Live With Jay http://www.livewithjay.com Tell Me A Story - I'm Listening Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:53:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Tell Me A Story - I'm Listening Live With Jay clean Tell Me A Story - I'm Listening Live With Jay http://www.livewithjay.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.livewithjay.com TV-Y Increase Your Brand with Help from April Kelly Book http://www.livewithjay.com/increase-your-brand-with-april-kelly-book/ http://www.livewithjay.com/increase-your-brand-with-april-kelly-book/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:19:08 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=845

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If there’s any certainty in the current economy, it’s that it is full of uncertainty. What you have done in your career and how you tell that story could be a critical component in your professional development; either at your current employment or in the future. Taking control of your career now is essential, and [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/increase-your-brand-with-april-kelly-book/feed/ 0 If there's any certainty in the current economy, it's that it is full of uncertainty. What you have done in your career and how you tell that story could be a critical component in your professional development; either at your current employment or in ... If there's any certainty in the current economy, it's that it is full of uncertainty. What you have done in your career and how you tell that story could be a critical component in your professional development; either at your current employment or in the future. Taking control of your career now is essential, and the advice that April Kelly shares in Spaghetti on the Wall: Branding and Networking Methods that Stick will help you effectively manage and develop the kind of personal brand that sticks to you. April is obviously a firm believer in networking to build a personal brand. In her first book, Gratitude at Work: How to Say Thank You, Give Kudos, and Get the Best from Those You Lead (also from her publishing company WooHoo Press, she practices what she preaches. What is your brand and what have you done lately to put some polish on it? Are you responsible for the company you work for and their brand? April made her name in the dotcom arena, working for PayPal before they were even known as PayPal. She helped to lay the foundation to build the company from the ground up. She was instrumental in hiring the first 700 employees and helping to grow that company's presence. In her role as the Senior Director of customer operations at LinkedIn, she started, staffed, and unlocked the door to the customer service center for LinkedIn in Omaha. Today, that office supports over 100 million LinkedIn users worldwide. So she knows of what she speaks, when the subject is personal branding. "They say in today's economy, people are going to change jobs every 18 months to three years. When you're changing that quickly, you've got to have a way to re-brand yourself. Maybe today you're a pastry chef, tomorrow you're an IT consultant. Where can you display that? Tools like LinkedIn will help you do that, if you utilize them properly," April says. Are you ready to make your personal brand stick?  April says that whether you're defining a personal brand or helping your employer, these are some of the steps you need to address: • Identify key strengths, unique values, and passions • Create realistic, specific goals • Enhance and define a personal brand • Apply the four paramount rules of networking • Use social networking sites to build a valuable network So, regardless if you're looking for a job or pleased with the one you have, you should take a little bit of time each day to work on your networking and personal brand building. Nobody really cares to see your Facebook pictures of what you had for lunch, anyway. To learn more about April Kelly and to buy her book, go to WooHoo Press http://www.woohoopress.com/ Live With Jay clean 16:00 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=845-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Maria Leads Martin Family Cigars http://www.livewithjay.com/maria-leads-martin-family-cigars/ http://www.livewithjay.com/maria-leads-martin-family-cigars/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:52:17 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=869

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Maria Martin is a woman working in a man’s world. Does that sound sexist enough for you? Sorry,  I don’t mean it to be but let’s face it, Maria comes from an “old world” family and is one of the few female tobacco blenders in the world. Let’s just say she was born to be [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/maria-leads-martin-family-cigars/feed/ 0 Maria Martin is a woman working in a man's world. - Does that sound sexist enough for you? Sorry,  I don't mean it to be but let's face it, Maria comes from an "old world" family and is one of the few female tobacco blenders in the world. Maria Martin is a woman working in a man's world. Does that sound sexist enough for you? Sorry,  I don't mean it to be but let's face it, Maria comes from an "old world" family and is one of the few female tobacco blenders in the world. Let's just say she was born to be in this business. Maria is the CEO of the Martin Family Cigars including lines like the Pedro Martin Ruby, Gold, Corojo, Royal, M (for maduro), and the Fiera line. The Martin family has its roots  in the Canary Islands, just off the coast of Africa. Her family actually lived in a cave and was very humble. Today, those caves have air conditioning, internet  and even a church. When her grandfather died, her father, the oldest male of 7 siblings, inherited the land. Ultimately he transferred it to one of his cousins (another "Pedro Martin") who took care of his sisters when he moved to Cuba. In those days, you moved to Cuba for two reasons; for economic reasons and to find a wife. Her grandfather met his wife, a girl from his town back in Spain, and married her. Such is the charmed life of the Martins. Her parents transferred their principles of fun, love and hard work to Maria. They did not, however transfer the keys to the cigar business. That had to be earned. She started as a receptionist ("I was terrible. I hung up on people.") before she gravitated to marketing. She eventually worked as the National Sales Manager at Camacho, before returning to her family's business. So what did she have to learn in order to compete in a man's world? "Before I did this, I was on the streets in Dade and Broward County as a salesperson. And I got to be the number one salesperson so I knew the sales part. I learned the marketing part. And I learned the cigars and loved smoking cigars. So while I was out there going to all these factories I was learning tobacco. How do you know when a wrapper is going to burn right? What are the test you have to do to try that wrapper? And I didn't even know I was learning all these things," Maria says. "I was just in awe 'cause there was a lot of information to take in." The cigar business changed since it was your father's business? "It was an much smaller industry at the time. There was maybe 25 manufacturers and there might be 800 today. (Competition) is fierce! Except that you cannot look at it as competition in any business. If you mind your own business and create your own business style and your own product and uniqueness, that's all you need," Maria reflected. "If you start worrying about what so and so did or said, forget it! Why? Why not just worry about your own stuff?" Clearly Maria has her eye on her own family's business and the future looks very bright indeed. Live With Jay clean 31:12 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=869-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Scott Rysdon – The Boy Scout CEO http://www.livewithjay.com/scott-rysdon-the-boy-scout-ceo/ http://www.livewithjay.com/scott-rysdon-the-boy-scout-ceo/#comments Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:40:32 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=991

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That’s how he’s known. Let’s just say the leader Scott Rysdon of Sioux Steel Company takes an atypical approach to successfully running his family-owned business. An approach that he jokes could leave people thinking his Board of Directors begins each meeting with a heartfelt “Koom-bay-yah.” Rysdon assures me that his company, which provides progressive engineering [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/scott-rysdon-the-boy-scout-ceo/feed/ 0 That’s how he’s known. Let’s just say the leader Scott Rysdon of Sioux Steel Company takes an atypical approach to successfully running his family-owned business. An approach that he jokes could leave people thinking his Board of Directors begins each ... That’s how he’s known. Let’s just say the leader Scott Rysdon of Sioux Steel Company takes an atypical approach to successfully running his family-owned business. An approach that he jokes could leave people thinking his Board of Directors begins each meeting with a heartfelt “Koom-bay-yah.” Rysdon assures me that his company, which provides progressive engineering solutions for grain storage and handling, isn’t a hippie fest. He says it is one that puts their customers, first. Sioux Steel’s slogan reads “Your complete satisfaction as a customer is our best advertisement” and Rysdon insists that’s the truth. If you go the extra mile for the customer, he says, the customer will reward your company with loyalty and dedication. “Honestly, when people believe that they’re being served and you care about them, they turn around and care about your other employees and the customers,” Rysdon said. He adds that the same principle applies to his employees. “All I’m trying to do is tie them together in sort of a bond,” Rysdon said. “It’s not like we’re all wearing hemp clothing and sitting around burning incense, you know. But, we’re trying to tie people together in something more meaningful than just a job.” And offer them more than just cash. Rysdon says he artfully melds a bonding atmosphere with a competitive edge in the market by complimenting average wages for his employees with more valuable “perks.” “We try to keep those programs as competitive as we can,” Rysdon said. “We don’t pay the top wage. We don’t pay the lowest. We try to stay in that fifty percentile and then add from there things that add value to their lives that are more important than just dollars. You keep them working for more than money. That’s what I believe.” Rysdon says his company is about more than just money too. Established in 1918, Sioux Steel has been operating for three quarters of a century. Rysdon says his company has met such lasting success because the company’s vision has remained focused on the long-term, not the quick buck. Instead of chasing after quarterly earnings, Rysdon says Sioux Steel continually focuses on offering its customers the progressive ag engineering solutions it promises by identifying consumers’ needs. “That’s what we’re trying to do, is to solve today’s problems,” Rysdon says. The competition might undercut Rysdon’s operation and sacrifice principles to get more sales in the short-run, but he runs on the “boy scout” mentality of integrity. His goal is to provide consumers quality service and operation that endures, while remaining competitive. “We’re not going to roll over,” Rysdon says. “In my mind being a boy scout isn’t rolling over. You’ve got to be prepared and tie a different knot. And sometimes you’ve got to tie it pretty tight and make sure that you hit them hard, but at the same time there are certain areas we’re not going to compromise on.” With a firm commitment to lifetime warranties and the pursuit of new opportunities, Rysdon sees no reason why Sioux Steel won’t maintain another era of lasting success. And, maybe earns a full sash of merit badges along the way. Live With Jay clean 21:28 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=991-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Mountain Professionals is a High Level Business http://www.livewithjay.com/mountain-professionals-high-level-business/ http://www.livewithjay.com/mountain-professionals-high-level-business/#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2012 15:23:55 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=983

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Mountain Professionals seemed like a simple idea in 2000. That was the year that Ryan Waters and Dave Elmore met in South America, where both were working in the industry and both had the idea to start their own guiding company. As the guiding season progressed, so did the business plan, culminating with, what they [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/mountain-professionals-high-level-business/feed/ 0 Mountain Professionals seemed like a simple idea in 2000. That was the year that Ryan Waters and Dave Elmore met in South America, where both were working in the industry and both had the idea to start their own guiding company. Mountain Professionals seemed like a simple idea in 2000. That was the year that Ryan Waters and Dave Elmore met in South America, where both were working in the industry and both had the idea to start their own guiding company. As the guiding season progressed, so did the business plan, culminating with, what they call the "highest business meeting ever" on the top of Aconcagua. Mountain Professionals is an owner-operated company focusing on safety and quality. They organize and lead professional mountaineering expeditions and trekking expeditions in Argentina, Patagonia, Tanzania, Mexico, Nepal, Chile, Russia, Indonesia & Antarctica. They work with everyone from the professional climber to the novice trekker. Director of Operations, Dave Elmore splits his time between managing the business of Mountain Professionals and guiding. He has led multiple expeditions to the Himalayas of Nepal and Pakistan, South America, Mexico, Africa and Alaska. He was even recognized by the Pakistan Military for his role in a high altitude rescue. Ryan Waters is responsible for the development and delivery of expeditions in South America and the Himalayas.  He has been in professional guiding and outdoor education field for nine years, taking him to Mexico, Nepal, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Tibet, Pakistan and all over the U.S. Mountain Professionals launched the Connecting Continents Project that focuses on cross-cultural education, promoting diversity and geographical awareness. The 21 day multi-cultural service oriented trek will reach Everest Basecamp in the Khumbu Vally of Nepal. The expedition will be dispatched to the Connecting Continents blog, allowing for under privileged students and under funded schools in Nepal, to participate in an international exchange with multiple schools in South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the USA. Everest Basecamp trekkers will be "Connecting Continents Ambassadors" delivering computers and sunglasses to schools in Kathmandu and Khumbu. Zeal Optics will be supplying eye protection for the locals. “We will not only donate needed supplies, gear, and friendship to the people of Nepal, but we will also be linking schools and classrooms worldwide to each other and to our Member school in Nepal,” Elmore said. The students will follow along on the journey via dispatches that are posted to the Connecting Continents Blog. The students will also be interacting with each other via this central blog, sharing their countries culture, customs and more. What an ADVENTURE! Can you imagine taking 21 days to experience a part of the world that many never dream? To experience other people and cultures that seems so distinct from our own. I wish I could spare the time, because the experience seems “priceless.” Live With Jay clean 16:40 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=983-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Jim Neiman is a Lumbering Giant http://www.livewithjay.com/jim-neiman-a-lumbering-giant/ http://www.livewithjay.com/jim-neiman-a-lumbering-giant/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:36:26 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=763

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People who harvest timber out of the Black Hills are no longer just big burly men who lug giant chainsaws up the side of the mountain. Computers now play such an integral part of the lumber industry that Jim Neiman, vice-president of Neiman Enterprises said to me, “If you know anyone willing to work from [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/jim-neiman-a-lumbering-giant/feed/ 0 Black Hills,Devils Tower Forest Products,General George A. Custer,Heartland Pellets,Jim D. Heiman,Neiman Enterprisers,ponderosa pine,Rushmore Forest Products,saw mills,spearfish,Spearfish Forest Products People who harvest timber out of the Black Hills are no longer just big burly men who lug giant chainsaws up the side of the mountain. - Computers now play such an integral part of the lumber industry that Jim Neiman, People who harvest timber out of the Black Hills are no longer just big burly men who lug giant chainsaws up the side of the mountain. Computers now play such an integral part of the lumber industry that Jim Neiman, vice-president of Neiman Enterprises said to me, “If you know anyone willing to work from your area and has a background in Electrical Engineering, send ‘em my way. We’ll put them to work.” The Neiman Family are the owners of the saw mill in Spearfish, South Dakota, rescued out of bankruptcy and saving hundreds of jobs in the area. Jim is a 3rd generation lumberman out of Hulett, Wyoming. I was surprised by how much I didn’t know about this topic. And, fascinated by how much conservation is part of every phase of the lumber business. It’s about cutting the right trees and getting the most usable wood out of them in the milling process. That’s where computers play a huge part. Neiman said that at some point in the future, he sees a “MRI-type process” being utilized to determining the right trees to be harvested. The only things you hear outside of timber areas are phrases like “clear-cutting” and “spotted owls.” But that just doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t you take care of the resource that feeds your family, your employees and supplies this country with wood and paper products? The answer is obvious. “Let’s go on back to 1900; this forest had an inventory of about one-and-a-half billion board feet, which was a little bit above what was here when General Custer went through.” (General George A. Custer’s journey to the Black Hills in 1874 was the best documented military expedition ever and provided incredible detail and a superb record of the area.) “Today that inventory is around 6.2 or 6.4 billion board feet, so it has four times the amount of inventory,” Neiman said. “It’s partly why we have forest ‘health issues.’ The overstocking of the forest is creating an oversupply. The trees’ defense mechanism is ‘water.’ It has to have water to survive and create the sap to eject bugs.” Neiman said that the industry removed over six billion board feet in those 100 or so years and is an example of why the Black Hills has one the healthiest forests in the country. Neiman Enterprises is a group of family-owned and operated sawmills manufacturing and re-manufacturing ponderosa pine lumber in a manner that is respectful of the environment, economy and communities. The company’s three production facilities produce a variety of primary and secondary wood products, including boards, dimension lumber, decking and wood shavings. Devils Tower Forest Products is a third generation family-owned and operated sawmill. Founded in 1948, the mill has grown to become one of the premier sawmills in the Black Hills, offering over 45 million board feet of ponderosa pine product annually. Rushmore Forest Products became part of the Neiman family operations in January 1998. Spearfish Forest Products was added in 2008. Each sawmill utilizes 100 percent of the logs brought to their operation sites. Neiman sawmills produce hundreds of thousands of board feet of lumber every day. Lumber makes up approximately 60 percent of every log. The remaining 40 percent is considered by-products. Of that 40 percent, 15 percent goes to landscape bark; 10 - 15 percent becomes shavings and is utilized primarily as livestock bedding. The remaining 20 - 25 percent of byproducts are sawdust and used as boiler fuel. The boiler fuel is to heat water, which heats the drying kilns, and the sawmill. At the mill in Spearfish, the sawdust heads for Heartland Pellets, creating a pelletized product that is burned in gravity-fed wood stoves. “Except for what’s left in the forest and we’re looking at that too, every bit of the tree is utilized for animal bedding, mulch, particle board and paper products,” Neiman said. The saw mill is a wonder to me. I felt like a kid on a really cool field trip. Live With Jay clean 24:45 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=763-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Victory Junction Runs on Heartpower http://www.livewithjay.com/victory-junction-runs-on-heartpower/ http://www.livewithjay.com/victory-junction-runs-on-heartpower/#comments Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:15:57 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=978

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The Victory Junction Gang recently announced a site selection for its second, medical camping facility for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. The expansion of Victory Junction will be located built on 71 acres in Wyandotte County, Kansas, pending Unified Government review and approval. Victory Junction Gang is a year-round facility that enriches [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/victory-junction-runs-on-heartpower/feed/ 0 The Victory Junction Gang recently announced a site selection for its second, medical camping facility for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. The expansion of Victory Junction will be located built on 71 acres in Wyandotte C... The Victory Junction Gang recently announced a site selection for its second, medical camping facility for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. The expansion of Victory Junction will be located built on 71 acres in Wyandotte County, Kansas, pending Unified Government review and approval. Victory Junction Gang is a year-round facility that enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous donors to provide this experience free of charge to children and families. Early 2008, co-founders Kyle and Pattie Petty announced plans to expand to the Heartland and spread the once-in-a-lifetime experience with children in need.  As Victory Junction accepted more and more children from across the United States, we realized the need for a camping experience such as ours was far greater than one camp could serve, said co-founder and chief executive officer Pattie Petty. With that, we began our search in the central part of the country and an area that is philanthropically driven to serve the greater good. Kansas immediately became a haven and strong advocate for this project. Since identifying the region for its second facility, Victory Junction hired Wells Fargo executive Mike Lepore to serve as president of the Midwest camp. Lepore is responsible for the success of the capital campaign and all aspects of the new camp's operations. Thus far, he has garnered more than $4 million in contributions and in-kind donations, including NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart's recent pledge of $1 million. In consideration of Bass Pro Shops' efforts for the Randleman, N.C.-based camp, Victory Junction named and branded the 7-acre fishing facility the Bass Pro Shops Catch, Kiss and Release Marina. In 2007, more than 845 fish were caught and kissed at the marina due to the generosity of Bass Pro Shops. Based on this $1 million pledge from Bass Pro Shops, Victory Junction Gang will designate the marina at the Midwest camp the Bass Pro Shops Catch, Kiss and Release Marina as well. Victory Junction has assembled local market campaign chairs which include former Kansas Governor Bill Graves, Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Joe Reardon, Jeff Boerger, president of Kansas Speedway, and Greg Graves, chief executive officer of Burns & McDonnell Engineering. "Victory Junction has been blessed by the support received thus far, not only from donors and interested volunteers but from area hospitals as well," said Petty. "To grow this new facility, it is imperative to have the right partners to provide the necessary funds to operate, to send qualified children to our camp and to provide the volunteer manpower to meet our children's needs." Now that a site has been selected, all that remains is for the Heartland to open the hearts and checkbooks, to make this camp a reality. Victory Junction Gang History After the loss of their son Adam Petty in 2000, Kyle and Pattie Petty founded Victory Junction in honor of and to fulfill Adam's dream of providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences to children with special needs. The first Victory Junction Gang opened in Randleman, N.C., in June 2004. Since opening, the camp has served more than 9886 children and families from 47 states and three countries and received more than 70,000 financial and in-kind donations. Victory Junction serves children, ages 6 to 16, by offering nine week-long, disease-specific sessions with up to 128 children per session. During the fall, winter and spring, family weekends are offered to up to 32 families per weekend. The camp organizes programs for 24 disease groups such as, but not limited to, Autism, Cancer, Craniofacial Anomalies, Diabetes, Hemophilia, Neurology, severe burn victims, Live With Jay clean 18:02 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=978-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Voyage Solar System Model in Downtown KC http://www.livewithjay.com/voyage-solar-system-model-in-downtown-kc/ http://www.livewithjay.com/voyage-solar-system-model-in-downtown-kc/#comments Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:00:45 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=970

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We have managed to squeeze in a Voyage Solar System model in Downtown Kansas City. This area is now home to the second Voyage Exhibition in the world, thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Voyage is a one to 10-billion scale model Solar System that stretches one mile between the Sun, positioned at 13th [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/voyage-solar-system-model-in-downtown-kc/feed/ 0 We have managed to squeeze in a Voyage Solar System model in Downtown Kansas City. - This area is now home to the second Voyage Exhibition in the world, thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Voyage is a one to 10-billion scale model Solar Sy... We have managed to squeeze in a Voyage Solar System model in Downtown Kansas City. This area is now home to the second Voyage Exhibition in the world, thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Voyage is a one to 10-billion scale model Solar System that stretches one mile between the Sun, positioned at 13th and Baltimore, and Explorers– the last stanchion, located in front of Union Station. Voyage: A Journey through the Solar System takes cosmic learning outside the walls of a classroom, offering a perspective that goes beyond science textbooks. The permanent replica promises to be a must-see, must-do field trip option for science classes throughout the region. The project was created by Jeff Goldstein, Ph.D., the center director for the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education. Voyage is based on the original model that currently stands on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Dr. Goldstein knows now, that it’s not an easy thing to put something on the National Mall. “It’s U.S. National Sacred Ground. You have to go through a remarkable approval process. The same that the World War II Memorial had to go through…The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, The National Capital Planning Commission. It’s a very long process.” Kansas City’s exhibit is the first to replicate the scale of the original. “The idea is taking our solar system…and shrinking it down so the visitors can walk through the solar system and really get a sense of our place in space,” said Dr. Goldstein. The real solar system is exactly 10 Billion times larger. At a luncheon to launch the exhibition, City Manager Wayne Cauthen said, “We (Kansas City) see it as a great opportunity to further promote the ‘walk-ability’ of the downtown area. And, we wanted to include streets other than the entertainment district.” Also at that luncheon, Dr. Steven Hawley, Kansas-native, NASA Astronaut and current Professor of Physics at Kansas University who discussed his memories (and, lack of) from his space experiences. “What a marvelous thing the brain is. It starts working before you’re even born and doesn’t stop until lift-off,” he joked. “Simulations are wonderful, but nothing prepares you for the experience of launch.” The Voyage Exhibition, a $500,000 gift from the Kauffman Foundation, is designed to provide the Kansas City community with an understanding of the Earth’s place in the Solar System and the Sun’s place among the stars, through an educational experience that fuses sculpture and science. Look for an Explorers Unit, which will spotlight humanity’s many discoveries and achievements in space, as early as this fall. To support the educational potential of the Voyage exhibit, the Kauffman Foundation is providing free lessons to teachers in the metro area. Sample lesson overviews on PDF can be accessed at www.voyagesolarsystem.org/education/ed_pedagogy.html. If you have read all the way to the end of this post, I’d like to reward you with one additional “model” that Dr. Goldstein shared with the audience. If you used the same scale, and continued going the direction of the model (remember, the model ends at Union Station,) the nearest star would be in Anchorage, Alaska. It completely ruined Star Trek for me. Live With Jay clean 24:21 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=970-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> J. Byrne Murphy Makes ‘Le Deal’ http://www.livewithjay.com/j-byrne-murphy-makes-le-deal/ http://www.livewithjay.com/j-byrne-murphy-makes-le-deal/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:12:49 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=877

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J. Byrne Murphy, MBA, is an entrepreneur who has created several companies across Europe over the last fifteen years. His book, LE DEAL: How A Young American, In Business, In Love, And In Over His Head Brought A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry To Europe, is best described as treatise on entrepreneurship with equal parts adventure, global [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/j-byrne-murphy-makes-le-deal/feed/ 0 J. Byrne Murphy, MBA, is an entrepreneur who has created several companies across Europe over the last fifteen years. His book, LE DEAL: How A Young American, In Business, In Love, And In Over His Head Brought A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry To Europe, J. Byrne Murphy, MBA, is an entrepreneur who has created several companies across Europe over the last fifteen years. His book, LE DEAL: How A Young American, In Business, In Love, And In Over His Head Brought A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry To Europe, is best described as treatise on entrepreneurship with equal parts adventure, global economics, and political intrigue. What seemed like an easily transportable concept, Murphy set out to bring the American concept of designer fashion outlet malls to Europe. What he found is that "not all politics are local." This memoir serves as a study that helps all entrepreneurs learn to recognize, “we don't even know what we don't know.” "My research told me it (the concept of factory outlet malls) didn't exist over there, said Murphy. “Eventually, I realized that I was full of naiveté like many Americans about life beyond our borders. But, what I hadn't realized that "off-price retailing" really touches a raw nerve of the European landscape. And, each country is slightly different as to 'how raw.' But it was very raw." Le Deal is a true story of Murphy's exploits in business in Europe. He abruptly moves to Paris with his wife and baby daughter in a quest to reignite his career and his fortunes. He quickly finds himself up against strange and powerful forces for which he is ill prepared." He and his company will engage in a fierce mano a mano struggle with the French prime minister reaching up to the Supreme Court; encounter a ruthless political ambush in Germany by the soon-to-be chancellor; and face a threatening ("Is this the Mafia?") would-be partner in Italy. There are also a series of charming encounters with members of the British Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, capped off by a near-royal embarrassment of epic proportions. Along the way, the author learns what he, and Americans in general, do and do not know about life beyond our borders. The good news, eight years later, McArthur Glen Europe had opened thirteen specialty retail centers in five countries featuring 1,200 stores, over 300 brands, and was generating nearly one billion euros of sales from almost three million square feet. Approximately eight thousand jobs had been created. The company had restored abandoned factory buildings in England, added revitalization to small towns in France and Scotland, created leisure destinations in Wales and Austria and much more. The company was a success. J. Byrne Murphy was one of the founders and deputy chief executive of McArthur Glen Europe. He spent eight years in an ultimately successful struggle to implant the concept of designer outlet centers in Europe. Mr. Murphy is an entrepreneur who has started up several European ventures, including the $225 million restoration of a fifteenth-century Medici palazzo in Florence, Italy, and its conversion into a private residence club. He is a cum laude graduate of Harvard College and received his MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. After living in Europe for twelve years, Mr. Murphy now resides in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife, Pamela, and their four daughters. Surely Mr. Murphy has earned more than enough credits to receive his “Doctorate of Hard Knocks and Getting Up to Fight Another Day” Degree. Live With Jay clean 13:37 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=877-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Kevin Eichner Gets the Job of His Lifetime http://www.livewithjay.com/kevin-eichner-job-of-lifetime/ http://www.livewithjay.com/kevin-eichner-job-of-lifetime/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:52:08 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=963

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Kevin Eichner is the 21st president of Ottawa University. He has hit the ground running. And, why not? He’s been preparing for this job his whole adult life. When Eichner graduated from Ottawa in 1973, he always assumed he would eventually become president of the University. He was ready to attend Michigan to work on [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/kevin-eichner-job-of-lifetime/feed/ 0 Kevin Eichner is the 21st president of Ottawa University. He has hit the ground running. - And, why not? He’s been preparing for this job his whole adult life. - When Eichner graduated from Ottawa in 1973, Kevin Eichner is the 21st president of Ottawa University. He has hit the ground running. And, why not? He’s been preparing for this job his whole adult life. When Eichner graduated from Ottawa in 1973, he always assumed he would eventually be... Live With Jay clean 37:01 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=963-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> Sturgis Coffee Company Finds Caffeinated Success http://www.livewithjay.com/sturgis-coffee-company-finds-caffeinated-succes/ http://www.livewithjay.com/sturgis-coffee-company-finds-caffeinated-succes/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:05:35 +0000 Jay http://livewithjay.com/?p=945

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Drive through downtown Sturgis anytime other than 2 weeks in August, and it’s easy to come away thinking that nothing much happens here except during the motorcycle rally. But that’s just 10 days each year. The rest of the time, it’s a community with the same struggles and challenges of any small town. As I [...]

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]]> http://www.livewithjay.com/sturgis-coffee-company-finds-caffeinated-succes/feed/ 0 Drive through downtown Sturgis anytime other than 2 weeks in August, and it's easy to come away thinking that nothing much happens here except during the motorcycle rally. - But that’s just 10 days each year. - The rest of the time, Drive through downtown Sturgis anytime other than 2 weeks in August, and it's easy to come away thinking that nothing much happens here except during the motorcycle rally. But that’s just 10 days each year. The rest of the time, it’s a community with the same struggles and challenges of any small town. As I pulled in on an early Sunday afternoon, we were hard pressed to find anything open and the sidewalks were empty. “It might look this way on a Wednesday too,” said Mike Kahler of The Sturgis Coffee Company. “It’s great when the bikers come to town. But we need to create a sustainable business the rest of the year too.” There is a drive in Sturgis to get businesses to think beyond the Rally and a large part of the drive is coming from young business people such as Mike and Anna Kahler. They recently moved into a larger, revamped former auto body shop to fill their need for on-the-spot roasting of coffee beans. "It's hard to believe they were pounding out dents in here just a year and a half ago," Kahler added. Kahler served 5 years in the military and had a 3 year tour in Italy where he developed a taste for good coffee. Leaving military life behind, his family headed ‘home’ to the Black Hills and opened a drive through espresso spot. After it became successful, and he sold it and opened another location as The Pony Expresso. When he outgrew that location, they moved across the street to their current location where he bought a roaster and all the specialized equipment to handle the high volume that he's helping to create. "A lot of my customers have been with me for 9 or 10 years. We've got 30 or so regulars that come in every morning for sure. And, if they don't, they're in jail or dead or very sick or out of town," Kahler laughed. They roast their beans fresh on site and do mail order all over the world. "We take all of our orders, roast it, bag it and ship it out priority mail the same day. So when it gets to that customer, it's good and fresh," Kahler said. "To be in a small business anymore, you don't have to be the chaepest on the block, but you have to have a good product." Rumor is he roasted 2 TONS of beans for the Sturgis motorcycle rally and did exceptionally well. But he knows that you can't run a business just two weeks of the year. "If you base your business on that two weeks out of the year, you're making a pretty ig mistake. The Rally needs to be looked at more as a 'Yea bonus, Merry Christmas' versus 'this is what we're going to do for two weeks out of the year and then we're gonna close it down,'" Kahler suggested. "If we could get more people on board thinking like that, we could probably do a little bit better." Live With Jay clean 12:53 <iframe width="250" height="24" src="http://www.livewithjay.com/?powerpress_embed=945-podcast&amp;powerpress_player=default" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>