d-mars.com Business Journal 68

Business Journal Feb-Mar 2013

Inspire, Inform & Educate

PROUD TO BE

INSIDE

68 th Edition

“When you know better you do better.”

Maya Angelou ~

Empowerment & You

By Errol Allen Leading well is not about enriching one self – it’s about empowering others and enabling them to be successful, no matter what.

PAGE 17

The Benefits of a Roth Option in Your Retirement Plan

By Mena Freeman There is no shortage of business ideas in America but the levels of business equity created are skewed.

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Dr. John Rudley, President of TSU, shows MR. D-MARS, President of d-mars.com, the bright future of Texas Southern University.

3 Tips For Using Youtube For Your Small Business

By Michael Griffiths YouTube’s free-to-use and post model and huge, free to register audience makes it a great channel for businesses.

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Attraction and Attitude - How They Fit Into Your Business Success

By Jeannine Clontz Not that I’ve always enjoyed that luxury, but my business is at a point where I can be a bit picky about who I decide to do business with.

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Community leaders come out to support Ben Hall as he pitches his political hat into the mayoral ring and announces his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Houston.

Feb-Mar 2013

Behind The

Journal

3.

Publisher’s Message

Keith J. Davis, Sr.

SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr. VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis

Historically education has been the catalyst that has often brought revolutionary change in the African American community. Texas Southern University (TSU) has done that in the Third Ward community and continues to do so even today. We chose this issue to celebrate TSU and its history, because we are “proud to be” a part of the fabric of this great university.

EDITING CONSULTANT Sharon Jenkins OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Johnny Ray Davis, Jr.

As always again, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work.

Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen. Happy reading!

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla

CONTENTS

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE C.T. Foster Eric D. Goodwine

Texas Southern University Proud of Our Impact ............................................................................

Ben Hall Kicks off Mayoral Campaign to Overflow Crowd Hall for All – Houston’s Next Mayor ...

Getting Involved ...........................................................................................................................

The 4 C’s of Customer Service .....................................................................................................

Empowerment & You .....................................................................................................................

The Benefits of a Roth Option in Your Retirement Plan ...............................................................

Idea Rich and Equity Poor in America .........................................................................................

Proud to be an Educator ...............................................................................................................

5 Strategies to Help You Stay Focused and Productive ..............................................................

Proud To Be The Mother Of A Special Needs Son ......................................................................

Make The Right Connections! .......................................................................................................

Proud to Be, Who We See ............................................................................................................

3 Tips For Using Youtube For Your Small Business .....................................................................

5 Ways to Add Money Back into Your Monthly Budget & Get your Personal Finances in Order ..

Attraction and Attitude - How They Fit Into Your Business Success ..........................................

Afraid To Take A Vacation? Put Your Business On Cruise Control ..............................................

Beyond Diversity Training ............................................................................................................

Underserved Niches – The Secret to Online Success ..................................................................

Business Message Branding ........................................................................................................

Four Keys To Multicultural Rapport .............................................................................................

Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business ...................................................................................

PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter Tony Gaines MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ferland D. Antwine DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rose Carter Benn Hall for Mayor Staff D.L. Jones Cynthia Nevels Noel Pinnock Robert Collier Errol Allen Mena Freeman Christina Robinson Grochett Mari Yamada Nicole Dean Jenny Kerr Carrie Greene Jeannine Clontz Oscar M. Gonzales Donna Laree Ward Donna Price Lenora Billings-Harris Family Features Helen L. Callier Judie Simmons Michael Griffith

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MR. D-MARS Tip of the Month

“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Feb-Mar 2013

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY PROUD OF OUR IMPACT

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h a t m a k e s Te x a s S o u t h e r n Un i v e r s i t y o n e o f t h e n a t i o n ’s largest premiere urban serving institutions of higher learning is its dogged commitment to continue building upon its historic legacy of “Excellence in Achievement.” From classrooms to boardrooms, high offices to neighborhoods in need of high hopes, TSU’s students, faculty and staff are leading the way at home and abroad. Texas Southern University’s research projects are cutting edge; its community involvement life altering.

The school’s diverse faculty prepares students for leadership in the present and future global marketplace with academic programs and various initiatives that continue to garner awards and recognition for the university. The global impact of the school embedded in Houston’s quaint Third Ward community is so great and conversely subtle, that to imagine a world without it would be equivalent to picturing the Great Pyramids of Giza sans their foundations, or the Great Wall of China minus its brick and mortar. For 85-plus years, Texas Southern has quietly provided the glue that has held movements together, bound students to their dreams, and cemented in the hearts of its alumni an undying devotion to its continued development.

Academic Programs Academic partnership will send kids to college: (MC Williams) MC Williams Middle School, an HISD STEM and Magnet school located in the historic Acres Homes community, and Texas Southern University have agreed to form an academic partnership pilot program that will monitor the academic progress of students from the sixth through twelfth grades. The program will consist of mentoring, academic services, job shadowing, and community outreach.

Organizers are confident that TSU, the students of MC Williams and the Acres Homes community will benefit from this ongoing relationship. Texas Southern is developing the academic support for this new initiative that will involve TSU’s faculty, students, alumni and administration.

TSU and Jack Yates form partnership to Help Students Determined to strengthen the academic and social ties between neighboring Cleburne St. campuses, officials from

Texas Southern University met with the Jack Yates High School administration July 23, 2012, to consecrate a new partnership that will prepare 11th and 12th grade students for college while showing them TSU’s value as an institutiom of higher education.

Following the vision and commitment of TSU President, Dr. John Rudley, 16 representatives from Texas Southern, including University Executive VicePresident Dr. James Douglas, pledged their commitment to Yates principal Marla Sheppard, to provide academic tutoring for students and student-athletes, longterm mentoring and relationship building

Goooooooooooooo Tigers!

Do The Math

$55 Million Seven Story Complex For Students

with students, parental engagement, and help revitalize various campus youth groups. Dr. James Ward, TSU’s Dean of Communications, has also pledged to help revitalize the Yates communications program.

$55 Million Seven Story Complex in TSU’s Future In continued efforts to improve Texas Southern University’s campus amenities, TSU’s Board of Regents recently approved and released plans for a $55 million, 215,000 square foot New Student Resident Housing Complex. Houston based architectural firm Harrison Kornberg in collaboration with Lord, Aeck, Sargent were awarded the contract to design the seven-story building that will include social and study areas on all residential floors. Other amenities include: a dining hall, locker storage, a laundry on all residential floors, a convenience store, roof terrace and a gaming area.

The rooms are double occupancy with a shared restroom. Currently the university has 6 student housing complexes; Urban Academic Village, Lanier East, Lanier West, University Courtyard, Tierwester I and Tierwester II. There are currently 1300 students living in campus housing.

Get Connected with TSU Connect Texas Southern University’s Division of University Advancement - Office of Development, in conjunction with their 2013 Annual Fund Campaign, is pleased to announce that TSU Connect, a new online donation/communication tool has been rolled out to make staying connected to the University and to each other easier than ever. Replacing Paypal and Constant Contacts. TSU Connect allows donors to tailor their gifts, access their giving history, and update their profile information. Each Year the Annual Fund Campaign is an opportunity for all donors - alumni and friends to continue to help Texas Southern University produce Legends and Leaders though their gifts.

To register with TSU Connect, simply visit tsu.thankyou4caring.org. To make a gift, visit, tsu.thankyou4caring.org/giving.

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Georgia Doyle Provost says if 10,000 alumni and former students of Texas Southern University would donate just $10 per month for a year, they would raise over a $1,000,000. She has taken those figures a bit further; calculating what would happen if 50,000 graduates and former students did the same thing - $10 every month for a solid year. Hmmmmm. “That,” she says, “can send a lot of students to college.”

When she looked at the $1,000,000.00 figure, it was enough to convince this 1978 graduate of TSU’s School of Technology to spring into action.

To help meet demand, Provost has taken her alumni and former student giving campaign online. Any alumni, university friend or former student can now visit http://dothemath.eventbrite.com/ to make their monthly, semi-annual, or annual donations.

Proceeds will benefit Texas Southern University’s scholarship fund, student support services and mentoring, as well as colleges and schools. For additional information contact Eva Pickens at 713313-4205.

Fitch Ratings Upgraded Fitch Ratings recently upgraded to ‘BBB+’ from ‘BBB’ approximately $100.11 million of outstanding revenue financing system (RFS) bonds issued by the Texas Public Finance Authority on behalf of Texas Southern University. The Rating Outlook is revised to Stable from Positive.

The upgrade to ‘BBB+’ reflects TSU’s balanced operating results in fiscal 2012, stable financial resource levels and improved market position. TSU’s renewed accreditation at the end of 2011 helped to strengthen demand for the fall 2012 class despite heightened academic requirements.

Fitch views the strengthening demand as a credit positive, particularly given the implementation of stricter admissions standards for the fall 2012 enrollment cycle. Furthermore, Fitch believes that the

Feb-Mar 2013 higher number of more highly qualified freshman students will help to offset anticipated enrollment losses in fall 2012.

Confucius Institute Agreement Dr. John Rudley, President of Texas Southern University, signed an agreement with the Chinese government to establish an international Confucius Institute at Texas Southern University. By establishing the only Confucius Institute in the greater Houston area, TSU will have the opportunity to develop academic and cultural programs related to Chinese language and cultures. The Confucius Institute is a partnership between Texas Southern University and Beijing Jiaotong University, the premiere technology university in China. TSU’s Confucius Institute is one of only 226 centers worldwide and one of 42 in the United States authorized through Hanban, the Chinese Language and Cultural Institute.

With the cooperation of departments and colleges of both TSU and BJTU, the Confucius Institute will greatly enhance Asian studies and enrich the humanities curriculum at TSU; thereby fostering a broader global perspective. Ultimately, the Confucius Institute will strengthen academic cooperation on a global level.

TSU Experts Guide Airport Expansion Debate When Mayor Annise Parker announced her support for expansion of international service to Hobby Airport in July 2012, she did so based on a report by TSU professors that bolstered predictions that the addition of international service by Southwest Airlines (SWA) and other smaller carriers would have a positive impact on passenger travel. TSU transportation and aviation experts Drs. Carol Abel Lewis and Charles R. Glass of Texas Southern University reviewed the independent economic impact studies commissioned by the Houston Airport System (HAS), as well as the opposing report prepared by United Airlines. It was the conclusion of these scholars that the preponderance of the available evidence of impact on airfares and passenger volumes and federal regulations supports the recommendation to allow SWA to proceed with its proposal. The Houston City Council overwhelmingly approved SWA’s proposal for international service out of William P. Hobby Airport under which SWA will cover all costs

related to the $100 million expansion of Hobby Airport to accommodate international service.

Online Education Offered at Texas Southern University For the busy professional who is looking to advance their career through education, Texas Southern University offers several online graduate degree and certificate programs that will provide the flexibility for work, school and personal life.

The Online Executive Masters of Business Administration (eMBA) program at the Jesse H. Jones School of Business offers today’s executive an integrated curriculum that explores relevant issues and challenges faced by executives at the supervisory and midmanagement levels. The two-year

online program is uniquely designed to meet the challenging needs of mid-career professionals who wish to pursue an MBA degree with the least possible disruption to their professional and personal lives. A concentration in Energy Finance is also available. The MBA program is Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - international accredited and is one of the most innovative and practical MBA degrees in the region.

The Online Executive Masters of Public Administration (eMPA) allows professionals to acquire advanced training that is designed to address increasingly complex problems in managing urban growth. TSU’s MPA graduates are

equipped to respond to the nation’s cities’ growing need for an exceptional level of planning and management knowledge – and they are energized to develop solutions to problems native to metropolitan regions and municipalities.

Platforms used for completing the two year programs include virtual classrooms, live chats, online lectures, and teleconferencing. Geared towards the working professional, the eMBA program does not require the regular graduate admission exams for admission; however, it does put emphasis on years of professional work experience as one of the major admissions criteria.

Online Certificate programs include

Computer, Information Techonology and e-Governance certifications, Non-profit Management Executive certifications as well as Homeland Security and Emergency Management certifications.

As of fall 2012, The College of Education now offers an online Master’s degree programs leading to an M. Ed degree in Educational Administration and Counseling.

The Online Master’s Degree in Educational Administration (eMEA) and related certificate programs will include a concentration of study in school administration, instructional leadership, school law, fiscal responsibility, the organization and management of schools and internships. The programs are designed

to prepare candidates for positions of leadership in varied educational settings.

The Online Master’s Degree in Counselor Education (eMCE) will include a concentration of study in school, agency and rehabilitation counseling. The program is designed to

prepare candidates to serve as advocates, counselors and consultants to increase the options of clients they serve, to serve as managers of resources, partnership builders, and to assist clients in accomplishing their goals and in coping with societal demands in varied settings.

All College of Education programs will focus on the use of online learning to build the capacity of students and will provide a quality educational or certificate program to individuals seeking either a Master’s Degree or certification in their respective area. These programs will allow participants to pursue their degree, certification and/or licensure through a rigorous program of standards-based technology and enhanced online courses that are currently being offered only in the traditional classroom setting. All curriculum materials created will be in alignment with state and national standards.

For more information on TSU online degrees and certifications, visit www.tsu. edu.

TSU Announces new certificate programs in Hazardous Materials, Ship Management, Marine Environmental Awareness In response to the needs of an increasing job market needs for mandatory certification and required training in the maritime, transportation, logistics and oil and gas/offshore industries, Texas Southern University’s College of Continuing Education has announced the launch of a new Certified Training Program.

Approved by the US Coast Guard and designed to create high performers and intensify corporate productivity, the eight advanced courses offer solutions in the areas of regulatory compliance, safety, security, occupational health, operations, technology, inspections and audits, marine/offshore operations, maintenance,

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liabilities, productivity, strategy, budget allocation, etc.

Alumni Allstate Elects TSU Alumnus Kermit R. Crawford to Board The A llstate Corporation a nnounced that Kermit R. Crawford, Wa l g r e e n C o . president of pharmacy, health and wellness, has been elected to its board of directors, effective January 30, 2013. Crawford’s election will increase the number of Allstate board members to 13. Crawford will stand for election at Allstate’s shareholder meeting in May, as the company’s board members are elected annually. An alumnus of Texas Southern University, Crawford has been Walgreen’s president of pharmacy, health and wellness since 2010. He joined the company in 1983 as a pharmacist and successfully took on increasing operating responsibilities, becoming senior vice president of pharmacy services in 2007.

Gov. Perry Appoints TSU Alumnus Lewis White to Texas State Board of Dental Examiners Texas Governor Rick Perry has appointed Lewis White to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners for a term set to expire Feb. 1, 2013. The board oversees licensing and regulation of dental care providers in Texas and enforces Texas laws regulating the practice of dentistry. White is an attorney and corporate counsel for Innovative Paradigm Solutions. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, past president of the Fort Bend and Ector County Texas Young Lawyers associations, and a past member of Safer Dallas Better Dallas. White received his law degree from the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Gerald B. Smith Joins New York Life Board of Directors Veteran money management executive and Texas Southern University alumnus Gerald B. Smith has been elected by the Board of Directors of the New York Life Insurance Company to join the Board, effective November 1, 2012. Mr. Smith is chairman and CEO of Smith, Graham & Company Investment Advisors, a global investment management firm which he co-founded in 1990. Mr. Smith’s firm manages more than $5 billion in fixed income and equity portfolio strategies and is one of the oldest and largest minority-owned money

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management firms in the United States.

In 2011, Mr. Smith was appointed to the Board of The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas - Houston Branch to provide input on regional economic conditions as part of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy functions. He is a Trustee of the Charles Schwab Family of Funds, and also serves on the boards of ONEOK, Inc., ONEOK Partners GP, LLC and Cooper Industries PLC. Additionally, he serves as chair of the Texas Southern University Foundation, board and executive committee member of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP).

Michael Strahan 1. TSU alumnus a nd Ne w York Giants recordse t t i ng defen sive end, Michael Strahan, was included as a semifinalist for the 2013 NFL Hall of Fame class. In total, twenty-seven candidates have made the semi-finalist list, which will be pared down to 15 finalists in early January 2013. Strahan had a 15-year NFL career, all with the New York Giants, and he accumulated 141.5 career sacks after being a second round selection of the Giants in the 1993 NFL draft. The Giants all-time sack leader attended Texas Southern University, and he ushered in an era of speed-rushing of the quarterback.

2. The daunting task of finding just the right person to replace Regis Philbin of Live with Regis and Kelly! was tough, but after a one-year search, 200 shows and 59 prospective co-hosts, Michael Strahan was named the new co-host in September 2012. Strahan has also been a member of the award winning Fox NFL Sunday pregame show since 2008. He has appeared in numerous commercials, from ads for Subway to Vaseline for Men. He also starred in the 2009 sitcom “Brothers”.

Jim Hines named to the 2012 Class of outstanding Texas African American Athletes and Coaches Former “Fastest Man in the World”

Jim Hines helped make up a highly distinguished 2 012 C l a s s of outstanding Te x a s A f r i c a n American Athletes and Coaches.

Hines came out of Texas Southern Universit y to become the “Fastest Man in the World” over a 15-year period. He was the first man to break the 10-second record in the 100-meter dash, held the world record for 15 years and won gold medals in the 100-meter dash and the 4×100 relay in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

Legendary Basketball Coach and TSU Graduate Robert Hughes to be Honored in Ft. Worth Rober t Hughes, a T S U a n d Te x a s coaching basketball legend wa s honored with a special program at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Fort Worth in November 2012. Hughes, now known as the “Duke” of Ft. Worth’s Dunbar High School, played forward, post, and off-guard for Texas Southern under head coach Edward Adams from 1951 to 1954 before being drafted by the Boston Celtics. Following Hughes’ playing career he continued in basketball and became a legendary coaching figure in Texas high school basketball. Starting his career at all-black I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth during segregation, Hughes led his teams to state championships in 1963, ’65, and ’67. In 1973, after segregation ended and I.M. Terrell was closed, Hughes began coaching at Dunbar High School in Fort Worth winning two more state championships in 1993 and 2003. At the time of his retirement in 2005, Hughes was the national all-time leader in wins amassing 1,333 wins compared to only 264 losses. In addition to the accolades

accomplished at Texas Southern, Hughes is also a member of the National High School Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Southwestern Athletic Hall of Fame, and the TSU Hall of Fame.

Two Thurgood Marshall Alums Elected Into the National Bar Association Lawyer Hall of Fame Along with their claim of being one of the most diverse law school’s in the nation, Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law can now boast of having two of its graduates immortalized into the National Bar Association’s Hall of Fame. TMSL alumnus and Harris County Senior Assistant Attorney Harrison Gregg, Jr. and Texas Southern Executive VicePresident and former University President Dr. James Douglas were inducted into Hall of Fame at the Association’s annual convention in July.

Mr. Gregg is currently assigned to the County Attorney’s Compliance Practice Group where he appears in court hearings daily and represents Harris County in cases in Justice Courts, County Civil Courts at Law and the District Courts.

He is a founding partner of Bush & Gregg Law Office and has previously served as city attorney for the City of Kendleton.

Dr. Douglas is a 1966 TSU graduate and 1970 TMSL graduate. He also holds a JSM in Computer Law from Stanford University. In 1995, he became the only TSU alumnus to serve as president of the university. Dr. Douglas was also the first African American professor at the Cleveland Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University and the first African American law professor and first to be named Associate Dean at Syracuse University. He also served as the seventh dean of the TMSL

Lawal Given TSU’s Pa ul Cuffe Award

Yi Qi, chair of the Transportation S t u d i e s Depa r t ment at Texa s Sout hern

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University, presented Port Commissioner and TSU alumnus Kase Lawal and the Houston Port Authority the Texas Southern University Paul Cuffee Maritime Leadership award at their June 26th meeting. Created by the TSU Maritime Industry Advisory Board and named for Paul Cuffee (1759-1817), an AfricanAmerican ship captain, shipbuilder, philanthropist and abolitionist, the award was given to Lawal and the Port for their efforts in promoting diversity in the Texas Gulf Coast Region.

Students... In The News

Pharmacy students take f irst place in skills competition Audra Anderson and Quinn Branch, both third year Pharmacy School students at Texas Southern University, represented the University well by coming home with a first place finish in the Clinical Skills Counseling Competition at the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) 2012 meeting in Cincinnati, OH. In addition to the individual success, the Pharmacy School’s chapter of SNPhA is also the current Chapter of the Year.

Along with their esteemed award, Anderson and Branch both received a $250 cash prize, $100 Kroger gift card, $150 in American Express gift cards, $150 Amazon gift card, one year subscription to Lexi-Complete, a Sanford guide to Antimicrobial Therapy and a first ever Kroger/SNPhA Clinical Skill Competition lapel pin.

Feb-Mar 2013

TSU Student, Shekira Dennis, Participates in Summer Obama Organizing Fellowship 2012 TSU student Shekira Dennis was selected from a highly competitive national applicant pool to join a new generation of organizers who are committed to building grassroots political campaigns.

Ms. Dennis relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina for the 15 week summer fellowship. Throughout her fellowship Shekira learned organizational skills that influential leaders have used to enact longlasting social change, but will participate in campaign building.

TSU Students Featured on CBS News for Voter ID Case A television crew from CBS Nightly News was on the Texas Southern University campus July 10th to interview Demariano Hill and Dominique Monday, two Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs students involved in the Texas Voter ID case. Hill and Monday had been canvassing the Third Ward neighborhood registering voters and making them aware of the proposed voting changes.

“It’s already a uphill battle to encourage people to register and now when we tell them they have to jump through these hoops it’s more of a struggle.” Hill said in the piece.

The proposed law change would have required Texas’ 13 million voters to provide a drivers license, passport, gun permit, military ID, or a state-issued ID at the polls during election season. To view the video, visit http://www.cbsnews.com/ video/watch/?id=7414814n.

Pharmacy Student Completes Fellowship, Publishes in Journal

plans to complete a fellowship in the pharmaceutical industry. These experiences will contribute to Adele’s goal of becoming an innovator in the pharmacy profession.

Two TSU Students Elected To Serve Their Fraternities Two more Texas Southern University students brought national recognition to the university that boasts of “Excellence in Achievement”. Leon Spencer and G. Christopher Cutkelvin both have been elected to the highest ranking positions that college students can hold in their fraternities, Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha respectively. Spencer was elected to a two-year term as National Undergraduate Representative to the Supreme Council of Omega Psi Phi, Inc. and Cutkelvin was elected for one year to the position of Southwestern Regional Assistant VicePresident of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Spencer, a senior biology major and chemistry minor is well known throughout the fraternity and understands the needs of the undergrad members. He was chosen because he was the most prepared candidate to apply and was the only one to include flyers and posters with his platform speech. He also stayed up until the early morning every night speaking to undergraduates about the problems they see in the fraternity and how his visions intertwine with their passion to move the fraternity forward.

Cutkelvin, a senior public affairs major, was elected in part due to his extensive travel that allowed him to visit every district convention prior to the fraternity’s regional convention along with his experience of working as special assistant to the last two Assistant Vice-Presidents. Cutkelvin ran on the platform of renovating the House of Alpha including returning Alpha to the mission and our community and creating development and economic opportunities.

Texas Southern University Film Adele Bailes, a fourth year professional Students Make History with Film pharmacy student at Texas Southern Festival Screening University, completed a research fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center through the Cancer Prevention Training Program.

A description of the work she completed during the fellowship can be found in “The Impact of Race and Ethnicity on the Features and Outcome of Ductal Carcinoma in situ of the Breast” an article published by Bailes, et.al. in June 2012 in Cancer, a journal affiliated with the American Cancer Society.

Adele’s efforts to eradicate cancer in the African American community earned her the distinction of being honored as an Unsung Hero by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during the July 2012 annual convention held in Houston.

During summer 2012, Bailes completed a six week experiential rotation at the Food and Drug Administration, Division of Drug Information in Washington, DC. After graduating in May, 2013, Adele

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Texas Southern University film student Stephanie Madrid and Krishunda Goodman were selected to screen their short documentary “Speak” at the 20th annual African Diaspora International Film Festival held Nov. 28th at Columbia University in New York City, NY. “Speak”, a redemptive documentary that explores the lives of two young ladies who were sexually abused during their childhood, marked the first time that film students from TSU have been selected to screen at a film festival. In this documentary, Jude Ivy and Kentra Gilbert share an account of the incidents that surround their sexual abuse and the aftermath of the experience.

In addition, “Speak” was an official selection of the Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival and won a Platinum Remi Award in the short subject documentary category at the 45th annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival 2012, and

has also been selected to screen at the 19th Annual Hayti Heritage Center Film Festival in February, 2013 in Durham, NC.

Texas Southern University MBA Student wins $10,000 Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship Award Texas Southern U n i v e r s i t y ’s J e s s e H .

Jones School of Business announce that MBA, studen t Nerissa Perkins, received the $10,000 Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship Award at the Texas Business Hall of Fame 30th Annual Scholarship Luncheon.

Texas Southern graduate student Chelse Hoover as the recipient of the 2012 Naomi W. Ledè Outstanding Master’s Student of the Year Award. Annually, the SWUTC presents the award, which includes $1,000 and a plaque to the most accomplished master’s student attending Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Austin, or Texas Southern University.

In addition to her professional leadership skills, Ms. Hoover’s accomplishments include: earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology; serving as an officer in the student chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and vice-president of TSU’s student chapter of Intelligent Transportation Society; recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower F e l l o w s h i p f o r F Y 2 012 ; n a m e d Transportation Research Board Minority Fellow; and being selected to present her research titled “The Analysis of Delay Time in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Area,” at the 2013 TRB Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. in January 2013.

Ms. Hoover is pursuing a Master of Science in Transportation Planning and Management and currently conducting research with Dr. Lei Yu in analyzing the vehicle specific power characteristics in the Houston, Galveston and Brazoria area.

Only one Outstanding Master’s Student was selected among the three universities

The Texas Business Hall of Fame awards scholarships annually to students from participating Texas universities. The Foundation’s mission is to sow seeds for the future by acknowledging and helping underwrite the promise that is being demonstrated by Texas business students.

They accomplish this by assisting future business leaders pursuing their degrees in Texas Southern University Student Texas schools by funding a scholarship award program. Only one student from Named As Houston Texans each University is selected so this is a very Community Quarterback Finalist competitive award.

T e x a s Southern Chelse Hoover Universit y N a m e d Student Regent, Outstanding Juan A. Sorto, Ma s t e r’s w a s s e le c t e d Student of as a finalist for the Year by t he Hou ston T e x a n s Southwest Communit y University Quarterback Transportation Awa rd . T he Center H o u s t o n Texans partner The Southwest Region University with the United Way of Greater Houston to Transportation Center (SWUTC) named recognize work by outstanding volunteers

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who exemplify leadership, dedication and a commitment to improving their communities. As a finalist for the Community Quarterback award, Sorto, and the other finalists, were recognized at the Houston Texans game, against the Minnesota Vikings, December 23rd. In addition, Sorto’s organization will receive a $1,500 contribution from the Houston Texans Foundation, two tickets to the game and a parking pass.

Faculty Dr. Robert B u l l a r d , Environmenta l Pioneer now serves as dean of the Barbara JordanMickey L ela nd School of Public A ffairs, and is fa mously k nown as the Father of Environmental Justice, has been a leading campaigner against environmental racism, as well as the foremost scholar of the problem, and of the Environmental Justice Movement since the 1980’s.

Bullard, the author of seventeen books that address topics ranging from sustainable development, environmental racism, urban land use, industrial facility sitting, community reinvestment, housing, transportation, climate justice, emergency response, smart growth, and regional equity, was featured in the July 2007 CNN People You Should Know.

Legendary Jazz Great Joe Sample teaches Masters Class at TSU A w a r d w i n n i n g p i a n i s t / composer Joe Sample returned to his a l m a m a t e r, Texas Southern U n i v e r s i t y, to lead an innovative eight-week master course that explored a selection of movements from his recently recorded suite Children of the Sun. The class conducted called the Texas Southern University Jazz Orchestra Project. The experience culminated in a December concert with the TSU Jazz Orchestra was by Joe Sample performing Children of the Sun.

Texas Southern University Professor Participates in National Educational Program College of Education Associate Professor, Dr. Collette M. Bloom, was selected from a national pool of more than 300 applicants to participate in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institute in Washington, D.C. Educators attending the teacher institutes develop primary-source based teaching strategies that they can take back to their school, apply in the classroom and pass

along to colleagues. Teaching with primary sources is a powerful way to help students ask engaged, probing questions, develop critical thinking skills, and construct knowledge. Applicants to the Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institutes reflect the diversity of the world of K-12 education.

TSU’s Public Affairs Director, Adams Contributes to Houston Chronicle Article During last year’s election cycle, Houston voters faced a wide range of decisions as the city, school district and community college system all sought voter approval to borrow more than $2 billion for construction work.

An article published in the Houston Chronicle, pointed out that the multiple measures had the potential to transform the nation’s fourth-largest city with upgraded parks, libraries, grade-schools and colleges, but a crowded field meant competition for voters’ attention, and in some cases their pocketbooks.

Dr. Michael Adams, Professor of Political Science and Director, eMPA & MPA Programs at Texas Southern University, contributed to the article by pointing out that “All the measures could be bolstered by the partisan politics of a presidential election. If President Barack Obama carries the city of Houston, he could lift the down-ballot questions to victory as well. If a conservative anti-government crowd wins the day on Nov. 6, it could spell doom for the measures.”

Dr. Sharlette A. Kellum Wins 2011-2012 McCleary Teaching Excellence Award Dr. Sharlette A. Kellum, assistant professor in the Barbara J o r d a n Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (BJML SPA), Department of Administration of Justice at Texas Southern University, earned the distinction of winning the 2011-2012 McCleary Teaching Excellence Award for her “Excellence in Teaching.” A tenure-track professor, Dr. Kellum was recommended

by BJML SPA Dean Dr. Robert Bullard for her creative instruction, ideas on retaining and recruiting students, caring beyond the classroom, online/distance learning instruction, along with her kind character and her positive working relationship with her colleagues.

A certified middle and high school teacher, Dr. Kellum has been teaching at the collegiate level for over 12 years. She joined Texas Southern University and the BJML SPA in the fall of 2008. Since joining the BJML SPA, she has placed over 400 Department of Administration of Justice (DAJ) students in prominent internships throughout the Houston area, as the DAJ Internship Coordinator.

Director LaRence Snowden Appointed to Serve on Houston Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners H o u s t o n M a y or A n i s s e Parker has appointed LaRence B. Snowden to serve on the sevenmember Board of Commissioners for the Houston Housing Authority (HHA). Snowden serves as the Director of Programs and as an Adjunct Professor for the Barbara JordanMickey Leland School of Public Affairs. He spent fourteen years in the private energy sector (Amoco Corporation, Enron Corporation and Dynegy Corporation) serving in positions including deal manager for international energy development projects, and director of policy development.

Worldwide Who’s Who Names Prof. Maria Burns Professional of the Year in Maritime Education Professor Maria Burns, Maritime Professor, R e se a rc her for Texas Southern Universit y & U.S. Coast Guard Certif ication Course Developer, was been named a Worldwide Who’s Who Professional of the Year in maritime education. While inclusion in Worldwide Who’s Who is an honor, only a small selection of members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, years of service, and the credentials they have provided in association with their Worldwide Who’s Who membership.

Prof. Burns parlays two decades of professional experience in maritime education and oil & gas experience to her current position at Texas Southern

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University. As an outstanding educator, she is an expert in evaluating ships and offshore platforms, as well as conducting Strategic Environmental Assessments and Health Impact Assessments in the oil, gas and transportation industries. Officially partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard, she designs advanced training courses based on the industry’s requirements.

Professor appointed to EPA Judith Mazique, assistant professor and program director of Environmental Health in the COPHS Department of Health Sciences, was appointed by Lisa Jackson, chief Administrator and cabinet member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to the EPA’s National Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) for a term which started on on July 30, 2012, and ends on February 24, 2014. The official invitation letter was presented to Mazique on August 2, 2012 in Washington, D.C. by Bob Perciasepe, EPA Deputy Administrator, and Cynthia Jackson, Director of the Office of the Federal Advisory Committee.

In this position, Mazique will advise the EPA on a broad range of issues including environmental policy, technology, and management. “It is my hope that you will agree to serve so that EPA can benefit from your perspective,” stated Administrator Jackson.

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency established the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology in 1988, and is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

New Business School faculty members The Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University added depth to its leadership team for the fall 2012 semester to propel the School forward.

The new team members along with the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners of the JHJ School share a set of universal goals. They are committed to exemplary leadership in innovation for student centered learning, engagement in the community, and achieving the mission

Feb-Mar 2013 of the JHJ School and TSU. The new members of the JHJ School leadership represent diverse experiences and disciplines, yet they all are innovative and globally focused professionals who have detailed knowledge of best practices and of benchmarking strategies in their fields: Dr. Bruce Berger has been appointed to the newly restructured position of Associate Dean for student affairs and student services in the JHJ School. He leads the School’s efforts in achieving its primary goal of providing a personalized high-quality educational environment that prepares future leaders for career success, a commitment to life-long learning, and citizenship.

Muriel Funches has been appointed to the newly created position of Executive Director of Advancement for the JHJ School. Working closely with the Dean, Funches plays a crucial role in the leadership of and in the building of an advancement program for the JHJ School.

Dr. Ronald Brown has been appointed to the newly created position of Executive Director of Recruitment and Retention for the JHJ School. Brown will lead the effort to design and implement systems for aligning the recruitment, retention, and placement activities and outcomes with the School’s academic programs and strategic priorities.

Texas Southern Chemistry Professor Appointed to Houston Forensic LGC Board’s Advisory Group TSU professor Dr. Bobby L. Wilson has been appointed to serve on the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) board of the Houston Forensic LGC, Inc. Wilson’s appointment was unanimously approved by the TAG board on November 30th.

The Technical Advisory Group is charged with advising the Houston Forensic LGC, Inc. “regarding best practices for the management and operation of a forensic science center,”.

Internationally Recognized Forensic Scientist Joins Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs to Launch New Program in Forensic Science Ashraf Mozayani, Pharm.D., Ph.D., D-ABFT, joined the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (BJML SPA) as Executive Director and Professor within the Administration of Justice Department in October of this year.

Mozayani joins BJML SPA as it prepares to launch a new program in Forensic Science as a part of the Administration of Justice Department. The program will initially focus on the areas of forensic chemistry and forensic laboratory management, with the inclusion of a computer forensics area as the program develops. The program will prepare students for career opportunities in private and government forensic laboratories as well as provide valuable skills and knowledge for careers in all areas

of the legal system and law enforcement.

Environmental Justice Scholar Joins Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs Glenn S. Johnson, PhD, joined the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (BJML SPA) as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies / Professor of Political Science and Urban Planning and Environmental Policy in September of 2012. Johnson joins BJML SPA as the school expands its participation in local and global issues and adjusts to its ever growing student enrollment. Johnson will work to develop a comprehensive collaborative research agenda on urban and environmental issues in Houston and beyond. He will also oversee the leadership of the Mickey Leland Center for Environment and Sustainability; a leading policy research arm of the school.

Prior to joining Texas Southern University, Johnson was a research associate in the Environmental Justice Resource Center and associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Clark Atlanta University.

Ex-Indiana coach agrees to fouryear TSU deal Te x a s S o u t h e r n Un iver sit y m ade another outstanding move within their athletic program as they named former I nd i a n a Ho o s i e r s and UAB coach Mike Davis as the new Head Men’s Basketball coach for the Tigers men’s basketball team. Davis, 51, has a 237-152 record in 12 seasons as an NCAA basketball coach. Prior to coming to TSU, Davis coached at University of Alabama Birmingham.

Before UNC-W, Cooper-Dyke led Prairie View A&M to three straight conference titles, two SWAC Tournament titles, two post season NCAA appearances and two WNIT appearances.

Accomplishments The Coca-Cola Foundation Awards $50,000 to TSU During First Quarter 2012

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Rate, sometimes also known as Academic Performance Rating is a term-by-term measure of eligibility and retention for Division I student-athletes that was developed as an early indicator of eventual graduation rates.

TSU Receives SWAC’s Most Improved APR Award

Texas Southern University was announced in June ‘12 as one of 17 colleges and universities who shared in $5 million worth of grants as part of the Coca-Cola First Generation College Scholarship Program. The Scholarship Program designated $50,000 to benefit four students who are the first in their immediate family to attend college in the United States.

Texas Southern University Faculty and Staff Exhibits Leadership in Giving When the counting and celebrations ended, Texas Southern University once again distinguished itself by raising $144,000 during its four-week long 2012 Faculty and Staff Annual Fund campaign.

High points of the campaign included a 20% increase in dollars over last year’s total with faculty, staff participation again reaching a whopping 71%. With the opportunity to personally designate gifts, most chose to designate their gifts to academic scholarships, yielding a total of $48,605.

TSU’s Men’s Cross Country Team Recognized by NCAA The Texas Southern University men’s cross country team was one of six Southwestern Athletic Conference teams recognized by the NCAA, June 14, 2012, with a NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Public Recognition Award. The list consists of the nation’s top APR teams in each of the NCAA’s sponsored sports. To make this year’s list, an individual team had to finish in the top 10 percent of all schools in that sport in APR score for the 2010-11 season. The Academic Progress

Cynthia Cooper comes back home Hall of Fame ba sketba l l st a r Cynthia CooperDyke became the head coach of the Texa s Sout hern Un i v e r s it y ’s women’s basketball program in 2012.

Cooper-Dyke is one of the most celebrated players and coaches in the country. She comes to Texas Southern from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington where she led the Seahawks to back-to-back appearances in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament and was named Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year.

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The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) announced that the Texas Southern football program has been named the 2010-11 recipient of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) Most Improved Award for the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The APR Most Improved Award recognizes one institution at each of the 14 FCS conferences that has the highest APR score improvement from the previous year. In addition, the Association also recognizes one institution from each conference that has the highest overall APR score. In all, 29 awards were given this year, due to a tie in the Ivy League for the highest APR score in 2010-11. The 120 point improvement in the Football yearly APR was a significant step in the program meeting its academic objectives. The university is confident that next year’s APR number will complete the process of solidifying the academic success of the TSU Football Student Athletes and it will also remove the program from any APR penalties handed down from the NCAA.

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VietFace TV, TSU Strike Viewing Partnership The increasing numbers of Vietnameselanguage radio and television channels in Houston illuminates a thriving Vietnamese community with a thirst for first-rate programs in their native language.

On June 8th, VietFace TV-Houston, channel 51.2, and Texas Southern University reached an agreement that will give TSU the visibility in the Vietnamese community to showcase its programs and facilities. The partnership will inspire awareness of all TSU’s colleges, deans, chairs, faculties, students and President to the Asian community to target new and transfer students to let them know that the University is here to serve their educational needs.

VietFace TV has an educational program that they created for their audience and TSU will be showcased at no charge.

Houston has the third largest Vietnamese population with 135,525 residents.

Texas Southern Earns Top Ranking as “Degree Producer” Among African American & Hispanic Students

African-American graduates or 73 percent of its total graduates.

“Our mission at Texas Southern University is to become a premier university of urban programming,” said Dr. John Rudley, Texas Southern President. “Our rankings in these two recent studies indicate that we are on the right path of achieving this mission. With continued determination and perseverance we will improve our rankings by increasing our retention and graduation rates.”

TSU also ranked 23rd out of 94 with 46 Hispanics earning graduate degrees which was 17 percent of the total graduating class. In bachelor degrees conferred, TSU ranked 31st in the top 100 of produced African-American bachelor’s degree – all disciplines combined. TSU had 669 African-American graduates which were 89% of the graduating class. University of Phoenix ranked first with 3,124 AfricanAmerican graduates which was 14 percent of its total graduating class.

In total, minority professional doctoral degrees conferred, TSU ranked 16th with 225 total graduates, 83 percent being minorities.

TSU’s School of Communication Updates Control Room with Broadcast Pix Granite 5000 Video Control Center Texas Southern University’s (TSU) School of Communication has added a Granite 5000 Video Control Center to its student control room. The new system is part of an equipment upgrade to support HD and SD video production.

The control room serves as part of the school’s production laboratory, where students work with external producers to create content. Students will also produce a variety of projects, from news programs to short films, and much of the content is distributed through Comcast Cable’s ondemand portal.

Because projects are produced in both SD and HD, it was important that TSU invest in a video switcher that could handle both.

In two separately released reports, one by the Texas Higher Education Journal and one by Diverse Issues In Higher Education, Texas Southern University was recognized as a leading producer of bachelor’s and graduate degrees among African-American and Hispanic students.

The Texas Higher Education Journal reported that in Texas, TSU ranked first with an 87 percent African-American graduation rate followed by Prairie View with 82 percent, University of HoustonDowntown, 24 percent, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, 23 percent and Lamar University, 23 percent.

In the Diverse Issues in Higher Education survey, Texas Southern ranked fourth out of 100 (4th out of 100) in African-American conferred graduate degrees. In 2010-2011, TSU had 125 African-American graduates which was 46 percent of the total graduating class.

Howard University ranked first with 316

Vitaminwater Announces Texas Southern University as Winner of the “HBCU Uncapped” Contest

of TSU’s athletic teams boast scores that either meet or exceed current National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) APR standards. The NCAA will release APR scores for the 2011-12 academic year in May of 2013. An in depth look into the departments’ projected APR scores reveals that 14 of the 16 athletic teams at the University will have scores that exceed 930 highlighted by 13 teams that will have scores in excess of 950.

Since the 2008-09 academic year, Texas Southern University has gradually seen scores for all 16 sponsored sports improve significantly. Overall the program has a combined score of 958 which is over a 120 point increase from the departments’ score of 834 in 2008-09. Over the course of the past several years Texas Southern University has reached unprecedented heights as it relates to improving its Athletics Departments’ APR scores. This summer the TSU football program was recognized for the highest APR score improvement for the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Texas Southern University Awarded $4.4 Million from the United States Department of Education Texas Southern University has been awarded over $4.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen and enhance curriculum reform, counseling and student services programs. The $4.4

vitaminwater, the leading nutrient enhanced water beverage, announced Texas Southern University as one of two winners of “HBCU Uncapped.” The nationwide contest offered all accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) a chance to win one of two free concerts curated by FADER, one of the industry’s most influential underground music sources.

TSU Athletics Reaches Unprecedented Heights with New 2011-12 APR Scores T h e Te x a s S o u t h e r n Un i v e r s i t y Department of Athletics announced that for the first time since the inception of the Academic progress Report (APR) all

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million is a portion of a 227.9 million dollar grant that The U.S. Department of Education is awarding to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in 19 states.

The five-year grants - Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities - will include programs such as curriculum reform; counseling and student services.

The grant will help TSU to establish teacher education programs, designed to qualify students to teach; acquire real-estate property in connection with construction, renovations, or additions that may improve campus facilities; and fund faculty and staff development. In addition, funds may be used for the purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or lab equipment and the development of academic instruction in disciplines in which African Americans are underrepresented.

Changes in Admission Policy Having Positive Academic Impact on Texas Southern University As a result of TSU’s focused efforts on improving all academic and non-academic units of the university, there has been a gradual increase in the quality of freshman students who are selecting Texas Southern University as their university of choice. In support of the university’s Strategic Plan to attract students who are better prepared for college level work, TSU changed its admission standards initially by setting a

Feb-Mar 2013

2.0 grade point average (G.P.A.) for fiscal year 2009, and again in fiscal year 2010 to 2.5.

The admissions office has reported that the 2012 freshman class of 1,364 students has an average grade point average of 2.9747 which President John Rudley admits is outstanding. A breakdown of the average indicates that 540 students had a grade point average between 2.5 and 2.99.

An additional 453 students had grade point averages between 3.0 and 3.49, while 185 students had grade point averages between 3.5 and 3.99, with 9 students coming to Texas Southern with 4.0 grade point averages.

TSU Named One of the 2012 Military Friendly Schools The 2013 Military Friendly Schools ® list, released by Victory Media, named Texas Southern University as one of this year’s top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

TSU provides a supportive environment for veterans to help them transition back to civilian life. The TSU Student Veterans of America (TSUSVA) helps with this transition through peer support, understanding, healing in dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other combat injuries. This support group also seeks to help veterans reacclimate into society through social and active community involvement to help them cope with real-time issues.

This year’s Military Friendly Schools ® list criteria incorporates a survey of over 3,000 actual student veterans. This feedback provided prospective military students with insight into the student veteran experience at particular institutions based on peer reviews from current students. The 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools ® was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools nationwide.

interested in a career in law enforcement to apply, the Recruiting Division of the Houston Police Department along with City of Houston human resource personnel was on Texas Southern University’s campus Nov. 14th to address students and inform them of upcoming employment opportunities within the department.

Lieutenant’s Chandra Davis and Deon Thomas and officer’s Josephine Jones and Abrian Nelson spoke to the audience of nearly 60 students about the circumstances that brought them to the force and their experiences within the department.

Texas Southern University Begins Multi-Year Project to Restore Historic Murals In a major commitment to preserve the cultural legacy of 128 university murals painted by Texas Southern University art students that adorn the walls of Texas Southern University’s Hannah Hall, the TSU administration, led by University President, Dr. John M. Rudley, and College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences Dean, Dr. Danille Taylor, implemented plans to restore the historic works of art.

Inspired by the murals of Charles White and Diego Rivera, Dr. John T. Biggers world renowned artist and founder of the Art Department at Texas Southern, instituted the program of mural painting for art majors soon after he arrived on the campus. The result is a visual narrative of African American culture with themes ranging from Reconstruction and the early development of Historically Black

Colleges, to the Civil Rights Movement, to the impact of global culture and migration on the world’s youth.

Texas Southern is the only university in the country to have such a comprehensive collection of historic murals that were all created by students. Over time, however, the murals began to lose their luster through the fading and chipping of paint due in part to the materials that the students had available to them at the time.

“As the murals are gradually being restored, the excitement in Hannah Hall has been building as the TSU family observes the careful work of these professionals as they restore a valuable part of TSU’s history,” said Taylor.

With significant funding from the Brown Foundation, the restoration of nine murals has begun under the expertise of Evergreene Architectural Arts of New York City. The Evergreene conservation team, led by conservator Kumiko Hisano, is working on the third floor of Hannah Hall, bringing the murals back to their original glory through a process of stabilization of damaged areas, careful cleaning and the addition of protective varnishing, and final restoration of the surface and of painted areas.

Known for its restoration of the famous Harlem Hospital murals in New York, as well as significant conservation projects in Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and the Cathedral of Christ the Light, the Evergreene team plans to have the first nine murals completely restored by December 21. On a recent tour of the murals and the conservation process, Brown Foundation grants officer Katy Hays stated, “What a legacy for the students and the community. These works are truly jewels and the university should be proud of its role in preserving these treasures.”

As an artist and educator, Dr. Biggers regarded his student mural project as one of his most significant achievements.

During his thirty-six year tenure at Texas Southern, Dr. Biggers created three murals himself for the university, two of which have been fully restored. His earliest mural Web of Life, now housed in the University Museum, was restored by the conservation department of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 1994 at the time of the

Houston Police Department Taps into Texas Southern University Student Talent Pool In an effort to become a fixture on campus and to make it easier for students

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national Biggers retrospective organized and curated by Dr. Alvia Wardlaw. Family Unity, the second mural created by Biggers and located in the Sterling Student Life Center, is the largest of the fourteen murals that he painted in his lifetime. This mural was fully restored by Evergreen in early 2012 with funds provided by President Rudley. The first completely restored mural during this phase of the project is by world-renowned artist Kermit Oliver, painted when he was an undergraduate art major at Texas Southern.

Early attention to the conservation of the TSU murals was initiated by Dr. Sarah Trotty, current Interim Chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, and the Mural Conservation Committee. In 1999, Dr. Trotty received a University Seed Grant to research and photograph the murals and interview the artists who had completed murals as part of their undergraduate art program.

Dean Danille Taylor developed the blueprint for pursuing both funding and professional conservation expertise for the murals, and created a Mural Task Force composed of area arts and conservation experts and major patrons of the arts.

The initial professional conservation assessment of the murals was provided by Conservator Richard Haskell of California in 2011. During that process, all murals were photographed and a conservation assessment was made of the treatment required for each mural with the assistance of University Museum registrar Monica Vidal. The funding of this phase of assessment and cataloguing was provided through university administrative funds as well as a Collections Management grant awarded to the University Museum from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. With this full documentation, Evergreene was able to begin its work in restoring the first group of murals selected according to the severity of damage and historic importance.

Senior art major LaStarsha McGarity is assisting the Evergreene team in redeveloping the surface texture on the murals. This unique hands-on opportunity provides her with important experience as she pursues a career in art conservation.

“As a proud Texas Southern University student, I was overjoyed when the professionals from Evergreene Architectural Arts began doing preservation work on the University’s historic murals in the Sterling Student Life Center and Hannah Hall,” said McGarity. “Considering that art conservation is the field I have chosen to dedicate myself to, I jumped at the chance to simply observe the process and ask as many questions as I could. To my delight, Kumiko “Kumi” Hisano and her associates have been allowing me to aid in their process and touch an important part my HBCU’s history. They have guided me through every step of the process and allowed me to complete the tasks at each point, from cleaning the paintings to reapplying texture to the wall. This experience is invaluable and I am deeply indebted to the Mural Preservation Committee and the employees of Evergreene Architectural Arts.”

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Feb-Mar 2013 back to 1927-1934 to a time when the university began as the Houston Colored Junior College; and traveled through 19471951,when the university operated as the Texas State University for Negroes; through 1951 – and the present, now operating as a major urban serving institution - Texas Southern University.

But that’s not where the story ends on September 14th. The University also unveiled the “Our Story” tabletop book, a 150-page hard bound, handsomely designed publication that presents the university’s 11 presidents and tells their stories as never before.

“Our Story,” researched and produced by the university’s Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy (ECI), introduced readers to TSU’s presidents through their own rich histories with a focus on their tenure at Texas Southern. It is the brainchild of former TSU president and current vice-president Dr. James Douglas, who has labored to get the TSU story told in a comprehensive, well-documented way.

TSU’s 2012 Founders Day – One That Will Be Remembered as “Our Story”

Each year, September 14th is a special day in the life of Texas Southern University as it is the anniversary date of the university’s founding. This year the university observed its founding in a special way. Founders Day

2012 represented the 85th Anniversary of Texas Southern University. This year’s celebration was more than the usual speeches, proclamations, recognitions and honors.

This year the university unveiled its true history in an hour-long documentary called “Our Story.” The documentary revealed the true evolution about the university’s beginning, its strengths, its challenges and its successes. Students got to see firsthand and learn about the courageous acts of students who came before them. They saw pictures and heard interviews of the student led sit-ins, the campus riots and major initiatives that ranged, even then, from third ward to the third world.

The documentary took the audience

Compiled by d-mars.com staff with the assistance of The Office of Communications at Texas Southern University - Mrs. Eva Pickens - Lindsey, Associate Vice President.

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Feb-Mar 2013

Hall for All – Leadership With Vision Ben Hall Kicks Off Mayoral Campaign to Overflow Crowd

By Ben Hall for Mayor Staff

B

en Hall officially announced his candidacy for Mayor of Houston before an overflow crowd of supporters. Hall was joined by his wife, Saundra, two sons, Benjamin and Zachary, community leaders and hundreds of supporters from across the city as he laid out his vision for the City of Houston.

The innovaction was led by Lee Maxcy, Executive Pastor at Second Baptist Church.

Rev. Bill Lawson, of Wheeler Baptist Church and Judge Alan Zimmerman, both co-treasurers of the Ben Hall for Mayor campaign made introductions and called on our city to unite behind Hall as the candidate with a proven history of success and the person to lead Houston forward.

Hall set forth his priorities for going beyond the status-quo of the current administration and shared his vision for making Houston an international hub for business, world-class entertainment, retail centers, and establishing a new approach on leadership in Houston.

“This is not business as usual,” said Hall.

“Houston doesn’t need a mere manager.

Houston requires a leader with grand ideas and a plan to get us there.”

“The current philosophy at City Hall is to just keep on managing our city based on stagnant tax policies and increased licensing and permit fees. As mayor I will not continue the stranglehold of taxes and fees that are choking the taxpayers.

We must not tax residents to death, but

rather expand our revenue opportunities by opening our doors aggressively to world markets.”

“I am running for Mayor because I am confident this city, with strong leadership, has not even glimpsed the extent of its world-class greatness,” continued Hall. “I am running for mayor because I know that the best is yet to come.”

“We need an aggressive revenuebuilding and business friendly approach to economic growth inside the city. We must encourage businesses to come here, to create secondary markets here to service businesses that are already here. If you own a business or want to start a business, big or small, I want Houston to be the only choice you consider. Houston is open for business!”

Hall’s leadership agenda also included setting the tone for a “tough on crime” message. “Some say that this is the business of the District Attorney’s office, but I disagree. I want criminals to know that you are not welcomed in Houston.

That message needs to be made clear and it is absolutely the job of mayor to set that tone for our entire city. And, for those that commit non-violent crimes, we are not going to let you cool your heels in jail on the taxpayer’s dime. I get up and go to work every day to pay for my keep, I don’t need to be paying for theirs while they kick up their heels in jail. They owe a debt to our community and they can work to help clean our streets and bayous.”

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Attorney Spotlight“Getting Involved”

By Judie Simmons,

Contributing Writer

B

y the age of 30, Robert Collier became the youngest AfricanAmerican general counsel of PreCash, a financial services company located in the Galleria area.

PreCash provides electronic payment processing and solutions to individuals and businesses. According to its website, “PreCash serves more than 3 million consumers and touches nearly $3 billion in payments annually.” “We are a payment transaction processor with over 102 employees in two officers which has generated over $100 million in revenue.”

Collier joined PreCash five years after co-founding his own law firm that focused on commercial litigation and regulatory compliance. When asked how he did it, Collier answered with one word: involvement. He went on to explain that, “the key to my success in my practice and now as counsel for PreCash has been getting involved in the Houston community by using my skill set to empower individuals and businesses to succeed.”

Collier takes social responsibility seriously. Collier has participated in several high profile civil rights cases. Recently, Collier represented Houston couple Sebastian Prevot and Annika Lewis in the case involving police brutality. He is also represented three African American workers against Menzies and Air France in a racial harassment suit after a video

surfaced showing a white employee tying a noose in the cargo warehouse.

“My involvement in civil rights cases stems from my upbringing in Mississippi.

It is ingrained in me to fight oppression and to address infractions upon our God given rights. I am grateful to part of a company that fosters an environment that allows me to stay involved.”

Collier is currently serves as President for Houston Thurgood Marshall School of Law Alumni Association and serves on board of the Houston Business Development Inc. He previously served as a board member for the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation and the Bradford School of Business Accounting Program Advisory Committee. Collier is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel, 100 Black Men of Houston, and Houston World Affairs Council. He has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star, “Corporate Brass” of Who’s Who in Black Houston, the Houston Business Journal “40 under 40”, and a United Way Project Blueprint Leadership Class XXX member.

“I enjoy public service and getting involved with the tough challenges of our community. I feel very blessed, and with certain blessings and privileges comes a responsibility to give back to your community,” he says. “I consider it my duty to do that.”

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The 4 C’s of

Customer

Service

By Noel Pinnock, CCC, Contributing Writer

F

our words crossed my mind the other day regarding customer service. I call them the four Cs of customer service - Commitment, Completeness, Consistenc y a nd Communication. Let’s take a look at each one.

Commitment - In order to give great customer service, there must be Commitment from an organization’s leadership. Commitment must be visible through action. It’s easy to place posters and signs upon the wall, but that’s not the action of which I’m speaking. Leaders should show commitment by leading the charge to determine what great customer service should look like within the organization.

Leaders should develop and adhere to core values for the organization Leaders should commit to finding ways to determine what’s important to the organization’s customers. Leaders should become the customer by utilizing the organization’s product or service in order to get the customer’s perspective. The commitment level of leadership should be readily apparent to employees. Leaders should regularly communicate their commitment with the entire organization. Commitment requires action! Commitment is long-term as the organization’s long-term existence is at stake.

Completeness - Following the leadership commitment to providing great customer service is the second C representing Completeness. Once the commitment is in place, the need to ensure that everyone within the organization is on the same page is paramount to the organization’s success.

Completeness means that everyone within every department understands their role in providing great customer service. A complete and thorough assessment of the organization’s operations is key to identifying areas of opportunity. All customer touch points should be evaluated for efficiency. Completeness means insuring that what matters to the customer is identified and utilized in developing the organization’s product or service concept.

Completeness means identifying one’s internal customers in order to determine how to meet their needs as well. All areas of the organization must be aware of how their everyday actions impact both internal and external customers. Completely commit to providing great customer service!

Consistency - After leadership exercises commitment and the entire organization

is completely on the same page regarding the provision of great customer service, the third C of Consistency enters the picture.

This C is crucial to the long-term success of the organization. The ability to consistently provide a great customer service experience is what builds brand loyalty. Loyal customers are revenue generators as they are both comfortable and excited to share their positive customer service experiences with others. Consistency means the customer receives the same level of service during each encounter with your organization.

Consistency means that no matter which of your organization’s locations the customer visits, a positive experience awaits. When calling your organization, it doesn’t matter which employee takes the call, the organization will strive to consistently provide a great customer service experience.

When interacting with your company online, the customer is provided an easy and efficient experience. When issues arise, the organization will look to consistently resolve them in a timely manner. When an organization can consistently provide a great customer service experience, it won’t be long before the word-of-mouth effect takes over. New customers will appear as a result of the organization’s ability to be consistent.

Communication - The glue that holds all of this together is the fourth C - Communication. Now this particular C requires that the commitment to providing great customer service is constantly communicated. It means that the organization’s employees are kept abreast of how well the organization is performing in its quest to meet the needs of the customer.

This C means that the employees are given the means to communicate the customer’s perception of the organization to the leaders. The leaders are to communicate how employee ideas for improvement are contributing to the success of the organization. It means that customers are able to initiate communication with the organization regarding their personal experiences with the product or services.

This fourth C requires the organization’s leaders to communicate customer needs and preferences to the rest of the organization to insure that all products and services are designed with the end-user in mind.

In this era of multichannel customer service provision, it’s important to make sure that your customer understands how important they are to your organization.

Make sure they are able to see, hear and feel what they mean to your organization by establishing Commitment, followed

by Completeness of purpose, exhibiting Consistency during all customer interactions and applying the glue called Communication!

17.

Empowerment & You

By Errol Allen, Contributing Writer

L

eading well is not about enriching one self – it’s about empowering others and enabling them to be successful, no matter what.

Only empowered people can reach their potential. When a leader can’t or won’t empower others, he or she creates barriers within the organization that followers cannot overcome.

When leaders fail to empower others, it is usually due to four reasons: 1.

Desire for Job Security 2. Resistance to Change 3. Lack of Self-Worth 4. Fear The truth is that empowerment is powerful – not only for the person being developed, but also for the mentor.

Enlarging others makes you larger. It is an impact you can experience as a leader as long as you are willing to believe in people and give your power away. Furthermore, power sees the potential in others.

AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN

EMPOWERED

Okay, let me guess….you are probably thinking, what can Noel tell me, now, that I haven’t already heard or read? Well, it gives me great pleasure to provide you with some inspiring words that have been composed and arranged to challenge your thinking as well as establish a symphonic framework that will help you think outside of this proverbial “box” and dispel any thoughts of impossibility.

First, in order to see pass the impossible; you have to possess an unyielding willingness to see yourself at the desire goal or outcome. The unyielding willingness is characterized by many as having faith.

Faith is not a noun but a verb…it is not somebody but it is doing something!

Having faith requires kinetic energy both in your brain and in your body because faith without works is dead. In the vernacular, faith sees the invincible, believes in the incredible and receives the impossible.

Second, recognize that you are no better than anyone else and no one else is better than you. Gerry Fusco, CEO of Gerry Consulting and Ministry Leader for the Between the Job Ministry, planted that powerful seed in my life when he and I worked on a project together. The profound statement enabled me to know without any uncertain terms that we all are truly equal, and in that equality no one

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has accomplished anything that can not be duplicated or improved upon. Careful now, there is a defining line between confidence and arrogance. I believe we define that line in every business venture, sales pitch, or conversation we share with prospects, friends, and family members.

You see, it wasn’t until I accepted my inadequacies that I was able to embrace God’s all sufficient grace, which provided the confidence required to produce the faith that water the seed Gerry planted in my life. So, I offer you the same seed of encouragement.

Finally, there should not be any mountain too high or valley too low that should keep YOU from achieving that next level in your life and career. So, you have had some difficult times. Maybe your parents are divorced or maybe you are pregnant or maybe the bank rejected your loan or maybe the economy caused your market shares to dip or maybe there are just too many maybes to consider. I say like Jesus Christ once said, speak to the mountains and valleys in your life in faith and know that the only thing that stops many of us from securing that competitive promotional opportunity, writing the next New York Times® best-selling novel, obtaining that long-awaited degree, jumpstarting the childhood business venture or rebounding from a broken relationship lies in the power of one, YOU! As Smokey the Bear once said, “Only you can prevent forest fires!” Yeah, the forest fires in your life and career can truly stifle your ability to survive and, more importantly, thrive. English Poet, William Ernest Henley, wrote in his 1888 poem, Invictus, the following: OUT of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.V It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.

The only question that remains is…who is the master of your fate and the captain of your soul? Careful, don’t answer right away… get at it!

18.

Feb-Mar 2013

The Benefits of a Roth Option

in Your Retirement Plan

By Mena Freeman, Contributing Writer

W

hen it comes to choosing investments, most retirement plan participants worry about whether to choose a stock, bond, or fixed income investment option. But there’s another investment option that is often overlooked by many: the Roth option.

Since 2006, sponsors of 401(k), 403(b) and effective in 2011 governmental 457 retirement plans have had the ability to offer their plan participants an investment option that enables them to make contributions to their account on an aftertax basis: through the Roth investment option. Although all retirement plans do not offer this option, it is becoming more popular as employers seek low-cost ways to enhance their employee benefit offerings.

The Roth investment option offers retirement savers many of the same benefits as a Roth IRA – along with one key additional advantage.

What are the benefits of the Roth investment option?

• The plan participant pays taxes on Roth contributions before they are made.

The money contributed to the Roth option then grows tax free.

• Withdrawals from your Roth investment option will be tax free – as long as you are at least 59½ years old when you withdraw your money, and your Roth investment option has been in effect for at least five years.

• From an eligibility perspective, the Roth investment option has no income limit. As long as your employer offers this type of investment option, you are eligible to make Roth contributions. This makes the Roth option ideal for high-income individuals who may not be able to contribute to a Roth IRA due to their adjusted gross income (AGI) being too high. (The IRS limits Roth IRA contributions to those individuals whose AGI’s do not exceed a certain level. The amount of this threshold tends to change each year and is set by the IRS.) Some things to keep in mind • Any Roth contributions that you make through your employer’s retirement plan will count towards your total contribution limit for the year. For example, if you participate in a 401(k) plan, the maximum amount that you can contribute to your account in 2012 is $17,000 –through both before-tax and Roth (after-tax) investment options. (If you are age 50 or older in 2012, your total contribution limit for both before-tax and Roth contributions is $22,000.)

• Roth contributions will mean that

more money is taken out of your pay (versus before-tax contributions), since you are making your Roth contributions on an after-tax basis.

• If your employer offers a Roth investment option as part of your retirement plan, there may or may not be an employer match for the Roth money that you contribute. Keep in mind that if your employer does match your Roth contributions, your employer’s contributions, as well as their investment earnings, will be taxable when you withdraw them from the plan.

• If your employer matches your retirement plan contributions, be sure to check whether or not your Roth contributions will be matched. Not all employers who offer Roth contributions provide matching contributions for these dollars. If your employer matches only before-tax contributions, be sure to consider contributing the maximum amount of before-tax contributions that your employer will match. You may make Roth contributions in addition to your before-tax contributions (up to the IRS annual limit) – but if you make only Roth contributions under these circumstances, you’ll be leaving money on the table with every paycheck, since your retirement account will not benefit from your employer’s matching dollars.

• If you change jobs and wish to move money out of your former employer’s retirement plan, you may transfer any money you have in a Roth investment option to a Roth IRA. Who should consider the

Idea Rich and Equity

Poor in America

believe there is a gap in some American

By Cynthia Nevels, communities where a large percentage of Contributing Writer

T

here is no shortage of business ideas in America but the levels of business equity created are skewed. Some experts

Roth investment option?

Many financial professionals advise that the Roth investment option may be best for those individuals who feel that income tax rates will rise in the future, or whose tax bracket may be higher in retirement. Many of those same professionals, however, also tell their clients that a Roth investment option can be yet one more way to diversify the investments in their retirement plan account.

Is the Roth option right for you? Only you can answer that question. But you don’t have to do it alone. For guidance on retirement planning, be sure to contact your financial professional. For questions on whether your employer offers a Roth investment option in your retirement plan, contact your HR department or benefits administrator.

Prepared by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, N.Y. The information contained in this article is for general, informational purposes only. This publication is for the purpose of education and information only and is not intended to constitute tax or legal advice.

For information on your specific situation, please consult your personal legal or tax advisor.

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ideas spawned by would-be entrepreneurs never reach your shelf, table or browser.

I researched and analyzed this paradox, after attending the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ event entitled “Strengthening the Economy by Streng thening

Feb-Mar 2013 Microbusiness” on January 31, 2013. I wanted to understand why some ideas become reality and financially impact the business owners in a positive way and others fade as quickly as they come. Is the problem, solely, lack of capital? Are the majority of the business ideas created by women and people of color terrible ideas or too small for bankers or investors to care?

According to Rosemary Carlson Peavler, a retired professor of Business Finance and a freelance writer for About.com, small business owners have to put up some of their own money or equity in order to start their business and before seeking financing from other sources. Equity is the ownership interest of investors in a business firm. If you are the sole owner of your business then you have 100% equity stake in that business. The value of your equity is determined by the total liabilities subtracted from the business’ total assets.

In some American communities, small businesses are like most savings accounts in poor neighborhoods - equity deficient; and studies show the businesses with equity, capital, infrastructure and talent often take the lead in front of small enterprises that lack a solid mixture of the same elements. They all start out as an idea but the entrepreneur that is able to acquire the elements is more likely to be rewarded financially for their success.

I read the story of the founder of one of the hottest businesses who took Coke and Pepsi head on with her unsweetened, flavored water. This business was an idea of a mother of four who created HINT™ Water in her kitchen because she recognized a problem – her kids weren’t drinking enough water and plain water was boring. I can imagine her talking about this idea at the annual holiday party and someone telling her it will never work or perhaps questioning the market demand for such a simple idea.

However, millions of dollars later, Kara Goldin has been rewarded handsomely because she didn’t listen to the naysayers.

She found her own way to take her concept from idea, to business model, to money making microbusiness with employees.

Research shows, microbusinesses generate approximately $4.87 trillion dollars to the United States economy annually; and create 41.3 million jobs of which 31% of those are private sector jobs. These are enterprises that started as an idea that have grown to become key factors in sustaining the viability of the American dream.

What makes Kara different from the uncle who talks about starting his own car detailing business or your aunt, the retired school teacher, who bakes the best cakes this side of the Mississippi; both of whom have big dreams of creating a successful business yet never quite seem to move from the idea box to the business box?

“This problem is not solely about money, it is about not being in the network” says angel investor Gregory Campbell. Ideas are the seeds to innovation yet finding the right cultivator can be a struggle in some communities where cultivators do not live or work. “Startup entrepreneurs often do not know where to start or whom to trust with their ideas,” states Tiffany Reese, Chief Creative Strategist for INKS. “I had never met a venture capitalist nor had I ever

met a legitimate financial/business advisor who could explain to me what equity is in a way I could understand until I became a senior manager for a large urban nonprofit.

They just don’t live where I live and they don’t come into our neighborhoods to deal with small potatoes,” says Reese.

Campbell believes there are four areas where America is failing entrepreneurs with feasible ideas in low-income communities, they are: • Providing a space where entrepreneurs can come together to work, collaborate and share ideas without reprise or fear of intellectual property being stolen • Creating a culture of encouragement in schools, colleges, and community based organizations • Encouraging more successful entrepreneurs who look like the residents to return to mentor potential startups • Cultivate a network of researchers, marketers and investors who are willing to supply the underserved with tools they need to move to the next level What made Kara different? Kara had a background in marketing, she spent hours conducting research to understand the competitive landscape of the beverage market and she did not wait for the idea to fade – she took the business to the next level through the following steps: • Education – learning on her own to fill the knowledge gaps she had • Communication – communicating to the people she knew what resources she needed • Connections – testing her concept by utilizing what she had at the time – data, an idea and customers • Capital – she and her husband used their own savings and the revenue generated during the startup phase to demonstrate to investors her idea was proven; she had to put something into the business before anyone would take the company seriously Goldin has turned HINT Water into a $30 million enterprise and has plans to continue her expansion based on a simple idea.

Reese states, “Entrepreneurship is a mindset, you either have it or you don’t.”

Entrepreneurs with ideas recognize opportunity in the problems that exist all around us but the really special ones are willing to invest the elements needed to create that special recipe for success. It takes more than an idea to build equity in a business yet it only takes one idea to change the world around you, create your own financial stability and positively impact economic development in the United States. **List of Resources** Association for Enterprise Opportunity www.aeoworks.org Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance www.wbea-texas.org Innovation Greenhouse @ UNT www. innovation.unt.edu Capital One Bank Getting Down to Business w ww.capitalone.com Equity Formulator www.ownyourventure.com/

19.

Proud To Be An Educator

By Christina Robinson Grochett Contributing Writer

I

f you were to survey 10 of your closest friends asking what they are most proud of, their occupation would most likely be one of them. Whether it’s the challenge of reaching the top or being able to make a difference in the lives of others, there are many reasons for people to take pride in their career.

Education is one of the most rewarding career paths. Educators have the ability to help mold and shape the minds of tomorrow’s leaders. Additionally, educators take great pride in helping students reach their ultimate potential, possibly obtaining a career in a chosen profession or simply fulfilling a personal goal of lifelong learning.

Many times, educators find themselves serving not only as a lecturer, but also a resource and role model to their students through mentoring, coaching and training. It’s an educator’s responsibility to understand what their students need in order for them to experience the most success post-graduation.

Continuously serving as a resource throughout a student’s professional career is what sets apart many educators. One major point of pride for an educator is connecting what students learn in the classroom to a fulfilling career. Many educators feel that helping a student obtain their degree is only the first step to a lifelong education process.

At University of Phoenix,® educators provide students with valuable resources, both inside the classroom and out, to help them determine their future career path.

However, to successfully assist students, educators must understand many different concepts surrounding student success, including: Understanding Student Interests The job of any respectable educator is to help students discover and understand their interests. Educators play a critical role and resource to students planning their future career path. Whether through providing career assessments and/or listening to a student’s proposed course of action, educators help students create a career path to meet their personal and professional goals.

Understanding Employer Needs Demonstrating what is most important to potential employers allows students to better understand what skills they need

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to focus on while in school. Employers and students should expect education to mirror the dynamics in the workplace. The majority of University of Phoenix students are working adults, and faculty members are working in the fields they teach.

Therefore, the University has a unique perspective on workplace dynamics and skills employers demand in today’s global economy.

Understanding Educational Needs Beginning the journey to a new career is a long, challenging road. By developing a career plan, educators help students incorporate their academic journey to develop the competencies that employers are seeking in the workforce today. The classroom continues to evolve to closely mirror the workplace and the skills employers demand – essentially bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Understanding Financial Responsibilities Many universities inform students of financial obligations, best payment options and the type of education and time investment required to complete a degree. Educators take the time to get to know their students and their interests, and provide them an education plan that is financially responsible and relevant to their helping them fulfill their short- and longterm goals.

At University of Phoenix, students are led by our dedicated faculty to grow their knowledge and skills, positioning themselves for career growth. Educators experience a great sense of gratification and pride while helping students open the door to lifelong learning and reaching their maximum career potential. Educators are proud to make a solid investment in the future of students by preparing them for the road of infinite opportunities.

About The Author Christina Robinson Grochett is the Campus Director of University of Phoenix Houston Campus. An accomplished leader and champion of higher learning, she was selected as one of the 2010 Women of Influence by Houston Woman Magazine, one of the Top 10 business women by the American Business Women’s Association in 2008 and a Cambridge Who’s Who 2011 VIP for the Education Industry. Under her leadership, the Houston Campus were selected as a 2009, 2010 and 2011 Best Place to Work by The Houston Business Journal and was awarded with the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Awards from the City of Houston for Workplace Flexibility and Innovation.

20.

Feb-Mar 2013

5 Strategies to Help You Stay Proud To Be The Mother

Focused and Productive Of A Special Needs Son

By Elvia Valdez

By Carrie Greene

H

unger, noise, temperature, surroundings, energy level and overall health. All of these impact how well you function, your productivity and the quality of your work. It doesn’t matter what your business plan or marketing strategy is, the one thing that will make or break your bottom line is your productivity. Because of this I spend as much time with my clients talking about these things as I do about their business. Unless these fundamentals are in place and working FOR you and not against you nothing else you do is going to work.

There are many things that you can do to help set yourself up for success. I’m going to share the five strategies I use most often to make sure that my focus and productivity stay where I want them to be.

Lower the volume! Noise can come from many sources. Phones ringing, television or radio playing in the background, people talking around you, windows open and outdoor noises coming in. I know that sometimes the noise can help you.

Sometimes you may like music playing while you work, sometimes you may enjoy the idle chatter of people around you. For instance, I like to sit in Starbucks and write.

However, it’s important to recognize when the noise is a distraction. That same noise

Contributing Writer

in Starbucks makes it impossible for me to do detail work like editing or preparing a presentation.

Creature comforts. Fresh air, a clean space, comfortable clothing, a supportive chair, a cup of tea, light. There is nothing worse than trying to focus on a project when you’re thinking about your aching feet or hurting back. You need to be comfortable to be productive. I always have a cup of herbal tea or bottle of water on hand. I wear cozy slippers in the winter and open my windows as often as possible.

Oh and I NEVER work in the dark.

Wake up! I’m not talking about caffeine here, and yes you should get the sleep you need. What I’m talking about is knowing how you function and when you are naturally more alert. Work on more difficult things during those times of day. I’m a morning person. When I work on projects late at night it’s always much harder and I always make mistakes.

Feel good. I am not a nutritionist or an exercise guru. What I do know is that when I eat well and exercise regularly, I feel better. When I feel better I can focus on the work I am doing easier and this has a direct impact on the revenue I bring in.

The other thing that exercise does for me... since I usually work out at a gym, I see and interact with people regularly and get out

W

hen God grants you a miracle you quickly embrace the beauty of his grace. The saying that God never gives one more than they can handle is very true, but in the journey of life I have learned that God has given me the trials he has given me because he knows I am strong enough to overcome them.

My son is God’s greatest gift to me.

How on earth am I worthy of such a gift?

God’s word says I am worthy of such gifts because I am royalty, I am the daughter of a King and this is why I was given my

Prince, Alexandro. I am proud to be the mother of this beautiful creation because I am his voice, I am his strength and I am his guide through the unknown. With me by his side we will turn his disabilities into special abilities.

I am proud of the voice he is building to learn to ask for the simple pleasures of life, I am proud that he knows I am his mother while he has yet in his young three years of life to call me mom, he knows that I am.

I am proud that I was chosen to be his advocate. I am proud that I am the mother of my most priceless possession, my son!

from behind my computer!

Check out your view. In part this is about cleaning up your space and getting rid of the piles. If you have piles around you there’s no way you can be fully present with the work you are doing. However, there’s more to it than that. Ideally you want to work somewhere where there’s a window and natural light. Put up a picture or two that make you smile. Bring in fresh flowers or a plant. One thing I have hanging in my office is the medal I got from the duathlon I participated in, as well as my number from the 5K I ran in. The important thing to do is to give yourself a place to look that will recharge you and make you smile when you look up from

your work.

What are some of your strategies for setting yourself up for success? There is always something you can do to help minimize the distractions around you. It’s up to you to decide if what you’re getting from the distraction is worth it.

About the Author Carrie Greene is a speaker, trainer, coach and author of Chaos to Cash.

She helps entrepreneurs cut through the confusion and chaos surrounding them so they make decisions, stop spinning and procrastinating and make more money.

Free resources at http://www.CarrieThru. com and http://www.ChaosToCashBook. com/excerpt

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Feb-Mar 2013

21.

Make the Right

Connections!

Message from Helen L. Callier:

I

invite you to join us on March 28, 2013 at GPC Making the Right Connections at the George R. Brown Convention Center. GPC is the vertically focused conference for your Small / Woman / Minority and Veteran owned business to make the right connections in the local, state and Federal government markets.

After 20 years, GPC continues to evolve in order to maximize small businesses’ opportunity for success in working for large Primes and government agencies.

In 2013, we are power-packing GPC into a 1-day experience for small businesses to make the right connections. March 28, 2013 offers three Must Attend Workshops on growing segments, Face-toface Meetings with large Primes and key agency representatives, and opportunities to introduce your product or service to over 150 exhibitors. Go ahead; the time is now to register for GPC Making the Right Connections..

Our Planning Committee consists of government agencies, large Primes and small businesses. As result, we have a keen understanding of what large Primes are

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wanting in future small business teaming partners. From an agency perspective, we know the criteria of Federal, state and local agencies and have knowledge on the best way small businesses are to present their firms and to respond to government procurements. We get it! We are working smart and determined to help your small business to make the right connections to large Primes or to agencies or to contract information or potential teaming partners.

Register now and plan to take part to help grow your business. Sign up for Face-toface meetings and prepare to have dynamic conversation with many exhibitors that are eager and ready to talk with you.

Be sure to read our latest GPC Success Stories and believe your small business can achieve a level of success, as well. If you have any questions on how GPC can assist your small business in the local, state, and Federal markets, call us toll free at 1-877-543-4960 or email me at helen@ houstongpc.org.

Best wishes small businesses, Helen L. Callier GPC 2013 Chair Bradlink LLC, President @bradlinkllc

22.

Feb-Mar 2013

Proud to Be, Who We See

By Dr. D.L. Jones

Contributing Writer

T

here have been many blacks throughout America who have served as role models to many people of color. The likes of Bill Cosby, Martin Luther King, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, and Rosa Parks just to name a few. Nevertheless, this country has never seen a black person obtain the highest, prestigious, and most powerful position in the world; the president of the United States. I’m speaking of non other than President Barack Obama.

For years this country has done a damaging job in the strategic psychological identity warfare on black Americans.

Television, radio, and printed media across the country have predominately been produced by the dominant culture, depicting the white phenotype as beautiful and sublime and the black phenotype as ugly and less desirable.

In the past, these negative psychological images have created low self esteem, low self image, and the lack of pride when it comes to positive African American efficacy. Throughout the years many African Americans have wrestled with their “who-ness and what-ness.” Who they are and what they can be and achieve. The psychological game is designed to do just that; keep us from truly knowing who we are and the powerful innate gifts that God has endowed within each and every one of us.

How many talented, gifted and ingenious blacks you personally know that are locked up in prison, on drugs, and have wasted their lives as a result of this negative psychological identity warfare on our “who-ness” and “what-ness?” I dare not count knowing that the number falls within my own family.

The power of seeing positive images is vitally crucial as it relates to our success, attitude, efficacy, and pursuit to excellence as African Americans. Without this mental and physical imagery the climb to self actualization is very difficult if not impossible.

There’s a lyrical stanza in the song “I believe I can fly” by R-Kelly that says: If I can see it, then I can do it If I just believe it, there’s nothing to it I believe I can fly I believe I can touch the sky I think about it every night and day Spread my wings and fly away I believe I can soar I see me running through that open door I believe I can fly I believe I can fly I believe I can fly Black America on January 20, 2009 we saw something that made all of us “Proud to Be Who We See.” Who would have ever thought of it? On that glorious day

as I watched President Barack Obama take the oath of the office of President of the United States of America, I envisioned in my mind the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in heaven sitting with the angels Gabriel and Michael; laughing with Peter, James, and John; and shaking hands with Jesus saying those immortal words “Free at Last, Free at Last, Thank God Almighty we’re Free at Last.”

January 20, 2009 marked the day of a historical event in this country that I a prayed that my twelve year old daughter would one day see, a black man taking the oath as president of the United States of American. Wow! It would be remiss of me if I don’t get the record straight for all the doubters, haters, and non supporters of President Obama.

This is NOT a seventies affirmative action ‘fill the slot’ legislative decision. The African American heritage of President Obama is wonderful and great knowing the past struggles, discrimination, racism, and unfair practices served on an entire race of people in this country. But let’s make it very clear, President Obama was the best qualified candidate running for the highest position in the world!

Look at just a few excerpts from his resume: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA Undergraduate, 1981-1983 Columbia University B.A. Political Science with specialization in international relations Thesis topic: Soviet nuclear disarmament Harvard Law School J.D. magna cum laude 1988-1991 *President, Harvard Law Review Illinois Senator • Member, Senate Foreign Relations • Committee Chairman, • Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs Member, Senate Committee on • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Member, Senate Committee on • Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs • Member, Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman, Health and Human • Services Committee.

Worked on bipartisan effort in • Illinois to pass the broadest ethics-reform legislation in 25 years, and gained support for his successful bills reforming death penalty interrogations and ending racial profiling by police. Worked with the Republican-led effort to reform welfare.

Now do you see? I think we all do, Blacks, Whites, Native Americans and all ethnic groups. He’s not just black man who won, he’s the best qualified person (man or woman, republican or democrat) who won!

Therefore, all African American people in this country can be “Proud to Be Who We See!” May God bless all who read this article, and may God Bless America.

3 Tips For Using

Youtube For Your

Small Business

By Michael Griffiths

V

ideo is such a powerful and time-saving tool. Five pages of written content can be relayed easily through a oneminute video. Since video teases both the auditory and visual senses, it is quite an effective tool for marketing your business.

And when searching for any type of reference material, where does one normally go? YouTube’s free-to-use and post model and huge, free to register audience makes it a great channel for businesses. On top of that - you can easily embed links to a YouTube post on any other online marketing collateral you are using. The potential of being seen and heard is huge.

But like all marketing collaterals, you must know how to properly use it in order to take advantage of all its benefits. Below are three tips which can help when opting to use YouTube to market your business: Create your own YouTube channel.

When in the business of marketing, branding is important. People must be able to see what seems to be an innocent logo, or color combination, and immediately know that it represents a certain brand. Same is true for YouTube - make the effort of creating your own YouTube channel, then customize it with hints and trademarks reminiscent of your brand. Put a watermark on your videos to identify you with your posted clips. Add relevant information and links, and customize colours to make it truly your own. A channel setup also offers YouTube users the option to subscribe to your content via the click of one button and the option to search just your uploaded content. The channel structure also allows you to highlight just uploads, playlists, favorites or all. Use whatever tools you can use, and think of it as your alwaysaccessible platform for marketing.

Remove offensive comments. As in any form of social media, there will always be those who will post offensive and negative comments just to get you all worked up.

Sometimes, their comments can get nasty, bordering on the lines of decency and relevance. It would be good judgment to remove or delete these comments, as leaving them on literally encourages

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other neutral viewers to post not-sonice comments also. This is a natural human tendency. Sometimes, fights and arguments ensue, especially if you do have a loyal set of fans. Of course, it won’t serve its original purpose if you allow these to happen, so be on top of your channel or videos always. Don’t immediately delete all comments which are not to your liking, especially if they are honest opinions and are relevant to your content. Exercise good judgment always, and always keep an open mind towards constructive criticism.

Engage with the YouTube community.

The goal of any social media platform is to encourage socialization, so as with Facebook and Twitter, go out and get to know people in the community by watching related videos, commenting, praising good posts and trying to be a familiar name on YouTube. Resist the urge to be holed up in your own channel, not wanting to associate with others. If you don’t want to watch other people’s similar and related videos, then just go and search for content that interests you. It may be about fashion or makeup, music or self-help videos, or anything about a cause which you are passionate about (like Animal Rescues, etc). Whatever it is, keeping yourself in the loop will enhance your knowledge about YouTube, and will keep you updated on the latest video production trends. Follow the YouTube blog also to keep up with site and community news.

YouTube, when used to its best potential may very well turn out to be your business’ secret weapon. Imagine how many people you can reach, and how much you can say with a short video? So learn the ropes and start producing and posting your videos you may find its results quite surprising.

About the Author Michael Griffiths is the CEO and Founder of My Small Business Marketing Guru. Helping small business owners generate more leads, clients and increase profits with relationship based marketing strategies. We invite you to get your free black mask marketing resources to help your business grow today, when you visit http://mysmallbusinessmarketingguru. com.au

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5 Ways to Add Money Back into Your Monthly Budget & Get your Personal Finances in Order

By Jenny Kerr

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f you are struggling with your personal finances each month, chances are you have more money going out each month than you have coming in. This is actually quite common with most Americans as most people do not track their spending. So how do you overcome it?

The first step is to realize that in order to create a balanced budget for your household, what you are bringing in each month and what is going out should be equal. Ideally, you would have more money coming in each month than going out. This is how you start to build a savings to use in emergency situations.

If you are looking for ways to cut expenses and add money to your budget each month, try these 5 strategies. I have used them successfully and recommended them to other people in my classes and they have worked well.

1. Phone lines - Your cell phone and home phone are two areas where you can

find money in your budget. If you still have a land line, do you use it? If not, consider cancelling it or reducing some of the extra add ons like call waiting or caller id. The same goes for your cell phone. Is your plan the best you can get for your usage?

Take some time to explore these two areas of your budget to see where you can save money.

2. Television – Paying an expensive cable bill? If you are struggling monthly, cutting out the cable bill is one way you can help to get your finances in order.

With services like Netflix, there is no need to pay expensive cable bills each month.

I have written a detailed report on my website about this using the Roku digital video player.

3. Haircuts – Going to expensive salons can make a huge dent in your budget.

Have you thought of trying a beauty school? A beauty school is a great way to get professional services at a discounted price. Just remember, they may take a little

longer because they are students, but they are supervised. Just be clear on what you want and you shouldn’t have a problem.

4. Limit eating out and take your lunch to work – Food is one area of the budget that can really hurt you. I mean we all have to eat, right? By limiting the number of times you eat out each week you can help save money. If you want to save even more money, take your lunch to work every day. You can take leftovers or sandwiches to save money and eat healthy.

5. Budget Billing for utility bills - In our area it’s called budget billing but does your utility company offer you to set up your monthly bills so you are only paying an average each month? This can help even out your utility bills so you are paying an average all year around instead of a spike in price during the heat of summer and cold in winter. By paying a monthly average, you know what you are paying and you won’t get an unexpected high bill.

Finding money in your budget can be

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easier than you might of thought if you just start to look at your finances in a new way. These 5 tips should help you start to do that. Can you think of more ways you can save money each month by making small and manageable changes?

Ready to create your own personalized household budget? Learn how with the Budget Bootcamp: A Common Cents Approach to Personal Finance and Money Management for Women. Find out how to finally set up a realistic budget that you can live with and stick to, cut your living expenses without living like a monk and get rid of debt once and for all, so you can start building up your financial assets! Jenny Kerr specializes in helping women get out of debt and build wealth . Get her highlyacclaimed Budget Bootcamp: A Common Cents Approach to Personal Finance and Money Management for Women and find out how to take care of your finances once and for all so you can become debt free!

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Feb-Mar 2013

Attraction and Attitude

How They Fit Into Your Business Success

By Jeannine Clontz

O

ne of the things I enjoy most about having my own business is the freedom to choose who I’ll do business with.

Not that I’ve always enjoyed that luxury, but my business is at a point where I can be a bit picky about who I decide to do business with. Add to that a very specific ‘ideal client’ vision, and I find that I seem to attract clients who fit nicely into that vision without a lot of hard work.

I just spoke to one of my clients in Florida recently, and he reminded me how enjoyable it is to do business together. He always seems to have fun projects that fit perfectly with my expertise and his positive outlook seems to extend from his business to his personal life!

This made me stop to think about my other clients, and how they fit into the same enjoyable relationship I have built with my Florida client. To my amazement, they too have the same positive attitude, are fun to work with, and we share a mutual respect and appreciation for each other.

WOW, how cool is that? This all makes me wonder, how did I get here? How did this happen? Could it be the law of attraction?

I think that it does have a lot to do with attraction, and my attitude, and the fact that many of my new clients come to me as referrals. We usually hang out and have stronger relationships with people who are similar to us, or have the same values as we do. So it stands to reason that my clients would be referring prospects who are similar to them, who have the same attitudes and values.

Over the years I have had to sever my relationship with a number of clients. In looking at who they were I can easily see that they had different values, our work was less positive and their attitude towards our work together was what finally made me sever ties because I felt they were bringing me down in my own business.

But I think it’s also something else; I think it’s the brand I’ve created for myself.

I believe that along with the logo, website, tagline, etc., that creates my brand, so does my appearance, professional image and ethical standards. And I want to do business with people who appreciate my expertise and with whom I can share a mutual respect. If they find no value in our work together, we’re just not a good fit for each other. Don’t we all want to do business with people who respect us and appreciate our expertise?

I guess I’m not at all surprised that my clients share these same traits; hopefully, some of that comes from working together and sharing these common goals... that’s in essence what I do, help my clients market and brand themselves to establish that polished and professional image they’ve worked so hard to achieve, and help them to attract clients and prospects that share those traits.

After being in business more than 15-years, I’m grateful for all the clients and colleagues who have helped make my company such a great success; and helped me to establish such a professional and enjoyable brand. I wish you all the same!

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, EthicsChecked™, provides marketing and social media support, training and consulting to busy entrepreneurs.

For information about finding a VA, download her FREE 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or to learn why Social Media should be an important part of your marketing plan with her FREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, visit: http://www. internet ma rket ing v ir t u a la ssist a nt. net, or contact her at info@ internetmarketingvirtualassistant.net

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Feb-Mar 2013

Afraid To Take A Vacation?

Put Your Business On Cruise Control

By Nicole Dean

“I started my business so that I’d have freedom, but I’ve never felt more trapped...”

I

come across a statement like that at least once a day on a forum post or in email. You start your internet business because of the freedom of being your own boss and working on your own schedule and then promptly sit on your hind-end for 12 hours/day EVERY DAY. No wonder you feel burnt out. And no wonder family and friends are feeling neglected when all you can think and talk about is your business.

Freedom sounds pretty miserable to me if it means freedom from fun and the ones that I love.

So, how do you break free?

Start by taking a good look at your business and getting your goals and priorities straight. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as complicated as it sounds. I’ll walk you through it right now. Ready?

Grab a pen and a piece of paper or open your favorite word processor. Divide your page into four columns.

Now you’re ready to brainstorm. Write everything down as it comes to mind.

Don’t overthink this. Just start writing.

First, figure out what is working.

Whatever it is. It may be one of your websites, your ecourses, a joint venture, a certain marketing method. Where is the bulk of your money coming from, currently? (If none yet, where do you believe will be the place where the largest profits will come from?) Write those items in column #1 under: “Do More”.

Second, figure out what is not bringing in money. Is it hanging out on forums or posting classified ads to freebie sites? Is it endlessly checking your stats, or email?

What are your daily time-suckers? Write those under column #2: “Do less”.

Third, figure out what could work better. Do you have upsells in place? Are your websites designed to bring you cash from every visitor? Make a list of ideas in column #3: “Improvements”. (If you don’t know yet, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to improve your business as you learn and grow.)

Fourth, figure out what can be automated. Which tasks are repetitive and boring, albeit necessary? Many of those types of tasks can be automated with simple tools. For instance, if you’re submitting

articles to directories by hand, there are tools and services to do that for you. Add these to column #4: “Automation”.

Now that you’re armed with your list, it’s time to get to work.

Look at your list in Column #1: “Do More”. Those are the tasks that you should focus your energies on. It’s a good idea to tackle one or two of the tasks on that list first thing in the morning – every morning.

Believe me, it’s much more productive than checking out your favorite blogs or logging into twitter. And you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done quickly when your mind is fresh.

Look at your list in Column #2: “Do Less”. These activities should be forbidden until after you get your #1 list done, if you do them at all. For instance, hanging out on Twitter is fun, but do not do it until everything in column #1 is finished for the day.

Now, go back to Column #1, 3, and 4.

Your “Do More”, “Improvements”, and “Automation” lists.

Look at all of the items that are on those three lists. Now, circle each task that you …

• Can’t Do • Don’t Have Time to Do • Don’t Want To Do Those are the tasks that you’ll outsource.

Freedom means a lot of things. It means freedom to do the things that you want to do. However, it also means freedom to NOT do things that you really dislike doing.

For me, it’s graphics. I have outsourced all of my graphics since 2001. I don’t have the time, patience or inclination to learn how to make my own graphics. I have more important things to do, like write this article and then go on a bike ride with my son. Perhaps when I get back from my bike ride, my graphics will be waiting for me in my inbox.

Now, that’s freedom to me.

Want to outsource but don’t know where to start? Nicole Dean and Jimmy D. Brown invite you to http://www.

OutsourceWeekly.com where you’ll learn how you can get free time (and earn more money) while others run your business for you.

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Beyond Diversity Training

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Underserved Niches

The Secret to Online Success

By Oscar M. Gonzales

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he first step many organizations begin with is Multicultural or Diversity training, to bring awareness to the changing consumer and workplace teams.

Interestingly, this is where many initiatives start and stop, with the assumption that a one-day session is all that is needed to generate more leads and expand the workforce.

Successful organizations understand that Multicultural outreach is more than just celebrating differences once a year.

An organization must establish a “strategic intent” with strategies and tactics that move beyond awareness and create economic opportunities for the organization.

Understanding the Economics The economics of the Multicultural markets is one major oversight that organizations often make when considering the formulation of a Multicultural plan. The buying power among Asians, Hispanics and African-Americans over the next 5 years is expected to grow several hundred percent beyond that of the traditional non-Hispanic consumer. The argument most often made is that Multicultural homebuyers require more time and effort to get to closing. What those rushing to the next transaction fail to realize is that the relational equity built during that extra time will generate more leads and referrals than they can possibly imagine because Multicultural homebuyers are very loyal consumers.

Cultivating Top Producers It is no secret that when teams share the same ethics, values, and vision, they succeed as a group. Understanding and appreciating diverse thinkers, languages, and cultures, makes for insight that may create profitable changes to customer segments you may have overlooked.

Stereotyping limits access to top producers and ultimately your consumer audience. People tend to presuppose the capabilities of Multicultural professionals

because of their accents or the way they dress. When homebuyers can relate to individuals who share their method of communication or understand their cultural nuances, they gravitate toward that individual. Known as the “similarto-me effect,” managers often recruit real estate professionals who are most like them and not one that necessarily relates to the home buying audience. Consider hiring professionals that have those language and cultural skill sets and more importantly, provide them with the necessary tools to serve the Multicultural home buying audience.

Creating a Plan As with all business development or marketing programs, a sound strategic plan should be formulated to insure the success of any initiative. Multicultural outreach plans are no different and should be approached with the same tactical formula of establishing a mission, vision, and strategic intent. More importantly, create measurable strategies, tactics, and accountability metrics for those involved in the initiative.

Many Multicultural initiatives fail simply from a lack of planning. Sadly, the initiative is often left up to someone in marketing who is commissioned with creating collateral material and then hoping that something sticks. Be strategic and tactical and measure your efforts as you would any other initiative but also factor in the language and cultural dynamics that go along with the growing, economically influential Multicultural consumer.

Copyright© 2008, Oscar Gonzales.

All right reserved. Oscar Gonzales, Ph.D. is president of The Gonzales Group, a strategic consulting firm to the real estate industry specializing in the ethnic markets.

For information about Dr. Gonzales’ consulting and presentations, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com

By Mari Yamada

C

hoosing underserved yet profitable niches has several advantages. Since there is less competition, it is easier for you to dominate that niche and reap great financial rewards. This savvy marketing technique can pave the way to solid online success.

The Internet is full of competition. You might think that it is a very saturated place and get discouraged when starting out with your online business. You’re worried whether you will stand a chance against all the other players in the market, big or small.

Yes, new competitors for almost any product or service under the sun may crop up every day, yet there are still a lot of underserved yet profitable niches you can target and profit from.

Niche marketing is about targeting a small segment of a market that has a specific set of needs. You have to offer a product or service to fill those needs.

The most profitable niches are those with strong demand and low supply. There are several advantages to choosing underserved niches.

By targeting underserved niches, there is less competition. Since there aren’t many competing websites, it will make it easier for you to attain high rankings in search engines. It will also take less time for you to rank.

Breaking into an overcrowded market with plenty of competition can be extremely difficult. If you don’t have much experience or you are not willing to invest huge amounts of time and money, venturing into a saturated market can be counter-productive to your marketing efforts. You can get overpowered by the big market players. You will probably end up being invisible to your target market, thereby wasting your time, energy and money.

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Laser-targeted niche marketing is the way to go. Underserved niches have huge potential for profit. If there aren’t too many competitors, you have a much higher chance of dominating that niche and reaping significant profits. Going for underserved niches means you will be reaching a very targeted audience. The narrower your focus, the greater your potential to stand out.

To find an ideal underserved niche, you should first determine a particular area of interest you’d like to focus on. Do you want to go for online gaming? Shoes?

Food? Decide on a main category and break it down even further.

You can utilize a keyword research tool to help you identify underserved yet highly profitable niches. Wordtracker and Google Adwords Keyword tool are great online tools that are free to use.

First type a general category. You will then see combinations of the keyword.

Note down keyword combinations that have high popularity yet low competition.

These popular yet less competitive keywords can give you great ideas for underserved niches.

Just because they are underserved niches does not mean nobody is searching for them or expressing interest in them. It just means that there is not enough supply being provided to people under that certain niche. You can take advantage of better conversion rates because you will be supplying their needs.

At ThemesPeak.com you can get hold of Premium WordPress Theme Kits on already thoroughly researched niches. The Kit enables you to easily and quickly set up your niche website, and provides you with tools and other material to maintain and grow your online business.

The Internet is full of business opportunities. If you target smart, you just might hit the jackpot.

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Business Message Branding

By Donna Laree Ward

B

y now we know that marketing is about creating the right message to attract the right customers.

OK, then …

Marketing is also about branding for your products, services and company so that you will be noticed and persuade potential customers to trust in you and spend their money on what you have to offer.

Marketing is a strategy: a systematic plan of action.

It is doing business in a thought out and consistent, smart way.

So the goal of your business marketing is to communicate brand messaging to your ideal target audience by appealing directly to their wants and needs.

Marketing gets your business noticed, and loved, in the form of public perception and positive consumer contact.

What are your business marketing goals and how are you going to measure them?

You have to first define your message to yourself. In order to help you understand with clarity what you want your potential clients to ‘get’.

You need to have your vision and mission statements worked out.

And, it can be fun – because: Your Vision Statement tells you where

you want your company to go – it is your vision for your future – your business future.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

My example could be: “To become the top earning Intuitive Strategist and Business Coach in Southern California area by engaging 60 new clients per year, with a 60% referral rate.” (Tells where I want to go in my business.)

This vision statement is specific – it gives me concrete goals against which I can measure my progress.

Not just “To become the best Intuitive Strategist and Business Coach.”

And, then I can write out a short Mission Statement that tells how I plan to achieve this – how I am going to get there.

My example could be: “I am committed to training my clients in marketing and business development techniques. My clients are selected more on mind-set than size. I offer intuitive and practical strategies on growth, I help my clients find their path as they gain back their spirit and freedom through their own perceptions and business development. Exceeding their expectations with emphasis on value.”

You mission statement will also differentiate you from your competition.

You can see that my coaching business

is going to achieve its vision by selecting a certain type of client to work with, and use intuitive and practical strategies to coach them on how to grow their businesses as they use and strengthen their inner knowledge for their business development.

That is how I plan to differentiate my services from the rest of the pack.

The basis for creating the branding is that it communicates your messages to your potential targeted customer.

Your Vision and Mission Statements help bring clarity about what you are doing and how you are going to do what you want to get where you want.

Once you have developed your message, you want to send it to your customers and create your brand that reflects that message, it’s time to send that message to

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your target market.

So you have a strategy and a map, now you can take action.

What is your business vision? Where do you want your company to be, what do you want it to be?

What is your mission? How are you going to accomplish your Business Vision?

I’d love to hear from you!

About Donna Laree Donna Laree Ward, BSBM, Certified Business Coach, Intuitive Strategist – I show my clients practical, step-by-step strategies to confidently double their business income and find more time to enjoy life. These articles are published and the copyrights belong to Donna L. Ward http://coachingbusinessentrepreneur.com – Coaching Business Entrepreneur.

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Four Keys To Multicultural Rapport

By Lenora Billings-Harris

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obert, Faheem, Tracee, Kewal, Lois, Hernando and Dorothy are a work team for a Fortune 500 organization.

Their ages range from 18 to 63 years old; two are single, two are married, three are child-free, three are parents, one is gay, one is blind, two are nontraditional college students, and four are second generation Americans.

There are four languages and five religions represented by this group.

Welcome to multicultural America!

The people described above represent opportunities and challenges as individuals and organizations strive to achieve the highest levels of performance. You have an opportunity to enhance your own problemsolving and innovation capabilities, and the challenge of knowing how to interact respectfully with all associates regardless of how they may be different from you.

Most culture collisions™ occur due to a lack of knowledge and understanding, not deliberate discrimination.

It is impossible to know everything about every culture, so what are you to do? There are no absolute rules that apply to everyone within any culture, however if you consider the following suggestions as a guide and observe behavior to try to determine if the individual, you will be less likely to offend or have your intentions misunderstood.

Conversation How quickly you begin to discuss the specifics of business when you meet someone new is culturally based. Many southerners tend to prefer a little chit chat before discussing specifics, while northerners are perceived as people who want to get right to business. Some Europeans and Latinos view main-stream Americans as pushy, while some Koreans and Japanese prospects consider it much too personal to discuss family relationships before covering other less personal details first. Be flexible and mirror the person’s behavioral style rather than judge it.

Touching and Space Whether or not you should shake hands when a culturally different person enters your office can be tricky. Generally, the main-stream American rule is to shake hands with men and women regardless of your gender. When interacting with multinationals and with people of certain faiths, showing respect in this initial encounter is critical. Hasidic Jewish men, as well as some Muslims do not touch any women other than immediate family members. Because this is a sign of respect to their wives, daughters and mothers, do not be offended if they do not extend their hand when you greet them, if you are female.

On the other hand, many Latinos, African-Americans and seniors are very tactile. In addition to hand shaking, some may hug you to show their gratitude at the end of a successful meeting. Main-stream Americans tend to like about eighteen

inches of space between themselves and the next person. Middle-Easterners, Latinos, and some African-Americans are comfortable closer. Try not to back away if someone is standing closer than you would like. That would be a clear non-verbal that you are uncomfortable. The other person may infer that you are judging her or him because of their differences.

Time Main-stream Americans who value “time is money” tend to rush more than many other cultures. Be sensitive not to move too quickly. It can be perceived as inconsiderate or undisciplined by others.

When you have an appointment, of course you should always be on time. However, some Japanese, Filipinos, American Indians and Latinos will think nothing of being fifteen to thirty minutes late, if they are detained by other people. In each of their cultures relationships are more important than time. Their time is relative to whatever they were doing before meeting with you. Don’t take it personally or consider them unprofessional, if they are “late.” If the person is a new company associate, you may choose to tactfully provide feedback about company norms and expectations, so that their behavior does not impede team success.

Based on religious and cultural beliefs some clients will consider their beliefs before making a decision to do business with you. Vastu Shastra (India) and Feng Shui (Chinese) are just two of many cultural beliefs and arts that can affect decisions when purchasing tangible objects that otherwise seem to fit all the other needs of the client. Be careful not to take these beliefs lightly. Some main-stream Americans are quick to call unfamiliar beliefs or practices superstitions. However to some non-American cultures the belief that the number thirteen is unlucky is just silly and placing braces on your child’s teeth is barbaric. None of these beliefs or customs are wrong, they are just different.

Building Cultural Competence Since it is impossible to know all the customs beliefs and behaviors of all cultures, how can you be respectful and inclusive toward all associates and clients? With all the other skills you must develop and keep fine-tuned how can you remember all these factors about cultures to avoid being misunderstood? Remember that all interactions start with someone you don’t know. Whether it is with a new family member, or co-worker the initial meeting requires you to find some common ground. The same is true with culturally different associates and clients.

When you meet someone different than you by ethnicity, religion, physical ability, sexuality, gender, age etc. remember that you both have much more in common as humans than you have differences. Assume that the interaction will be positive, and then look for ways to make it so.

Expand your knowledge and understanding of different groups by

seeking opportunities in your community to get involved with diverse groups. Attend university activities, library lecture series, and community celebrations that honor different groups. Develop rapport with current residents from various cultures, and share with them that you want to learn.

Be willing to share information about yourself, and others will be more willing to share their background and values.

The United States is no longer a melting pot. Each culture is proud of its own heritage and wants to honor it. When you see that expression of culture, don’t

assume anything about it other than that individual’s personal pride. We are a tossed salad where each ingredient is distinct while contributing to the overall quality of the mix. Be willing to use your courage to explore the differences.

Copyright© 2005, Lenora BillingsHarris. All right reserved. Lenora BillingsHarris,CSP is the author of The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work. For information about Lenora’s presentations, contact the FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@ FrogPond.com

Low-Cost Ways to

Market Your Business

By Family Features

J

ust like any good sports team, every business needs a good coach. Marketing consultant John Jantsch, bestselling author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and “The Referral Engine,” has some low-cost ideas that will help you create a strong message and communicate it to the right people.

Keep Score – If you want to • determine who your ideal client is, go through your entire client list and rank your clients by profitability. Then look at your most profitable clients and identify those that are already referring business to you. Figure out the common characteristics in this group and you’ve got a pretty good picture of your ideal client.

Find Your Zone – Once you’ve • identified who you’re marketing to, you need to fine tune your message. Ask how you’re really different from your competitors, Jantsch advises. The best way to find out is to ask your customers. Get with five to eight ideal customers and ask them to tell you one thing they love about your business. Listen closely to words they use. There’s a good chance the words your clients uses to describe what you do that’s unique should be part of your value proposition – no matter how simple they may sound to you.

Be a Coach Yourself – Instead • of advertising your products and services, promote valuable content that tells your prospects how to do or get something you know they want more of. This can be

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an ebook or video, but make sure you’re creating awareness for educational content and you’ll have the chance to build the trust required to start a sales conversation.

You can use print collateral materials to help you promote that content and your services. Straightforward language and well-designed materials can help set your business apart from the others.

Know Your Fans – A lot of small • business owners want to know how to make social media pay off. Jantsch recommends that you go through your client list and append every record with the Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles for each.

You can do this by hand or use a service like RapLeaf. Now every time you make a client call you’ll know a great deal more about what’s going on in their world.

Grow Your Local Team – Small • business owners have to wear a lot of hats.

But doing too many things can take the focus off of the main reason you got into business in the first place. Take advantage of local resources, like The UPS Store, to take things off your to-do list. For example, they can handle the logistics of printing and delivering direct-marketing mailings through the Every Door Direct Mail™ Retail initiative with the U.S. Postal Service to every address in a neighborhood.

Things like that free you up to do what you do best.

For more small business solutions, and to find out what print, mail, shipping and other services are available, visit www. theupsstore.com.

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