dsmBUZZ

Network Recommends (even for people with hangups like me)

This morning I headed to Palmers on Ingersoll for my first chamber breakfast meeting with the newly formed Chamber Des Moines West Side which was well attended with approximately 40 people. One thing that struck me as we went around making introductions was the incredible longevity of some of these business owners.

More and more, especially these days, I'm realizing it takes the culmination of things to last the long haul as a business owner. Good and smart work, useful and meaningful services and products, patience, a strong stomach, humility, adaptability, and maybe quite a bit of luck.

I took my turn at 60 seconds and explained Storied Gifts of course with a quick shout out for dsmBUZZ. My personal goal this year is to get over my hangups about attending these gigs. I always feel kind of dorky about "networking" because of the crowd and focal point of these events which is about . . . well networking (am I doing "it" right?). If I could sit and visit with each person and listen and ask questions in a quiet setting it would be my preference.

Even after all the times I've attended one of my favorite gathering activities, Central Iowa Bloggers (which I think has a different kind of networking energy) I still have problems in the group setting.

If you are looking to meet people for your business I recommend both of these groups. Each offers an opportunity to gather with others that have a passion for what they do. Look for me there, I'll be the woman on the perimeter.

photo by -RobW- powered by flickr

#97 Ben Watson of Overlay TV

In this interview with Ben Watson @bitpakkit, VP of marketing for Overlay TV, he makes a compelling case that video is the hottest method of connecting with viewers to relay information. Overlay takes video and reaches beyond the passive act of watching to engage viewers in an interactive experience. Web developers, businesses, and videographers will find useful content here and of course there is an inspiring backdrop story of taking a vision to launch.

#96 Natural Living Expo Iowa interview with Laurie Belin

In this episode of EPRS I speak with Laurie Belin who is full-time mom and activist with 1000 friends to discuss the upcoming 2009 Natural Living Expo. Green is keen now more than ever so for merchants who offer healthy lifestyle products and services, and businesses that work to be kind to the environment, this is THE opportunity to reach the audience who cares most about what you do.

In this interview Laurie talks about the history, purpose, and passion for organizing the 4th NLE to be held March 28 and 29 at the Polk County Convention Center in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Vendors and activities will be on hand and free to the public. If you're a vendor there is still limited space and time to participate.

Entrepreneur People Real Stories honored

It is a blast each week to interview entrepreneurs about their business, their passion, and their life lessons. Tomorrow I proudly will list the 96th podcast and I still really love it.Today I'm especially thrilled and honored that Staci Wood over at Small Business Trends has included Entrepreneur People. Real Stories.as one of the top 100 business podcasts for 2009. Getting a nod for contributing, especially with those other awesome podcasts on this terrific resource list is a treasure for the spirit.

New Poster - Place it proudly in your window!

   

This will also be found available at the promo button but you can grab it here too. Download 2009_5x7_sign-revised

#95 Tokoni an interview with CEO Alex Kazim

He has held leadership roles in internet staples including Ebay, Skype, and Paypal so he knows what works for users of the internet. These days Alex Kazim, along with his wife Mary Lou Song have invested their passion in creatingTokoni, a social networking portal designed to connect users through stories. Individuals are invited to utilize Tokoni to make connections through sharing descriptions of life experiences with others. Quietly launched in late 2007, the appeal for Tokoni has grown exponentially since then. In this interview, Alex reveals insights on what it takes to begin and cultivate a social sharing interface and how profound meaning has been achieved for many Tokoni users to date.

Changes for 2009!

Yesterday I sent out an electronic newsletter to merchants and newsletter subscribers explaining the new focus for dsmBUZZ in 2009. The video is an overview and the letter is here. Download NEWS OF CHANGE AT BUZZ 2009 

Basically the consumer membership card and perk program are phasing out. Merchants will honor the existing memberships until they expire. Going forward the focus will be on building the merchant community and creating education content.  Thanks so much for your support. Spread the word about this free opportunity to promote locally owned businesses and the value of them to our economy.

Freedom Financial Bank

Freedom Financial Bank is locally owned by a family that lives and works right here in Central Iowa ---dedicated to working with your business or family to help you realize  the financial freedom that many only dream about.
 
We do that through two professionally staffed banking locations designed to conveniently and confidentially assist you achieve your objectives. 

Our fate is tied to your success.  Our opportunity is tied to Iowa’s future.  Our decisions and responses to your applications or transactions are made right here, usually with all of the parties in the same room, all of whom live and work  in the same  community that you do.  If you favor Freedom Financial with your choice, we want to put in place a service and/or credit package that will help us stay with you during  both good and challenging times.  While the size of our staff is modest, together our professional  experience totals well over 200 years / averaging nearly 15 years per staff member

Our facilities are comfortable and easy to get to ---at the corners of Jordan Creek Parkway and Vista Drive in West Des Moines and Martin Luther King Parkway and Woodland in Des Moines ---both just off of I-235/80.

Our technology is current and our ATM’s enjoy Preferred Status.

While we have 24/7 phone bank capability, we answer our own phones during the business day.

As an incentive to support your choice to ‘bank local’ we offer a couple of alternatives---
 For the deposit customer your initial order of free checks and your safe deposit box rent free for your first year---a value of more than $35
 For the loan customer a reduction of first years interest or other costs of $50

If you choose Freedom Financial we promise that the real reward will be an investment in your future, while you keep the value of your money working  right here in Central Iowa

locations and phone:

600 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy, Des Moines, IA  phone 515-698-1000

1255 Jordan Creek Pkwy West Des Moines, IA  phone 515-223.1123

#94 Mike Stuart - balance between business and bungalow

I couldn't help thinking of the John Lennon line, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" when I spoke with Mike Stuart for this interview on Entrepreneur People. Real Stories. He offers sound insights on how to measure success in business and in life with his own journey as the backdrop. If you own a business and feel like you've lost sight of why you're doing it all in the first place, there are great concepts to capture here that could help you get back to your goal of true success. Wishing you all new focus in 2009!

Fantastic February Entrepreneurs on EPRS

Get warmed up and primed for success in 2009 with anecdotes and insights from these entrepreneurs on Entrepreneur People. Real Stories. Find more great stories here under podcasts or on Blog Talk Radio.

  

Notice my red paragraphs below! I have had some technical difficulties in the past with my callburner program not seeming to mesh with my skype but thought I had resolved that by being careful to make the updates that callburner alerts me to each time. But these two interviews below came AFTER that problem so I'm not sure what the deal is this time. Lesson here is to test before interviews. Hopefully I'll be able to grab time from Lori Nordstrom and Chumworth again soon. Thankfully I had some great interviews just waiting to spring! Thanks!

Febrary 3, The first step to having it "all' is knowing what it all really is for you. In this interview, successful entrepreneur, radio personality, and coach Mike Stuart shares helpful insights on how to find the balance and true success in business and in family life. Mike tells stories of his own journey and how he discovered what many entrepreneurs are missing on their path to building a business. This is good stuff to hear about in these trying times! 

February 3, Her work is stunning. She can capture the fresh loveliness of infants and the inner glow of expectant mothers. No matter her subject, she focuses on making the photography session as wonderful for the participant as the picture perfect outcomes she creates. Lori Nordstromis an award winning photographer based in Winterset, Iowa, who has a nationally recognized reputation for excellence. In this interview she tells her story, how she managed and built a successful business, and where her focus is in the future. (note on February 2, later after I discovered the problem with chumworth interview. This one is messed up too! Will have to see if I can re-interview Lori. very trying)

February 3,
He’s a comedy writer. Where is Chumworth? You’ll find his work used frequently by David Letterman, but he also contributes his humor to other late night shows and several notable publications including the New York Times. In this interview, Chumworth talks about freelance writing for comedy, cartooning, and how he works to keep us laughing even when "life sucks." (note dated February 2: I went to load this terrific interview with Chumworth on Blog Talk Radio and discovered that the pre-recorded audio file was corrupted. I had had a program glitch on my end between my recording program and skype which has since been resolved. Totally bummed but Phil Johnson aka Chumworth has said he'll probably be able to slip me in for a repeat performance. Thanks Phil!)

February 10,
Alex Kazim has an impressive roster of leadership with Internet staples including ebay, PayPal, and Skype. Together with his wife Mary Lou Song they have used their skills to create and launch the social Internet community portal Tokoni. Everyone has a story to tell and at Tokoni their is invited to share first-hand accounts of life experience and connect with others. In this interview we get to learn about taking a grand idea, launching it, and seeing it grow.

February 17,
The 2009 Natural Living Expowill take place on March 28 and 29, at the Polk County Convention Complex in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. In this interview I’ll visit with some of the organizers for this year’s event about the background story of starting this annual event, why it is an important opportunity for consumers and merchants in central Iowa, and just what it takes to organize something of this magnitude.

February 24,
Ben Watson, VP of Marketing, talks about Overlay TV, how it started, how it works, and several of the successful stories that users have had with the technology of Overlay. This is definitely an interview that should get your creative wheels turning about how to maximize the reach of video on the web. 

photo by Sarah Parrott, powered by flickr