KANDL

Our guest for Podcast #113 is Cliff Hyra, founder of Hyra IP, PLC, an intellectual property law office specializing in helping small businesses obtain and defend patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Based in Reston, Virginia, not far from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, Hyra IP, PLC represents small businesses across the country and internationally.

Cliff has worked with hundreds of small- and medium-sized businesses, individuals, and universities on a full range of intellectual property issues.  He is a member of the Virginia State bar and Federal Circuit Bar, the Virginia Bar Association, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Cliff received a Doctorate of Jurisprudence, magna cum laude, from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia, and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, magna cum laude, from Virginia Tech.”

Today, Cliff will be talking with us about … you guessed it, Intellectual Property issues and opportunities for small to mid-sized businesses.

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KANDL is really excited about our newest conversation (Podcast #112) with Harry Rauner, CEO and President of both The Business Bank and Business Venture Capital, Inc. of Northern Virginia, USA (www.BusinessBankVA.com). Harry is one of those dream bankers who understands not only banking but also business … a rare combination!

We talked with Harry about “Understanding & Surviving the Current Economic Upheaval.” In addition to giving us heaps of information and suggestions for actions you can take to keep your company vibrant and thriving, he also gives us the background on the current economic situation and provides really useful tips about how to create and maintain a successful relationship with your banker. This is terrific information – useful, timely, insightful, actionable!

If you want to learn more about surviving in uncertain times, then listen in to our conversation with Harry Rauner. If you find this podcast useful, please share it with your family, friends and colleagues. And … as always, we value your input.

Thanks for helping us illuminate pathways to your business success!

Lorraine – the “L” in KANDL

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Lorraine and I ‘officially’ began the concept of KANDL back in January 2008 and our initial interviews, creation, and rollout began in June by the time KANDL launched it’s first podcast in November 2008 - Kent AND Lorraine went from concept to creation.

A LOT has happened in the past year and a half, the world’s economy started to spiral and collapse, businesses and people were losing ground by layoffs or closing the doors. So much has happened in so little time, KANDL had been affected by the worldwide economic collapse - I had to start traveling again (not because I wanted to because like many others I had too). Lorraine has been busy too.

KANDL has been keeping up with the changes. In our latest podcast, we reflect on the major ideas that we’ve heard from our guest and look at future episodes we have planned. So take a few minutes and allow KANDL to Illuminate YOUR Pathways to Business Success.

Thanks for listening!

Kent - the K in KANDL

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In the second part of this two-part episode, KANDL thought it would be valuable to bring together some of our previous guests to have a topical roundtable discussion about the opportunities presented by the current economic conditions and the importance of resourcefulness and resilience in making it through to the other side.

We’re delighted to have with us Marilyn Finnemore and Aldo Bello of Mind & Media, who were the stars of Podcast #105, and Les Smolin, founder of the Executive Leadership Forum, our guest on podcast #108.

Marilyn and Aldo have a hugely successful media strategy, communications and production company working primarily with government clients, and Les is a seasoned business executive and consultant as well as a facilitator, coach and mentor to groups of CEOs.

Today, our conversation is going to focus on those opportunities - e.g., to make organizations leaner and more agile, to enter new markets with new products/services, to work closer with customers to help solve their problems, to work with suppliers in ways that serve both parties, and to form strategic partnerships for mutual benefit.  In short, we’re going to be talking about how to be resourceful and resilient, about how to run businesses better and smarter.

In upcoming weeks, we have some great guests including a discussion with Cliff Hyra, founder of Hyra IP, LLC, an attorney who specializes in Intellectual Property - it’s a timely conversation, which, you the listeners, will find important for protecting your business. Other future guest will include Julie Lenzer Kirk who will talk about thinking like an entrepreneur. I know Lorraine and I are excited about our guests and realize our listeners are just as valuable - so keep listening.

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In the first part of this two-part episode, KANDL thought it would be valuable to bring together some of our previous guests to have a topical roundtable discussion about the opportunities presented by the current economic conditions and the importance of resourcefulness and resilience in making it through to the other side.

We’re delighted to have with us Marilyn Finnemore and Aldo Bello of Mind & Media, who were the stars of Podcast #105, and Les Smolin, founder of the Executive Leadership Forum, our guest on podcast #108.

Marilyn and Aldo have a hugely successful media strategy, communications and production company working primarily with government clients, and Les is a seasoned business executive and consultant as well as a facilitator, coach and mentor to groups of CEOs.

Today, our conversation is going to focus on those opportunities - e.g., to make organizations leaner and more agile, to enter new markets with new products/services, to work closer with customers to help solve their problems, to work with suppliers in ways that serve both parties, and to form strategic partnerships for mutual benefit.  In short, we’re going to be talking about how to be resourceful and resilient, about how to run businesses better and smarter.

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Kimberly Wilson is the “Hip Tranquil Chick,” a hugely successful entrepreneur who has created a rapidly expanding group of businesses in just 10 short years. Kimberly is the Founder and Creative Director of Washington, DC-based Tranquil Space yoga, voted by Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the top 25 yoga studios in the world. Ten years ago, Kimberly started teaching yoga classes in the living room of her one-bedroom apartment in Washington, DC. Now she has three yoga studios, a spa, a boutique and a client base that has grown from 10 students to over 700 students per week. In addition to Tranquil Space, Kimberly is the founder of and designer for TranquiliT (a line of eco-deluxe clothing), the founder of Tranquil Space Foundation, an author, a podcaster, a blogger, a facilitator of workshops, a keynote speaker, a mentor for other women entrepreneurs, and a huge proponent of social and environmental consciousness.

Kimberly outlined her five Words of Wisdoms:

1. Start Small and Grow Organically

2. Focus on Creating an Experience

3. Be the Brand

4. Seek Balance

5. Set an Intention

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Les is the founder of the Executive Leadership Forum, a company that specializes in providing executive development, training and consulting services primarily to small and mid-sized organizations around the U.S. He is also leader of the Sales and Marketing Workgroup and a facilitator, coach and mentor to groups of CEOs through his affiliation with Vistage International.

Les spoke with us about the elements necessary for successful business growth. Among them were such things as clarity of purpose, inspiring leadership, performance and accountability, surrounding yourself with people from diverse perspectives who are willing to “tell you like it is,” and having fun. On the flip side, failure can result from under-capitalization, ineffective leadership and lack of ongoing innovation.

We asked Les for his parting words of wisdom, and this is what he shared.

• Be clear on your go-to-market strategy. Without that, your business has no foundation.
• Beware of the culture you create. Be intentional about it, and make sure it serves you and your employees.
• Make sure your leadership style is flexible and appropriate to the situation you find yourself in. Be adaptive as any one style will not work all the time.
• Get out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. It keeps you fresh, keeps you challenged and gives you the opportunity to step back and be self-reflective.

Les Smolin can be reached in the Silver Spring, Maryland (USA) at:

P: +1 301.942.3785 E: LSmolin@comcast.net

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David is President and founder of Windward Consulting Group David’s expertise includes process improvement, strategic planning, project rescue, management coaching, and company turnarounds. He has worked with such entities as Dow Jones, Lucent Technologies, the U.S. Navy, Exxon-Mobil, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

David talked with us about ways to successfully manage change initiatives, build organizational agility and foster an appetite for change. Key success factors in managing change include having support from upper level management, developing a clear vision and project plan, putting the right team in place, and engaging people through regular communication. David also shared with us his 8-step process for successful change.

As his closing comments, David offered the following advice:

• Change is going to happen – you can either approach it proactively or kicking and screaming.
• Change is an opportunity for people to learn, grow and engage in new endeavors, both personally and professionally.
• For each change initiative, make sure you have in place a well-thought-out strategy and a solid project plan.
• The enemy of change is complacency.

If you’d like to contact David Tennant in the Atlanta, Georgia (USA) area or learn more about Windward Consulting Group, just follow these links.

Email: windward1@comcast.net

Website: www.windward.ws

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Fred Maiden, a seasoned consultant in the energy sector, is the founder of Stop the Flares, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing awareness, research and results to the benefits of harnessing the natural gas deposits that get in the way of accessing oil in the ground. In this podcast, Fred speaks with us about Stop the Flares and how he has used sound business principles and practices to create and grow the organization’s outreach and impact.

In our conversation, Fred emphasized the importance of creating a solid business plan at the very beginning of his venture. It is a document that helps him keep the volunteers engaged and focuses his attention on those activities that will most leverage his investment of time and energy. Fred has also used “social networking” (e.g., Facebook and MySpace) to excellent advantage. These are extremely low-cost (free) solutions with great “tools” that help Fred build awareness of Stop the Flares and create linkages with people all over the world. He shared his success with these outreach and community-building tools.

To wrap up our conversation, Fred offered up these thoughts.

1. His passion, excitement and energy are critical for the success of Stop the Flares - they keep him going and actively engage others in his cause. Use your passion to fuel your endeavours.
2. As with any new venture – non-profit or commercial – get sorted with the paperwork at the very beginning, even if it’s your least favourite thing to do. It’s a huge help with preparation of the underlying documents, taxes and other government compliance requirements. Remain focused and organized as your enterprise grows.
3. Bottom line - he finds it a great honour to be able to work on something that’s bigger than himself. Every day he wakes up excited to move forward the goals of his organization.

If you’d like to learn more about or participate in Stop the Flares, please visit their website at www.StopTheFlares.org. To contact Fred directly in Herndon, Virginia (USA), you can e-mail him at FredMaiden@StopTheFlares.org.

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Marilyn and Aldo are the founders of Mind & Media, an award-winning Washington, DC-based media strategy and full production services company. They combine the right media with the right messages to bring about measurable change and inspire action in organizations, communities and our world.

Since the company’s founding in 1994, Mind & Media has grown, changed and reinvented itself several times. Throughout all of this, Marilyn’s and Aldo’s values, passion, clarity, and purpose have guided their decisions and helped them to design a company that is extremely successful, fulfilling and fun for all concerned.

In our conversation with them, they highlighted the critical importance of embedding the company’s values into everything it does – processes, communications, staff selection, and company “rituals.” They talked further about the attention they have given to creating an intentional organizational culture that not only helps them live their values but also supports and enhances the organization’s performance and its relationships with staff and clients.

1. Marilyn and Aldo highlighted these lessons learned: As a business owner, know what you stand for and don’t apologize for it. Be explicit about your values and hold people accountable to live up to them.
2. By tolerating staff who don’t uphold the values, you do tremendous harm to the organization.
3. Operationalize your core values and embed them in how you do business. This allows for creativity and prevents rigidity in upholding those values.

If you’d like to contact Marilyn and Aldo in Alexandria, Virginia USA or learn more about Mind & Media, please visit their website at www.mindandmedia.com.

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