dsmBUZZ

#110 Katharine Hansen Phd - Career Practioner, Writer, Speaker

What I quickly learned of Katharine Hansen of Quintessential Careers is that she is one of those thoughtful, wise, people who doesn't like to speak without reflection and purpose. In this interview, she talks of her experiences in building a business and her teaching background helping others find what they seek. Through her writing and speaking, Katharine provides others the resources to identify their skills to know their story and purpose. Timely information for those looking for job seeking resources and for writers there are informative insights.

Get Your Figure - Randy Young

My business is called GetYourFigure.com.  We focus on the 4 F's; Fitness, Food, Frame of Mind & Focus.

The purpose of our company is to fill three voids we have found in the Des Moines metro area. 

First is personal training at an affordable price.  Our personal (one-on-one) training sessions start at $40 per session with reduced rates for multiple sessions.  Many area personal trainers are charging upwards of $90 per session. 

Group fitness with visible results in an acceptable time.  Our group fitness, known as Figure Camp, is a 4 week long class that is only $139.99.  Our Figure Camp is for all levels of fitness and is always changing to help keep metabolic rates at the highest possible rates.  Our Figure Camp classes meet three times per week in West Des Moines and soon we will be offering an early morning Figure Camp in Ankeny. 

Lastly, for those that are not ready to invest in personal training or just do not feel comfortable in a group setting we offer online personal training.  With our online personal training our clients will receive a personalized workout plan along with a meal plan.

We are excited to help our clients get the figure they have always wanted.

Randy Young
CPT, ASFA
Call or Text - (515) 991-4083
Email - info@GetYourFigure.com
Web - www.GetYourFigure.com

#109 Brett Trout - Patent Attorney

If you've got the next best thing since sliced bread this interview with Brett Trout will give you some information (not legal advice) on how you can consider protecting it. If you communicate on the web for business, write content for books and other media, or have a great name for your product or business then take a listen. Maybe you've always wondered how patents, trademarks, and copyright work. Again I say this interview is for you. With entertaining ease and great stories, Brett provides useful information about the world of patent law and his never-dull adventures helping clients. (30 minutes) Enjoy.

# 108 Birthing the Elephant an interview with Karin Abarbanel

Women commiserate well when it comes to working to understand our relationships, our lives, and our families. It makes sense then that our businesses take on a role similar to say --- raising a child with all the angst and joy that accompany it. Learning from others who have "been there and done that" is helpful to finding our path to success.

Karin Abarbanel, a successful entrepreneur and nationally recognized business writer, realized that many of the female qualities that lead us to be great in business can also create obstacles along the way. To address these issues, she co-authored the book "Birthing the Elephant. The woman’s go-for-it! guide to overcoming the big challenges of launching a business." In this interview Karin provides an overview of some of those insights and how, through sharing the anecdotes of other women in business, we can gain wisdom and ideas to make sure that baby business is our pride and joy.

"Booth Mindset" Valley Junction Market

The merchants of dsmBUZZ are sharing a booth at theValley Junction Farmer's Market this summer. It's a new idea for us so we have things to learn about how to set up and display products to attract interest. The plan is that different merchants will take a turn running the booth each month. David and I are on site for May and he set up before I arrived at 5:30. The market started on Thursday May 7, and runs each Thursday through October 1.

A special shout of hello and thanks to @barbniccum. She has our back when it comes to excellent advice on how to retail and display. Barb gave us additional great ideas for next week to ramp things up. Hey to @BrentMcclure of Tailgate Gamers. It was fun to catch up on the exciting things happening for you. Hello to @larrylehmer of When Words Matter. Thinking extra special good healing thoughts for your upcoming back procedure. We love you Christine McNunn of Fair World Gallery. You keep us in touch with the world.

The merchants were great getting items out for the booth and in general the response from our collective has been positive. We'll share more about participants in the weeks to come. Some of those merchants featured included  Grounds for Celebration's specially grown coffee beans, Sarah of @wallypop with beautiful hand-made items, and Marsha Hines with massage tools and spiritual books. We talked about Storied Gifts and the treasure of personal history. Yum and thanks to Sweet Binney's for the delicious bars, cookies, and breads. There were luxurious lotion and soap samples from eden andPrairie Fire Bugs by Earthstuff. On future Thursdays we'll talk more about the merchants you can meet and say hey to folks that stop by to visit.

The rains broke for the day into a lovely spring evening on this first VJ market event. David has a funny "disaster story" of his first time setting up the booth to share. Go ahead and ask him about it when you stop by.

Look for additional treats and information when you visit. We recognize the terrific energy and vibrant community of Valley Junction. One massage therapist said that the only place she markets these days is at the Valley Junction Farmer's Market. She enjoys the people she meets and appreciates getting acquainted with prospects who become happy customers.

The booth is a chance for us to talk with people about the value of buying locally owned in a forum where people "get" the importance of community. One nice point of praise for the evening was when a consumer told us that she utilized dsmBUZZ as the resource to select a bake shop for an important cake, and was very happy with the buy local resource that helped her make the right choice. Please stop by, and look for us to get better and better at promoting our great local merchant community.

#107 Urban Ambassadors - Adam Hammes

Iadmit I was a bit slow to catch on to the vision of this organization, but once Adam shares examples of how sustainability in business can be successful I get the bigger picture. Urban Ambassadors is a new non-profit based in Des Moines, Iowa, that does more than just educate and provide resources about sustainable business practices, they are actually a think-tank and launching point for business ideas that others can turn into business opportunities. Learn more about this new and exciting organization, and the upcoming speaking series they've organized set to begin in May 2009.  

Manifest in May with Entrepreneur People. Real Stories.

Each month EPRS features a lineup of entrepreneurs that share their experiences and wisdom about owning and operating a business. These experts also elaborate on their unique knowledge and passion for what they do. Learn through the stories and insights of others who manifest their dreams into reality.

 

May 5:

Can business be truly sustainable for the environment AND profitable too? In this interview, Adam Hammes, Director of the non-profit Urban Ambassadors, illustrates examples of how sustainability can mesh with business productivity. Urban Ambassadors provides education and action steps for entrepreneurs and communities to yield success. Adam highlights the exciting speaker series that launches in May which will feature nationally recognized experts Bob Willard, Bill Witherspoon, Ray Anderson, and The Natural Step.

 

May 12:

Has your business experienced a little colic or required 3 a.m. feedings? There is a unique dynamic for women entrepreneurs as they manage the issues of owning a business, especially in the early phases. Karin Abarbanel, small business expert, shares highlights from her new co-authored book “Birthing the Elephant. The woman’s go-for-it! guide to overcoming the big challenges of launching a business.”  Gather information that will help you consider your choices and keep that beautiful bundle of business from becoming a tantrum throwing toddler.

 

May 19:

Attorney Brett Trout offers up excellent information on the subjects of patents, trademark, and copyright. Not intended as legal advice (of course) this interview is a good place to start to garner understanding of the basics. In addition, Brett speaks to his own experiences in balancing his busy practice, authoring books and his nationally recognized blog, and maintaining an engaged life of family and other interests.    

 

May 26,

Katherine Hansen Ph. D. is associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, an on-line resource for job seekers, as well as the author and co-author of multiple publications, books and blogs. Katherine focuses on educating others about career management, job-hunting, and the use of applied storytelling in business. Katherine details her own experiences and provides ideas that will encourage your own reflection.

 

photo by rore powered by flickr