dsmBUZZ

Seasons of Gifts - Entrepreneurs you'll meet in December on Entrepreneur People

There are always new concepts to take away with each interview. If you're an entrepreneur or thinking about becoming one, learn from the experiences of these people or learn more about a particular service or product as these business owners share information with you.

December 4 - Linda Hayes of Party Palisades has a shop on the square in the small town of Indianola, Iowa where the phone never stops ringing. While some merchants there are struggling to compete with the flashy nearby malls and chains, Linda has learned to go where her costumers have a need, and at the same time stick to what she loves to do. Weddings and Proms are big business and Linda, along with her staff, has carved out a healthy piece of the cake to thrive. Find out what it takes to make it in small town USA and more about her business.

December 11 - Lorraine Cohen of Powerful Living – Design the life you want, achieve your goals, and do work that reflects your values. Lorraine helps others reach their desired destination. The coaching field is filled with a wide range of choices. How do you pick one? When in your life is a coach a good idea? How do you build your business in the coaching profession? Lorraine will speak to some of these questions in her interview.

December 18 – James McKelvey of Mira Digital Printing /glass blower/ engineer– This will be a fast paced and expansive 30-minute interview covering James travels in building a successful printing business based out of St. Louis, MO. We’ll talk about this competitive industry, how he’s made his niche to serve, and also how he finds time to cultivate his other business as an artisan glass blower.

December 25 – David Lekowsky and family, American Plumbing Supply – Consider this my holiday present to you. This wonderful interview was recorded during the balmy days of this past autumn. I had the privilege of speaking to two generations of a multi-generational small business located in the East Village of Des Moines, Iowa that has been in existence since the 1930s. David Lekowsky and his parents take time out to share thoughts about what it takes to run a family business and build customer loyalty. You’ll hear the genuine affection the Lekowskys have for each other, their joy in serving their community and customers, and some great story-telling. Prepare to listen and just sit back and smile.

About the picture: This is the kind of lovely gift wrap you can get for your eco-friendly present purchases when you go to Be the Butterfly located in Ankeny, Iowa.   

Beaverdale Books

Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave, Suite 1, Des Moines, IA  50310. phone/515-279-5400

www.beaverdalebooks.com

Located in a family neighborhood where it truly is “the shop around the corner”, Beaverdale Books is the store to patronize when you want to be appreciated for your reading tastes as an individual. Come in to find an eclectic collection of publications, including works from  Midwest writers with an emphasis on Iowa authors.

Beaverdale Books offers a friendly and knowledgeable staff that work hard as your personal resource in search for the perfect book, for your bedtime reading, or a school or research project. Have a special book you need? At Beaverdale Books orders are welcome.

Thank You Perk:  Free review copy of new book with purchase of $30 or more

#34 Prairieland Pantry an interview with Mindy Ward

Consider this interview an early holiday gift giving idea as well as a great tale of success. Prairie Land Pantry has all the elements of a fun entrepreneurial story but I don't want to lesson the listen for you. Let's just say she has this wonderful aha moment when she realizes she's on to something. You'll walk away thinking about your business, your inspiration, and definitely your stomach. For those of you who do the craft show circuit Mindy mentions the biggest one in the state of Iowa happening this weekend. Great fun and yummy too. By the way, Prairieland is a dsmBUZZ merchant!

#34 Interview with Mindy Ward

the other bird of Thanks

It's always great to read other articulate people speak on the benefits of buying local. The personal payoff is knowing that dsmBUZZ is a good project with an important message to promote. Also, the added bonus is having this validation of others so that I can strut around like that other bird of thanks...the noble peacock.

Here is a great post by Berry Summerlin over at Blogging Stocks who explains other benefits to think about, especially during this holiday season. I'm with Berry on the idea of shopping and crowds. Black Friday at the mall in the rush and shove is my idea of a nightmare rather than fun.

Another noteworthy find is buy local Savannah.I'm always scoping out others who are doing something along the same lines as dsmBUZZ so I can garner (outright nab) ideas.

Speaking of ideas...we have a couple of events coming in January which will be announced shortly. I'll be looking for great minds to help think about forming and solving issues related to small business and donations they make for community organizations.

In the meantime, thanks for stopping by and reading!

photo by Sebastian Niedlich, powered by flickr

#33 Give thanks for opportunity - An interview with Valerie Young

Not to be depressing about it, but living a life is a short-term opportunity. Age is natures gift and eyeopener that time is a precious and limited resource. Thus, when I first heard about Valerie Young and her mission to help others live and work at their passion I was hooked. Valerie's website Changing Course is just filled with free, free, resources to get a person started toward their vision.

In this interview, Valerie shares some ideas that blew dust off old thinking on my part. We talked about why people procrastinate, how to move to the life of your dreams, and some strategies for getting there.

On this day, the day before the day of gratitude, I'm thankful you stopped by and so happy for a world of ideas, faith, and hope. Enjoy!

#33 Interview with Valerie Young

Why Entrepreneur?

Thanksgiving is the kickoff to a period of reflection for me. This has been a year of entrepreneurial discovery as I launched dsmBUZZ. Others have inspired by generously sharing their knowledge through such connections as the Central Iowa Bloggers. I've also learned much through the interviews on Entrepreneur People.

What is truly inspiring is to learn that many entrepreneurs do what they do because of a passion and belief that they contribute to others. The idea of giving and believing that funds will flow from that energy is what I find appealing. It's good to feel GRATEFUL and excited as I head into the week of incessant eating.

You can read an interesting entrepreneurial story from Matt Flannery co-founder and CEO of KIVA over at Social Edge. Meet Janet Okoh Esene. She needs a loan to purchase a refrigerator to store foods to sell in her community in Nigeria. KIVA is a very exciting way to support entrepreneurism and self sustainability all over the world.

In searching out others that promote the importance of buying locally owned, this week I came across this great site from Moscow, Idaho. Here's a piece of trivia I would like to know. Just how many cities or towns in the US are named Moscow?

We are moving up to about 53 businesses, over 100 consumer members, and about 150 Small Business Buzz newsletter subscribers. Tick, tick, up we go!

photo by freeflo powered by flickr

The Big Blue Marble an Interview with Paul Heller

 

Have a map for your destination but then be open to detours. This could be the mantra for all journeys in life and definitely applies to the entrepreneurial experience. Take a listen to Paul Heller of The Big Blue Marble as he talks about the direction his business has taken in the past 3 years.

Paul teaches others to live and travel abroad like a local to yield a more profound understanding of themselves and others. He presents unique ideas and concepts that help individuals live cheaply or even get paid to live in other places.

If your looking for a deeper sense of meaning from your travel or are interested in creating a business that aligns with your own passions, you'll want to listen to Paul's story and observations.

#32 Paul Heller of The Big Blue Marble

A special thanks to Bootstrapper Blog for including Entrepreneur People. Real Stories in the top 100 Entrepreneurial Podcasts. We're honored to be noted!

Yeah, what she said

I liked this piece by Gail Kerr over at Tennessean.com. Sometimes I work to drive home the point that the financial benefits of supporting locally owned are important but she makes a case that just supporting your neighbor is a good thing too. It is good to remember that the locally owned businesses are really the people who live and invest right here.

photo by psilver, powered by flickr

Insightful, you bet. An interview with Michael Libbie

I'm behind on getting this terrific podcast to you but next week back to the right-on every Tuesday schedule. Please forgive as I was in England and Scotland meeting some great entrepreneurs who'll be on the show in 2008!

The good news though is late or on-time this interview with Michael Libbie of Insight Marketing, Advertising, and Communications is filled with compelling concepts to consider as you think about the marketing for your business. Where do you start? How much should it cost?

As I listen to this interview, I'm struck by this incredible adventure of what happens when an entrepreneurial spirit organically moves toward the business that is the perfect fit for them. You'll enjoy Michael's journey of how he became the expert and business owner he is today.

Now take this a step further and think about you, your journey, your strengths and passions. Where is your life experience pointing you to head for your business?

Interview with Michael Libbie

Golf Etc. for Women

 

5465 Mills Civic Pkwy Suite 235
West Des Moines, IA  50266
515-226-2350
www.GolfEtcforWomen.com

Golf Etc. for Women is the only store in Iowa dedicated to women, providing fashionable attire for playing golf, resort wear, or business-casual.  We strive to provide a woman-friendly environment for club fitting and purchasing golf equipment.  We are committed to building a network of women who share the same interests, becoming a resource for and promoting golf for all women. 

As the exclusive women’s specialty sports store in Iowa, our focus is to provide products and services to an untapped market. Our competitive edge is providing club fitting for women, unique apparel not offered by local retailers, and providing equipment that focuses on women.

Individual attention to your needs is our goal. Whether you are shopping for a look for golf, business casual or corporate retreat, we will assist you in finding a look that is best for your occasion.  Personalized wardrobe consultations and private shopping festivities are offered whenever it is convenient for you. Our full service repair center offers options to re-grip clubs or repair damaged equipment, usually within the same day.

We have a state of the art indoor driving range equipped with the P3 Pro® computerized swing analyzer to be used for club fittings, practice, lessons, or virtual golf league play. Enjoy our friendly environment and practice your putting on our full size putting green.

Guys…come on in…the game is on and you can practice your swing in our simulator after you shop for her or while you wait.

Come in and experience how We Fit Your Game and Your Style.

We’re located at I-35 and Mills Civic Parkway Suite 235 across from Glen Oaks in West Des Moines.  Our holiday hours are 10am to 7pm Monday –Friday, Saturday 10-6, and Sunday 12-4.