dsmBUZZ

Natural Living Expo Frenzy March 28 and 29!!!

I'm running around like crazy this morning getting things together for the Natural Living Expo that will be held this weekend at the Polk County Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. Since David is a free agent/student these days I've got the added bonus of his help to make the BEST DSMBUZZ BOOTH EVER!

Several merchants will be sharing their eco-friendly products and information at our spot and I'll be doing "man-on-the-street" interviews about the expo, vendors and visitors for a podcast onEntrepreneur People. Real Stories.

A great way to celebrate and visit with others about green products and ventures. The Expo is on Saturday March 28, 2009 from 10 to 6 and then again on Sunday from Noon to 5. Come and see us and share your green interests.  

#101 Sarah Shah Talks Image Outside In

I confess that whenever I think about the word "image" I tend to get mentally stuck on the idea that image is something that seems contrived. Personally I struggle with a preference to be comfortable and see this in opposition to being "appropriate." Clearly I have issues, but the cool thing was that after this interview with Sarah Shah, I came away relaxed with the idea that you can be you AND establish an image that conveys you well.

Sarah Shah is an image coach, TV image consultant, and professional speaker who talks about relevant subject matter, whether you're an entrepreneur or someone seeking a new career path in these economic times. Good information and a soothing perspective are a promise in this show.

David Borzo Will Be Blogging!

Re-introducing: David Borzo, an energized advocate for small business and dsmBUZZ!

I will be looking at issues relating to the dsmBUZZ members and the small business scene in Des Moines. I’m a blogger who writes for several clients on the culture of business and commerce. And, being a great supporter for years of dsmBUZZ, I now get to write about small business in Central Iowa. Where are we at today? Is the small business climate healthy and vibrant? How has the recession affected our community of entrepreneurs? It seems like it’s more important than ever to look at these issues and have a real conversation about the value of buying locally.

Since we all benefit as a community when our small businesses thrive, then we must also lose something too, if it fails? The issues are certainly not all cut and dried. As they say - all the boats rise and fall with the tide. Personal financial and lifestyle choices, convenience, service: these are issues that are in play when discussing the benefits of “shopping locally”. Let’s talk about it!

What would grip a person to put all-in and open their own business? How is the global economic crisis impacting our local community of business owners? Who is making a splash and finding the groove? These are fantastic topics that I look forward to exploring with you. From the small coffee shop on the corner, to AIG, success and failure - and our part in the equation - is not always clear. Facts and figures tell different stories to different people – that’s always fascinating. A blog should be a spirited back and forth with people with divergent perspectives and opposing points of view, and we are looking forward to it. How else do we learn?

db
 

#100 John Fox MemoryMiner

Every week I consider it a priviledge when a business owner takes time to speak with me at Entrepreneur People Real Stories, and share their own entrepreneurial journey. There are always nuggets of wisdom and lessons to be learned from hearing the experiences of others. I don't think I'm overselling in saying that in this interview John Fox provides an authentic insight into what drove him to create and launch MemoryMiner and the ongoing adventures of product development.  

If you have photos lurking all over, your closets, drawers, on discs, etc. Ask yourself how well you've archived not only the photos themselves but the stories behind them. Find out how John is working to help people make powerful connections of their life experiences by mining one memory at a time. This is a great interview for tech people, web people, historians, data mining folks, and anyone who wants to preserve their life of stories. Find out more about John here.

#99 I'm for Iowa - Ed and Lynn Fallon

    

The Fallons have combined talents and a long-established background in working both within and on the edges of the political system, standing up for principles and raising awareness. Now in their business “I’m for Iowa” they bring their considerable organizational skills to helping others with causes and political ambitions in order to exact change within the democratic system. In this interview, I spend a little time speaking with Ed and Lynn about their background, their current work, and their unique business.

#98 Chumworth - Writing Comedy

"Am I here to amuse you?'"  Chumworth has answered yes to that question with gusto. In this interview of EPRSwe visit with Chumworth @chumworth aka Phil Johnson about the business of writing comedy. You'll find his work on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and many publications. He shares his story of developing his freelance business and what keeps him going. Phil talks about his jokes, cartoons, and timely observations that will make you smile. Good insights for the freelancer and anyone who just wants to know how the business of comedy writing works.

March 2009 Mavens Entrepreneur People. Real Stories. Podcast

March 3,
Chumworth. He’s a comedy writer. You’ll find his work used frequently by David Letterman, but he has also contributes to other late night entertainers and several publications such as the New York Times. In this interview, Chumworth aka Phil Johnson talks about writing and his freelance work in comedy, cartooning and keeping us laughing even when life sucks. (Thanks again to Phil for a re-pre-record of this interview. I had tech difficulties)

March 10,
I’m for Iowa. Lynn and Ed Fallon explain their business working to advocate democratic principles and provide consultation for electoral and issue-based campaigns. They detail their background experience in the non-profit sector that led them to create this unique enterprise focused on maneuvering the political world to make a difference.

March 17,
Memory Miner. John Fox shares his journey from epiphany to fruition of creating the digital storytelling application called Memory Miner. The potential of this tool to take digital content and “mine it” for meaning and connection is huge. This is one of those “expand your way of thinking interviews.”

March 24,
Sarah Shah. Image coach, TV expert, and speaker. Sarah is fearless in her own entrepreneurial journey and her positive attitude is infectious. In this interview she explains the ways and whys to looking good and offers inspiration. 

March 31,
Daniel Shipton. Redship Technologies and Impromptu Studio. Daniel tells the story of how building and working his business Redship, an Iowa based software development company, led to creating the collaborative workspace called Impromptu. Learn how he and others are connecting to bring energy and change to how small business owners work in Des Moines, Iowa.

photo by pbo31, powered by flickr