain Recognition by Applying for the Inc. 500|5000 List

Virginia Economic Develop‑ ment Partnershipʼs website: www.yesvirginia.com. Additional information can be found on the websites of the City of Richmond and the counties of Hanover, Henrico, and Chesterﬁeld. If you are considering an expansion project, talk to your local Business First rep‑ resentative today to see if you qualify for local and state assistance programs.

For more information about the Inc. 500|5000 and to apply for a spot on the 2011 list, visit Inc.ʼs website at www.inc.com/inc5000apply/2011.

New Site Offers More Resources For Business

THE GUIDE

or have lofty expansion plans to qualify. For example, cre‑ ating as few as 5 new jobs within 12 months could qualify your business for state programs. Assistance can take many forms, such as grants, tax breaks, and loans. A comprehensive list of state incentive pro‑ grams is available on the

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Richmond Incentives

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Hanover Incentives

Chesterfield Incentives

Governor Bob McDonnell announced the launch of the enhanced Virginia Business One Stop (BOS) website, a streamlined tool to serve the needs of new, existing and small business entrepreneurs. The website, www.bos.virginia.gov propagates registra‑ tion information to six state agencies that commonly serve businesses in Virginia.

BY THOMAS L. BOWDEN, SR.

RAISING CAPITAL FOR YOUR NEW VENTURE? DONʼT SACRIFICE YOUR START‑UP TO THE FALSE GOD OF MAJORITY OWNERSHIP. The Fundementals Entrepreneurs need to keep in mind that the fundamental eco‑ nomics of venture capital funds constrain VCs in setting the terms and size of their investments. Based on the size of the fund, they have to allocate a certain amount of money to ini‑ tial investments, another chunk to follow‑on investments in

are getting with the venture capital money is the knowledge and experience of the fund principals. Fair Share of Attention If your contact with the venture fund has too many pots to watch, you may not get your full measure of advice. The net effect of all these

THE BLOG.

maintain 51 percent of this magic fully diluted number, if your company does not per‑ form, there will undoubtedly be adjustments or subsequent rounds of financing that might dilute you down to single digits. And single digits arenʼt nec‑ essarily all that bad either. If your share declines because of follow‑on investment rounds at

“The net effect of all these factors is that venture funds typically invest from one to five million dollars in an early round, and generally receive anywhere from 25 to 75 percent of the equity of the company on a fully diluted basis...” successful companies, and still a third for “problem children” i.e., the companies that still show promise, but canʼt seem to keep momentum. The size of the VC fundʼs staff is also a factor. There are only so many deals that one person can successfully moni‑ tor, manage and contribute to. Remember part of what you

factors is that venture funds typically invest from one to five million dollars in an early round, and generally receive anywhere from 25 to 75 per‑ cent of the equity of the com‑ pany on a fully diluted basis, that is, assuming all options, conversion rights and other equity interests are fully exer‑ cised. However, even if you

increasing prices, then the value of your seemingly small 9 per‑ cent may far exceed the value of 90 percent of an earlier round. Just remember, itʼs all about the money. I doubt Bill Gates thinks about what his per‑ centage of Microsoft was when he ﬁrst received venture capital money. All he really cares about is what itʼs worth right now.

Blog excerpt from Thomas L. Bowden, Sr. @ vabizlawyers.com. Bowden is a member of the Business, Finance & Real Estate practice group for the law firm of Sands Anderson. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisi‑ tions, corporate transactions and corporate finance. He works in the Richmond office. Sands Anderson is an in‑ vestor in the Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.

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tʼs a common mistake to view ownership and con‑ trol in a one‑dimensional framework. What could be sim‑ pler, there are one hundred per‑ centage points and if you have more than 50 of them, youʼre the boss, right? And thatʼs a good thing, right? To which I re‑ spond: “no” and “maybe.” The venture capitalistʼs model capital structure is not based on a simple division of ownership. There are plenty of good reasons for this, and itʼs mutually beneﬁcial to investors and entrepreneurs. For example, you might own 51% of common stock, but when you take into account anti‑dilution rights, preemptive rights, adjustments to conver‑ sion rates, participating versus nonparticipating preferred, clawbacks, vesting schedules and other parameters, itʼs very hard to know what your share of the ultimate pie might be. Furthermore, owning 51 percent of the fully diluted common stock does not guar‑ antee control. With the VC in‑ vestment will come new board members, and rights to take control of the board if the com‑ pany misses milestones. Thatʼs not to say percent‑ age is not relevant, just that itʼs not simple. All things being equal (which never happens), a higher percentage is better than a lower one, but when the bar‑ gaining starts it is easy to make too much of that.

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WORK

The Give & Get of Seed Money: Smart Start-Up Companies Share Venture Capitalists’ Expectations

INNOVATORS

‘The Road Warrior Show’

BY PAUL SPICER

hat Pham is known for many things̶digi‑ tal media consultant, evangelist, and instructor. However, itʼs his ability to help everyday Richmonders lever‑ age technology for themselves that truly defines what he does best. As a result, Pham has be‑ come known in RVA as the “So‑ cial Media Samurai” and “Wireless Warrior.” “Nhat is Pham‑tastic,” says Christine Frint Walters, owner of Comedy Sportz Rich‑ mond. “Weʼve hired him as a coach, and have taken his sem‑ inar on Social Networking, and Technology Simplified. Theyʼve been a bit mind blowing, chock‑full of content.” To arm self‑doers with digital media know‑how, Pham offers a free weekly dose of techie knowledge called The Road Warrior Show. The live

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internet show, found at www.roadwarriorshow.com, is a home base for Pham and co‑ host, Sean “Digital Knight” Francis [ above photo], to stream hundreds of useful social media tips and peddle plenty of industry buzz over Ustream.TV. The Road Warrior Show, which was originally started as a traditional terrestrial radio show four years ago, was a way for Pham to an‑ swer the mountains of emails he receives after his profes‑ sional presentations and workshops. “Now with ad‑ vances with such tools as Us‑ tream.tv and Livestream, viewers can be more interac‑ tive and even be able to see my screen and devices we sometimes feature,” explains Pham. “What's even better is we can now measure our au‑

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dience. We get a lot of viewers watching the archives and even get quite a few national and even inter‑ national view‑ ers.” Popular Pham topics have in‑ cluded a review of social dash‑ boards, social networking management tips, location aware applications, social CRM (Contact Relationship Manage‑ ment), using social media to build personal brand, and the

SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW SHOW

lowdown on smart phones and other gadget reviews. When not promoting social media on his show, Pham helps clients̶such as T‑Mobile, AT&T, Retail Merchants Associ‑ ation, P.F. Changʼs, and Mekong Restaurant̶to sharpen their own digital toolbelts. To catch Pham in action, tune into The Road Warrior Show at 9AM EST every Monday, or pick up a copy of his book, Social Networking Best Practices Series of Busi‑ ness: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube Editions.

Engineering Inspiration

ichmond, itʼs time to “look at more.” Andy Stefanovich, Chief Cura‑ tor and Provocateur at Prophet, has spent two decades helping companies around the world drive innovation from the inside out. Now itʼs time for us to find out how this local creativity shaman really does it. Come spring, we will get our crack at the wild and wonderful mind that is Stefanovich with the release of his new book Look at More. Stefanovich made a name for himself in the ʼ90s by co‑founding Play̶a RVA based creativity and innovat ion company̶which changed the way business does business. Play and Prophet eventu‑ ally joined forces, and Stefanovich now pulls regular gigs as a popular keynote speaker and has been fea‑ tured on CNBC and MSNBC. So how do you inspire people? “Well, itʼs all about learning to think dif‑ ferently and encouraging others to do the same,” according to the bookʼs promotions. Readers will have a chance to really dig into Ste‑ fanovichʼs take on engineering in‑ novation through inspiration. Look at More explores the front end of the “Inspiration–Creativ‑ ity–Innovation” continuum, as a sys‑

BY PAUL SPICER tematic approach. The goal of the book is show the reader how to con‑ sistently apply this strategy in order Stefanovich to bring long‑ term and sustainable results. Offering “strategies, tactics, insights, and cases that show how you can instill inspiration at an in‑ dividual, team, and organizational level,” Stefanovich also takes a stab at why real innovation eludes so many organizations, including those with the best technology, the cheapest resources, and even chief innovation officers. For anyone familiar with Ste‑ fanovichʼs inspiring presentations, they know heʼs mastered the art of sparking change among business leaders and employees through practical skills and leadership be‑ havior. In his speeches, as well as in the new book, Stefanovich outlines what he calls the Five Mʼs of innova‑ tion, which include: mood, mindset, mechanisms, measurement, and momentum. Designed as a hands‑on‑ guide, Look at More will also explain Stefanovichʼs proven LAMSTAIH ap‑ proach (Look At More Stuff, Think About It Harder). Look for Look at More in bookstores this April.

ACTiVE RVA始S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY MARCH | APRIL 2011 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 #1

MORE FEET. MORE FUN. UKROP始S MONUMENT AVENUE 10K 24

PAGES OF COURSE MAPS, PAST WINNERS, COSTUMES, RACE DAY RESOURCES, PARTY STOPS, & PERFORMERS

A C T i V E RVA始S RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

Find the girl, win a trip! It’s Summertime Somewhere, and the Tropical Smoothie Café Hula Girl is searching the globe for warmer climates. If you find her, you could win 1 of 12 all-inclusive vacations to a Club Med resort in the U.S., Caribbean or Mexico! With every purchase, you’ll get a scratch off card and a chance to find Hula Girl. So after you enjoy one of our limited-time menu items that will transport your taste buds to summertime, or anything else on the menu, you can enter your code online at SummertimeSomewhere.com to see if you’re a winner. Plus, you’ll find free items and special discounts on the card to use on your next visit to Tropical Smoothie Café. Everyone’s a winner!

Two new tastes of summer. Whether you’re in the mood for something spicy or sweet, Tropical Smoothie Café’s new limited-time menu items have just what you crave. The Chipotle Chicken Club Flatbread will make your taste buds sizzle with grilled chicken, crispy bacon, fresh romaine, ripe tomatoes, spicy pepperjack and chipotle mayo, all on a grilled ﬂatbread. The Caribbean Breeze Papaya Smoothie features papaya, orange and mango blended to perfection for a treat that’s as sweet as summertime. So stop in today and try one of these two new tropical tastes. Better yet — try both!

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ACTiVE RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1 • MARCH | APRIL 2011 • #1

JUMPSTART ............................................................................ 28 Fuel for Achieving Your Personal Best: Athletes should experiment with foods and meal timing while training before using the strategies during competition; Get the Most from a Personal Trainer; New Website Promotes Chesterﬁeld Outdoor Programs

BODYSMART ............................................................................30 Runners and Joints: Injuries to the ankle and knee are closely linked to hip weakness. Here are several simple exercises to stabilize all the related joints and give you the best chance of preventing other injuries.

THE OFFICIAL RACE GUIDE FOR THE UKROPʼS MONUMENT AVENUE 10K & THE VIRGINIA 529 KIDS RUN ..................................31 Need to Know ..........................................................................................34 Dress up and Run gallery ......................................................................35 Past Winners ............................................................................................38 Race Etiquette ..........................................................................................39 VIRGINIA 529 KIDS RUN ..........................................................................40 Healthy Eating, Running, & Most Importantly, Fun..........................42 Course Maps & Description....................................................................44 Bands & Locations ..................................................................................46 Party Stops ................................................................................................47 ʻBowling For Burnsʼ ................................................................................48 Sports Backers Upcoming Events ........................................................50 Special Thanks..........................................................................................52

In the Heat of the Race ............................................................55 Runners turn to hot yoga to recover and remain injury free.

Q‑NEWS: people | events | options @ SportsQuest: ..................57 Catching Lacrosse Fever: Itʼs one of the fastest growing team sports in the United States. Locally, SportsQuest has led the way in intro‑ ducing more youth and families to this challenging sport. The Thrills of Arena Racing USA®: Motorsports fans will be excited to check out the half‑scale stock car racing series on the SportsQuest campus when it launches the new season in October.

An American Hero: The Richmond Revolution has signed Wide Receiver/Fullback Shawn Hibbard̶who is also a US Army Sergeant. A Whole New Level of Arena Football: For the 2011 season, the Rich‑ mond Revolution is raising the roof and will play its home games on the East Campus of the sprawling SportsQuest facility in Chesterﬁeld.

The Care Corner: When Children Become the Parents ............61 Care Advantage CEO Debbie Johnston discusses the daunting issues of providing elder care for your parents.

The Process of Healing ............................................................62 In‑Home Physical Therapy Reduces Downtime: University of Richmond Hall of Famer Pat Kelly recovers from knee surgery with the aid of his caregiver.

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

A C T i V E RVA’ S R ECREATION & W ELLNESS C OMMUNITY FUEL FOR ACHIEVING YOUR PERSONAL BEST BY STEPHEN P. SOWULEWSKI, M.A

Your body functions on water, oxygen, and food̶primarily car‑ bohydrate and fat. The chemical process that ensues is called me‑ tabolism. Two interrelated en‑ ergy‑producing systems are at work in your body, aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Aerobic requires oxygen and anaerobic does not require oxygen. Neither the aerobic nor the anaerobic pathway functions exclusively to supply energy to the body, rather, the two work in concert by supporting and complement‑ ing each other. Exercise that is longer in duration such as an event lasting three minutes and beyond utilizes the aerobic path‑ way. Conversely, activities of a shorter duration, such as those that do not extend beyond three minutes, would utilize the anaer‑ obic pathway. When you exercise aerobi‑

cally (as in the case of a certain Richmond 10k run), muscles burn fat and extract energy from carbo‑ hydrate more eﬃciently in the

SOWULEWSKI presence of oxygen, thereby con‑ serving your bodyʼs limited store of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is absolutely essential for exercise. Without it, your muscles cannot perform. A trifecta of meal timing

MAR|APR 2011

is as important as the makeup of the meal for performance efficacy. PRE‑EXERCISE*: Athletes should experiment with foods and meal timing while training before using the strategies during com‑ petition. The closer to the start of competition or exercise, athletes should consume less food. Ath‑ letes may benefit from consum‑ ing liquid carbohydrates such as pre‑exercise beverages or gels or sports drink (containing no more than six to eight percent sugar) an hour or less before the start of exercise. Consuming simple car‑ bohydrates (sugar or candy) within an hour or two of an event is not recommended because it may cause an insulin response, resulting in weakness and fa‑ tigue, or it may cause stomach distress, cramps, or nausea. Fluids: At least two to three hours before exercise, drink 12‑20 ounces (400‑600mL) of water or a sports drink. This will optimize hydration and allow time for excretion of any excess fluids. DURING EXERCISE: It should be noted that exercise bouts of a shorter duration can have less benefit from carbohydrate intake than longer bouts of exercise. For example, drinking water versus sport drinks when engaging in light to moderate activity within a 60 minute window. Intense or vigorous exercise lasting over 60 minutes would warrant electrolyte replacement. Carbohydrate con‑ sumption should begin shortly after the start of exercise. Con‑ sumption of six to twelve ounces of sports drinks every 15‑30 minutes during exercise can extend exer‑ cise capacity of athletes who par‑ ticipate in prolonged or intermittent sports. Individuals who run com‑ petitive times in a 10k (6.2 miles) race, such as those who have a five to six minute mile pace, will

finish sooner and may not re‑ quire as much hydration due to the quick duration of their per‑ formance. For convenience, a number of companies make con‑ centrated carbohydrate gels that deliver carbohydrates (generally 80% complex, 20% simple) in a format the body can absorb quickly for energy. Examples are PowerGel and Gu. Energy bars, such as Powerbars and Clif bars, are also commonly eaten during or after to enhance energy stores. Fluids: Losses will vary depend‑ ing on the sport, the individual and the environmental condi‑ tions. The athlete should attempt to anticipate the losses as a guide to fluid intake during exercise. POST‑EXERCISE RECOVERY: The window for optimal post‑exer‑ cise recovery is six hours after the cessation of that exercise. Intake of 1.0‑1.5 grams of carbohy‑ drates/kg of body weight within 30 minutes after exercise in‑ creases the bodyʼs glycogen stores (energy stored in the mus‑ cles and liver necessary for sus‑ tained exercise) and decreases recovery time. Adding protein by itself to a post‑exercise recovery snack will not enhance muscle glycogen stores. However, con‑ suming protein along with car‑ bohydrates will support muscle repair and growth. Fluids: A simple guideline of consuming two to three cups of fluid for every pound lost during exercise can help athletes replace lost fluids post‑exercise. Water by itself is not the best replacement for short recovery strategies due to possible losses in electrolytes. Fluid replacement drinks such as Gatorade Thirst Quenche and Met‑Rx can enhance fluid and energy status during endurance events. Consuming rehydration beverages and salty foods as subsequent meals/snacks will also help replace fluid and elec‑ trolyte losses. A

Stephen P. Sowulewski, M.A. is an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Health & Physical Education at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and an American Council on Exercise (ACE) group exercise certified instructor at American Family Fitness teaching indoor cycling.

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

* Recommendations based on the Nutrition and Athletic Performance Joint Position Statement from the American Dietetic Association, Dieticians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine.

J U M P S T A R T GET THE MOST FROM A PERSONAL TRAINER

BY JOHN S. WARE M.S., C.S.C.S

New Website Promotes Chesterﬁeld Outdoor Programs

Where should I begin when looking for a personal trainer? First, understand what you should expect. Personal training de‑ mands a personal experience. A quality trainer should be exam‑ ination certiﬁed by a nationally recognized organization, have an up‑to‑date CPR certiﬁcation, as well as a decent understand‑ ing of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. Professional trainers focus solely on their clientʼs needs. If during a session,

Promoted as “The Unofficial Official Resource” www.chesterfieldoutdoorprograms.com is a joint volunteer effort between photographer and out‑ door enthusiast Elli Morris, and graphic designer and kayaker Michelle Touchette. The site promotes Chesterfield Outdoor Programs so anyone inter‑ ested in outdoor activities in Virginia can easily see what Chesterfield Outdoor Programs has to offer.

John S. Ware is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist and owner of BOOST Fitness Ventures.

SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW THE SITE.

they are distracted, talking to friends, simply “pulling pins” on machines or only counting repetitions̶move on. How is personal training different than a tough workout on my own? A good trainer understands what the word “training” truly means. To achieve a “training effect,” it is necessary that a client approach (and in some cases exceed) their perceived physical limitations. As such, trainers are required to be vigilant regarding a clientʼs health and safety. A professional trainer has the ability to motivate and safely push your comfort level. With that said, unique circumstances̶including goals and physical limits̶will require specific consideration. A poorly designed training pro‑ gram can result in dissatisfaction, limited results, or even injury.

PHOTO | PAIGE STEVENS

What is the right training option for me? A health club environment isnʼt for everyone, and for some the distractions can become frustrating and embarrassing. In‑home training can be an option, but keep in mind youʼll need good equipment, and you must be your own motivator. A private trainer and/or small studio is an option for people who want a personalized program and zero distractions for optimum results. How much does personal training usually cost? Large workout facilities typically have a monthly fee (often with some type of commitment) and additional fees for one‑on‑one training. Home fitness obviously requires you to purchase equip‑ ment, and then find a trainer willing to travel to you. Lastly, there are private studios and boutique fitness facilities that usually offer pay‑as‑you‑go sessions without a contract. So before you decide, do your homework and be honest about your level of commitment. Investigate all of the options available and check trainer credentials thoroughly. A

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

B O D Y S M A R T RUNNERS AND JOINTS

Try It!

BY SHELLY TAYLOR, MS, VATL, ATC, CSCS AND TERESA STADLER, MD, FACSM

Runners know joint pain. If you are still reading this you probably have at some point experienced ankle sprains or patellofemoral (knee) pain. These two condi‑ tions can lead to ongoing pain and instability that can make run‑ ning and walking very uncom‑ fortable.

FOOT FLIPS

BALANCE

Most of the trouble in the knees and the ankles comes from higher up the “kinetic chain.” The ankle bone really is con‑ nected to the knee bone and the knee bone really is connected to the hip bone. Injuries to the ankle and knee are closely linked to hip weakness.

SIDE STEPS

STADLER & TAYLOR you moving in a straight line. Side to side instability is common. This instability must be addressed at the hip or you will not com‑ pletely overcome lateral ankle pain, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) and anterior knee pain.

Joints are connected. The hip is a major stabilizer of the knee and the ankle. At foot strike, the ankle is the ﬁrst line of defense. But it is actually the muscles of the hip that control your gait and keep

There are several simple ways to strength the entire kinetic chain.

PRIVATE

This will stabilize all the joints and give you the best chance of preventing other injuries. There are a few exercises that we rec‑ ommend, especially for those preparing to train for the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k:

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED AND ESTABLISHED

Distraction while balancing will increase the challenge. You can also increase this challenge by closing your eyes.

PERSONAL MANAGED FITNESS PLANS

W W W

O O S T

2. Side Steps With some type of resistance

I T N E S S

C O M

4908 MILLRIDGE PARKWAY EAST | MIDLOTHIAN, VA 23112 | 804.803.1FIT

1. Balance An easy way to work on balance is to stand on one foot through‑ out the day as you do other activ‑ ities (brushing teeth, talking on phone, folding clothes, washing dishes, etc.).

(long stretchy sock or old pair of panty hose) tie a loop around both ankles, stand with feet shoulder width apart in a short squat. Then take a step to either side, keeping abdominals tight‑ ened, back flat and shoulder staying directly over hips. Repeat 10‑20 times, then go in opposite direction. 3. Foot Flips Seated with knees and feet to‑ gether, flip the soles of the feet away from each other 20 times. Then flip the soles toward each other 20 times. Repeat this 3‑4 times per day. Think about the muscles you are firing in these exercises. Then at‑ tempt to use these same muscles to stabilize you while running. A

Shelly Taylor, MS, VATL, ATC, CSCS is an active member of Richmond’s running community and Director of Athletic Training at Commonwealth Sports Medicine. Teresa Stadler, MD, FACSM is mom of three small runners, an avid marathoner, Ironman finisher, and Director of Commonwealth Sports Medicine.

A C T i V E RVAʼS RECREATION & WELLNESS COMMUNITY

PHOTOS | CHRIS OWENS

NO DISTRACTIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS

OFFICIAL RACE GUIDE APRIL 2ND 2011 AN EVENT OF THE

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Diet Coke and the Dynamic Ribbon are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company. SUBWAY FRESH FIT™ is not a diet program. ©2011 Doctor’s Associates Inc. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.

WELCOME TO THE UKROPʼS MONUMENT AVENUE 10K NEED TO KNOW ........................................................34 PAST WINNERS..........................................................38 VIRGINIA 529 KIDS RUN ..........................................40 COURSE MAPS & DESCRIPTION ............................44 BANDS & LOCATIONS ..............................................46 PARTY STOPS ............................................................47 SPECIAL THANKS ......................................................52 The Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k presented by MARTINʼS continues to shine as a source of pride for our regionʼs residents. And you, the runners and walkers, should be proud of the hundreds of thousands of dollars you raised for the Massey Cancer Center and for your commitment to leading a healthier life by training for this event. It is no wonder that the partici‑ pants of the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k continue to inspire so many of us in the community. The honors and accolades keep pouring in as the event is now the 22nd largest running race in the entire world! While the party atmosphere gains the recognition, it is the wide‑spread community support that makes the event what it is today. Special thanks go to the thousands of volunteers, the spirit groups, the bands and the cheering spectators that are all out there supporting you on race day. Sincerely, Jon Lugbill Race Director

DRESS UP AND RUN GALLERY

Featuring an array of cos‑ tumed participants whose inspired running get‑ups ranged from cute to crazy.

RACE ETIQUETTE 39 Tips & Guidelines: If you are running or walking your ﬁrst race or your 1,000th, it is important to remember that you are not alone when taking part in the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k.

HEALTHY EATING, RUNNING, & MOST IMPORTANTLY, FUN 42 The River Runners after‑school pro‑ gram at Rivers Edge Elementary serves as a shining example of how local parents and teachers have an‑ swered the call to youth ﬁtness.

ʻBOWLING FOR BURNSʼ 48 In 2009, the Boxing Day Bowlers de‑ cided to form a team in the Massey Challenge to support VCU Massey Cancer Center, the oﬃcial charity of the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k.

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NEED TO KNOW Thursday, March 31 11am‑9pm 12 & 6pm

SCHEDULE

Packet Pick Up‑Anthem Health & Fitness Expo at Arthur Ashe Athletic Center Sports Backers Marathon Training Team information meeting at the Anthem Health & Fitness Expo Sports Backers HALF Marathon Training Team information meeting at the Anthem Health & Fitness Expo

5:30pm

Friday, April 1 11am‑9pm 12 & 6pm

5:30pm

Saturday, April 2 6:45‑9:50am

Richmond Times‑Dispatch Dress Up & Run contest check‑in at Monroe Park

7:30am –1pm

Amica Insurance Bag Check available in Monroe Park Virginia 529 Kids Run starts on Cathedral Place near Laurel Street

8am

Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k starts at Broad and Harrison Streets (Wave A)

8:30am 9am‑1pm

SUBWAY Post Race Festival in Monroe Park

HELP THE UKROP'S MONUMENT AVENUE 10K BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE 20 LARGEST RACES IN THE WORLD As a participant in the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k, you know itʼs a world‑ class event. Now you can help make that distinction oﬃcial. We are on the cusp of being one of the 20

largest races IN THE WORLD (we were 22nd in 2010)! How can you help? By being sure to wear the timing tag you were given at packet pick up. Races are ranked based on the number of ﬁnishers, and

the only way you are consid‑ ered an oﬃcial ﬁnisher is by wearing your timing chip. Whether you are a runner or walker, we need you to wear your tag in order to be counted. Just follow the di‑

rections on the chip to at‑ tach it properly to your shoe and youʼre all set. Be a proud part of the eﬀort to give Richmond its place on the world stage and wear that tag!

AMICA INSURANCE BAG CHECK Wondering what to do with your personal items during the event? Amica Insurance will provide bag check for all registered participants. The service is available from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Monroe Park near Laurel Street, so you will need to go to Monroe Park to drop oﬀ your gear and then walk three blocks over to the start area on Broad Street. You can use the tear‑oﬀ tag on your bib to attach to your bag to identify it as yours.

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RICHMOND TIMES‑DISPATCH DRESS UP & RUN CONTEST Dress up as your favorite comic strip character or anything else that shows your wild side! Prizes will be awarded to the top three group and individuals/duo entries. Visit the race website for contest rules and a list of prizes.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRESS UP & RUN CONTEST: You must be a registered participant in the 2011 Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k and must wear your bib number. Check in at the Richmond Times‑Dispatch tent in Mon‑ roe Park from 6:45‑9:50 a.m. prior to the race. You must wear your costume while you participate in the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k. After ﬁnishing the 10k, go to the Richmond Times‑Dispatch tent in Mon‑ roe Park for a list of the winners. Visit the race website for a full list of oﬃcial rules.

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WAVE START INFORMATION In order to provide the safest and most en‑ joyable event experience possible, the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k utilizes wave starts. All event participants will line up for the start based on the letter on your bib number. This letter represents the wave that you chose based on your predicted time or qualifying time.

While lining up on Broad Street, please look for the volunteer holding the wave sign that corresponds to your bib. So if your bib num‑ ber is KB12242, then you will look for the “Wave KB” sign. Your group will be walked into the starting corral as the start time for your wave approaches. Wave Security will be on hand to make sure that you are lined up with the correct wave.

Wave Start Times

A ‑ Seeded Runners ‑ Sub 43 min.

8:30 a.m. PD ‑ Runners ‑ 60 min.

9:14 a.m. 9:16

MASSEY CANCER CENTER The VCU Massey Cancer Center is the oﬃcial charitable fundraising partner of the Ukropʼs Monument Avenue 10k. By participating in the Massey Challenge, you can support the fight against cancer. One hundred percent of the money raised stays right here at Massey, and our research helps to extend and save lives throughout Virginia and around the world. Every donation counts. No amount is too small. Race registration fees do not benefit Massey. Massey canʼt run without you!

B ‑ Seeded Runners ‑ 43 to 45 min.