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Oct11

“There were – and still are – a lot of people who thought I was just a cute little girl, but really I am a serious businesswoman.”

Lani Lazzari

Simple Sugars

Founder

http://www.SimpleSugarsScrub.com

Lani Lazzari started Simple Sugars when she was 11 years old. She’s now 18 and has just graduated from high school, and is taking a gap year before attending George Washington University to work full time on her business.

Simple Sugars manufactures and sells all-natural skincare products especially for sensitive skin. Simple Sugars products are sold nationally online at www.simplesugarsscrub.com in select retailers. Simple Sugars products have been featured and loved by beauty editors at top magazines such as Lucky, Teen Vogue, Allure, and SELF.

MO: Can you talk about how you started Simple Sugars before even reaching high school? Where did your initial inspiration come from and what are some ways that you were able to establish credibility at such a young age?

Aug2

No Comments

“The idea of life fulfillment is very important to us at Sage Restaurant Group. We are very focused on constant innovation, and embrace change.”

Peter Karpinski

Sage Restaurant Group

Co-Founder & COO

http://www.sagerestaurantgroup.com

Peter Karpinski joined Sage Hospitality in 2005, charged with founding, creating, and launching what has become Sage Restaurant Group. He has overseen the launch of ten award-winning Sage Restaurant Group concepts, including Temple in Providence, The Corner Office and Second Home Kitchen + Bar in Denver, Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago, Urban Farmer, the Original and Departure in Portland, Braddock’s in Pittsburgh, Toasted Oak Grill & Market in the Detroit area and highly anticipated, Kachina Southwestern Grill in Westminster, Colorado set to open in September 2012.

Sage Restaurant Group is a team of passionate, industry-leading restaurateurs who excel in the realm of F&B operations by creating and operating successful concepts that are distinctly branded, innovative, and highly designed.

Our team creates unexpected, playful, and locally-focused food and beverage experiences that connect with the people who live and work in the communities we serve. Whether joining us for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or lingering over drinks, Sage Restaurant Group’s clientele are hungry for life and eager to savor new experiences in which food is an entrée to adventure.

MO: What initially attracted you the hospitality industry?

Mar30

No Comments

“Blurring the lines of work and play, we help you work less and play more!”

Matthew Clark

Damang Media Group

Founder & Director of Business Development

http://damangmedia.com/

Matthew Clark is the founder and Director of Business Development at Damang Media Group. Damang initially started as a graphic design shop in 1998 and has evolved into an all encompassing media solution provider.

Damang Media Group is helping clients utilize technology to allow businesses and staff to have more time, more revenue and less IT infrastructure. “Teaching business to work less and play more”. They offer cloud computing solutions, Google Apps Training and Migration, and Inbound Marketing strategies for the SMB.

MO: How has the company evolved from being a graphic design shop to a solution provider?

Feb20

No Comments

“One leg is PR, one leg is marketing as most people know it, and the 3 leg, which balances the stool, is community involvement, what we call “outreach.”

John Chamberlin

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Chute

Principal

http://www.rockpaperscissorschute.com/

John Chamberlin is a Principal of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Chute and has been involved in assisting profit and nonprofit organizations grow market share, grow their brand and grow their ultimate line. John has over 20 years of marketing, advertising and sales/outreach oversight.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Chute was created to be a niche-based marketing and outreach asset to small and medium-sized companies. They are able to provide marketing strategy and execution as if they were the “internal marketing department.”

MO: How did you come up with the name for your company?

Feb6

No Comments

“I try to live in the moment when the business I started allows me to experience things I’ve dreamt about my whole life.”

Danielle Elderkin

Cover Story Communications

President

http://www.coverstorycom.com

Danielle Elderkin is the founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Cover Story Communications, Inc. With more than 15 years of experience, Danielle has some of the best contacts in the lifestyle industry. Several times a year she meets face-to-face with editors at the most prominent magazines in the country, including: Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle, The Knot, Every Day with Rachel Ray, Cooking with Paula Deen, Good Housekeeping, O, The Oprah Magazine, Redbook, Country Living, Ladies’ Home Journal, HomeWorld Business, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, and more.

Cover Story Communications is a public relations agency specializing in the promotion of lifestyle products and services.

MO: What inspired you to found Cover Story Communications?

Jul20

No Comments

“…we saw a huge spike in traffic as well as new debate topics and responses. It was thrilling!”

John R. Cushma

WeDebate.It

Founder

http://www.WeDebate.It

John R. Cushma encourages you to argue. His business thrives on it! WeDebate.It is a website whose name speaks for itself– they debate everything! From religion, politics, sports to pop culture, they debate everything! Started in January of 2010 by founder John R. Cushma, the website is constantly gaining users. The newest loyal user: Politicians. Several political campaigns have contacted WeDebate.it asking if they can post their campaigning issues on the site to get feedback from both local and national opinions – and of course they agreed.

The idea behind WeDebate.it is simple. Freedom of speech should cover all topics. Whether you want to debate which is better Pepsi or Coke, or whether or not Google’s new ad campaign promotes homosexuality (their most debated topic) you can have a voice in WeDebate.it.

Apr13

No Comments

“One of the most important things I learned thus far is timing.”

JM Kubera achieved a BS in Accounting, taught himself programming and website development, launched a few sites, many failures, and found his true calling in entrepreneurship. He has learned that no matter how great the idea, it is the execution of those ideas that is the single most important aspect of entrepreneurial success. His newest venture is Discountwithcash.com.

Discountwithcash.com is a site that aims to provide customers with a list of local businesses offering a discount for paying with cash as opposed to credit card. Why is this site needed? Credit cards are the highest tax on goods and services you have never heard of. Merchants pay fees every time they swipe your credit card and of course they increase the price of what you buy to cover that cost. You are paying extra for the convenience to use your credit card. Is it worth it? Sometimes it is, but most times it is not. Especially with some businesses offering a discount when you pay with cash. Since DiscountWithCash.com is in its infancy they are currently looking for savings savvy customers that know of businesses offering the discount. So next time you are at the register, ask for a discount for using cash. If you get one, make sure to share it over at Discount With Cash.

Mar8

3 Comments

” I have a lot of success stories and I have a lot of failure stories. When I tell people all the different things I’ve been through to get to where I am, you’d think you were talking to a 50-year-old businessman.”

Phil Laboon

Eyeflow

Founders

http://www.eyeflow.com

Phil Laboon of Eyeflow Internet Marketing is a successful entrepreneur and businessman. Even with no formal education, he is breaking the traditional mold of internet marketing. He started his company on his own in 2001, and has a wealth of web marketing and business experience.

MO:
What is Eyeflow?

Phil:
Eyeflow is an internet marketing company. We’re based out of Pittsburgh. It’s an umbrella of several different companies. I started as a serial entrepreneur back in 2001, starting different online entities doing everything from Red Bull straight from Thailand to neon signs to real estate to breathalyzer key chains. Eyeflow was always the parent company that was funding these startups. It started growing. As more of our startups became successful people wanted to hire myself and my company to start doing online marketing for them, so we just grew from there. We were one of the first online marketing companies in Pittsburgh. Locally, we just dominate.

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“There were – and still are – a lot of people who thought I was just a cute little girl, but really I am a serious businesswoman.”

“The idea of life fulfillment is very important to us at Sage Restaurant Group. We are very focused on constant innovation, and embrace change.”

“One leg is PR, one leg is marketing as most people know it, and the 3 leg, which balances the stool, is community involvement, what we call “outreach.”

“I try to live in the moment when the business I started allows me to experience things I’ve dreamt about my whole life.”

“…we saw a huge spike in traffic as well as new debate topics and responses. It was thrilling!”

“One of the most important things I learned thus far is timing.”

” I have a lot of success stories and I have a lot of failure stories. When I tell people all the different things I’ve been through to get to where I am, you’d think you were talking to a 50-year-old businessman.”

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