BusinessWoman magazine September 2013

September 2013

Pennsylvania is GREAT for WINING

LIFE is a TRADESHOW

POWER LUNCH’13 CAPITAL REGION Event Guide

Achieve your

best weight.

What You Want Not a one-size-fits-all program, we help you achieve your best weight, where you are most comfortable, energetic and definitely healthier.

How We Help You Get It Physicians and dietitians who focus on healthy living and good nutrition Exercise physiologist, behaviorist and nurse available for guidance and support Nutritional plans which are simple, safe, effective and affordable Weekly educational sessions with a variety of weight loss experts Demonstration kitchen to teach you not just what to cook but how to cook it To register for your free information session, please call (717) 231-8900.

Scan to hear from Lori about how she reached her best weight.

Weight Loss Center Scan to hear from Stephanie about how she reached her best weight.

(717) 231-8900

pinnaclehealth.org/wlc

WHAT’S

Inside

UPGRADE JOB PERFORMANCE

SEEK A PROMOTION

PLAN/NAVIGATE A TRANSITION

4

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Need help?

7

MAKING AN EVENT A SUCCESS FOR YOU

• Are you an executive or manager who is dissatisfied with your career?

9

Improve your visibility with these simple steps.

• Do you have a burning desire to upgrade your job performance but have no idea how?

LIFE IS A TRADESHOW

• Do you want a promotion but aren’t sure how to approach it?

A few tips and examples to have a more productive show.

• Do you need a total career change?

10 THE SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECT Are you really who you portray online?

12 COME, RELAX, BE PAMPERED, AND HAVE FUN Find out what is in store for you when you visit the Women’s Expos.

If any of these questions strike a chord inside of YOU, the GOOD NEWS is that you are in the RIGHT PLACE. You don’t need to figure it all out on your own. Guidance and support are available.

Sylvia Hepler Owner and President

PL1-PL4 POWERLUNCH’13 CAPITAL REGION Guide Map, exhibitor list, speaker, and networking information.

14 PENNSYLVANIA IS GREAT FOR WINING Visiting a winery provides a new experience.

www.launchinglives.biz • 717-761-5457

16 A KISS FROM THE VINE Wine-tasting tips from a winemaker.

18 THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Provisions and small business in 2014.

Business Banking

20 WEIGHT CONTROL IS NOT ONLY FOUND IN THE GYM The benefits of weight loss and some options to get there.

22 WOMEN TO WATCH New hires and promotions.

22 ACHIEVEMENTS & APPLAUSE Awards and accomplishments.

23 MEET AND GREET Regional networking events and meetings.

5 COVER STORY Kristen Hertzog found that her background in theater, modeling, and acting was all “very me-focused.” Now, however, she believes she has found balance as one of the co-founders of the Haitian Connection Network (HCN), an organization that helps Haitian students experience new learning opportunities through an effective education-toemployment model. She has a passion for helping others and not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk.

Cover photography courtesy of GeorJean Photography, Lancaster.

No matter what your business demands, Northwest delivers.

22 offices to serve you in Central Pennsylvania

Northwest Direct: 1-877-672-5678 • www.northwestsavingsbank.com 0HPEHU )',&

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

3

Woman BUSINESS

EDITOR’S

Y

Note

career

~

lifestyle

~

wellness

~

connections

September 2013 Vol. 10 - No. 9

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER DONNA K. ANDERSON

EDITORIAL Vice President and Managing Editor CHRISTIANNE RUPP

ou may recall that my youngest son graduated from college this past May. Now my first grandson, Caleb, just began kindergarten. All I can think of is how time keeps moving on.

Caleb was so excited, equipped with his new superheroes backpack and soft-sided lunchbox; he was off with a big smile. And his mom (and dad) did really well.

Happy faces in front of Caleb but tears on the way to work as they, too, feel the fleeing of time.

There are parts of the world that don’t have the same educational opportunities that the rest of us often take for granted.

Kristen Hertzog, our cover profile, founded an organization that gives Haitian students the promise of a higher education, which is so important when competing for jobs. Although she has always had a giving heart, it is quite a different calling from her other career, which is modeling.

Fall is also the season for expos. Many companies will take advantage of the opportunities that these events present.

However, if the company doesn’t “set the stage” prior to the event, or they send an unprepared representative, your investment and the ROI are diminished. Find out how you can better position your company to be successful.

I have battled weight all my life, as many of you have. For some who are extremely overweight, diet and exercise don’t help, and they’ve wondered what else they can do. We spoke with a local doctor who talks about bariatric surgery and,

although it’s not for everyone, it may be the answer for some.

This is also a wonderful time of year to visit a winery.

Pennsylvania has 11 wine trails and, with a little research on the varietal that is associated with each winery, you could have a tasty time sampling wines. You may even discover a new favorite.

I hope you will take a few minutes to check out the information about our upcoming events. POWERLUNCH is a smaller event directed at professional women and includes the featured speaker Julie Lichty and, of course, lunch (see page PL3 for more information).

And the women’s expos have been received so well that not only can women of all ages attend the second annual Cumberland County women’s expo, but we’ve also added the premiere Lebanon County women’s expo. There will be a wide variety of exhibitors at each and demonstrations and entertainment scheduled throughout the day. I know you’ll be saying it was “a great way to spend my day” (see page 12 for more information).

Like us on Facebook and stay connected!

“”

Each day comes bearing its own gifts.

Editor

MEGAN JOYCE

Contributing Writers

JANA BENSCOTER DR. R.K. GREEN LYNDA HUDZICK DENISE RYAN AMY THORN SYLVESTER E. WILLIAMS

ART DEPARTMENT Production Coordinator Production Artist

JANYS CUFFE RENEE MCWILLIAMS

Production Assistant Web Development

JESSICA JOHNS KAHLA LIVELSBERGER

PRINT/ONLINE SALES Account Executives

Untie the ribbons.

~ Ruth Ann Schabacker

Events Manager

KARLA BACK ANGIE JACOBY VALERIE KISSINGER DOUG KLINE SUSAN KRIEGER RANEE SHAUB MILLER LORI PECK SUE RUGH KIMBERLY SHAFFER

Project Coordinator LOREN GOCHNAUER Sales & Event Coordinator

EILEEN CULP

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager

ELIZABETH DUVALL

ADVERTISING OFFICES Corporate Office:

Christianne Rupp Vice President and Managing Editor

Chester County

3912 ABEL DRIVE COLUMBIA, PA 17512 PHONE 717.285.1350 FAX 717.285.1360 610.675.6240

Cumberland & Dauphin County 717.770.0140 Lancaster, Lebanon & York County 717.285.1350 E-mail:

11th Annual

14th Annual

info@BusinessWomanPA.com

17th Annual For advertising information:

717-285-1350 or info@businesswomanpa.com NEW LOCATION!

Sept. 18, 2013

Oct. 24, 2013

York Expo Center

Carlisle Expo Center

Spooky Nook Sports

Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Avenue, York

100 K Street Carlisle

2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Nov. 6, 2013 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

(Just off Rt. 283 at the Salunga exit)

BusinessWoman is published monthly by On-Line Publishers, Inc., 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512, 717.285.1350. Copyright On-Line Publishers, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is strictly prohibited.

Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the Publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service.

Although every effort is made to ensure factual information, BusinessWoman cannot be held responsible for errors in contributors’ material, nor does the editorial material necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising.

Subscription information: $14 per year for home delivery of 12 monthly issues.

Subscribe online at www.BusinessWomanPA.com or call 717.285.1350.

Member Of:

Limited Sponsorship Opportunities Available

4

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

717.285.1350 717.770.0140 610.675.6240

Story

CAREER

COVER

Making a Powerfu l Connection

By LYNDA HUDZICK

S

he’ll admit it. Kristen Hertzog used to pronounce Lancaster the “wrong” way.

“I grew up in a suburb of New York City in a multicultural neighborhood,” she said. “And so, yes, I said things like ‘cawfee’ instead of ‘coffee’ and ‘LandCeah-Stah’ instead of ‘Lancaster’ when referring to vacation times my family spent in Central Pennsylvania.”

Hertzog, who has lived in Lancaster County for the past 20 years and is cofounder of the Lancaster-based Haitian Connection Network (HCN), loved growing up in a multicultural area, she said, and had friends of all ethnicities.

Her family is middle-class, secondgeneration Italian-American, so “getting a job in Lancaster County and moving to Amish Country was quite a stretch,” she said. “Then I went one step further and married a Mennonite— talk about culture shock!”

To complete her well-rounded family, in April 2009, she and her husband and 2-year-old biological son welcomed their adopted Haitian daughter into their home after four years of waiting.

Hertzog’s background is in theater, modeling, and acting, all “very mefocused jobs,” she said. She likes to

Kristen Hertzog keeps in contact with her staff in Haiti.

believe that her work with the HCN “counteracts the insanity placed on looks and talent in those fields.”

According to their website, The Haitian Connection Network (HCN) is an organization providing a safe student computer center location in Montrouis, Haiti, that is “offering a different and proven education-toemployment model that empowers students and donor/sponsors to begin breaking the cycles of hopelessness in Haiti.”

They “provide a full-circle, education-to-gainful employment solution for their students, offering a real-world curriculum through USAbased academic partners online, including job placement assistance in

collaboration with organizations, ministries, and businesses in Haiti.”

Prior to co-founding HCN, Hertzog worked as a senior high school representative for 44 colleges throughout North America with Education Management Corporation.

“I was a spokesmodel and motivational speaker to high school students … and earned the Summit Award of Excellence and Quintessential Goals Award five years in a row,” she said. “I am also a businesswoman: a co-owner of the Hertzog Homestead Bed and Breakfast in Ephrata.”

So what was the draw that made her want to leave an already successful and varied career to start a nonprofit

“”

Help others and remember to also do your best to make time for your family and yourself. When one of these is off balance, everything suffers.

organization like HCN, and what would cause her and her husband to choose to adopt from that country?

Why Haiti?

“It all started when I was 16 years old and took my first-ever mission trip to Haiti with a medical group,” she said.

“I had no idea what to expect and really had barely any idea where Haiti was on a map. The sights, sounds, and smells of a developing country and the abject poverty made a striking impact on me.”

But Hertzog can clearly recall the defining moment on that trip—the moment she looks back on as the time when she just knew that “one day I was going to adopt a little Haitian girl and be invested in this country where people had so little opportunity.

“It was while walking through a busy slum area of Port-au-Prince,” she said. “A woman singled me out from the crowd. She laid in my arms a dirty, crumpled-up towel, looked at me, and ran away. I looked down—the towel started moving! I hesitantly peered inside to discover that I was holding a little baby girl. I started screaming ‘somebody help me’ … Several men on our team sprinted in the direction of the fleeing woman.”

Hertzog will never forget the look on the child’s face.

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

5

CAREER

Far left: Haitian Connection Network’s (HCN) executive director Kristen Hertzog poses with (right) Lubin CharlesFils, director of HCN Haiti, and (left) Donald Emerant, corporate social responsibility manager of Brana.

Left: New HCN computer center at Life Connection Mission with current students on top and bottom.

“She had never seen a white person before and was staring at me with her big brown eyes … I couldn’t imagine the desperation of the mother to give her child to a complete stranger.”

The men on the team did catch the woman, and as Hertzog handed the child back to her mother, she remembers that “the woman said in Creole, ‘I thought you could give my baby a better life in America.’”

As an adult, Hertzog began leading short-term humanitarian trips to Haiti with friends from Sight & Sound Theatres, where she was an actress and dancer.

“Each year, we would do seven-day work projects,” she said. “In 2004 we taught conversational English to seniors in high school in Haiti. One day after class a student stayed after.

He thanked me for teaching his class and then told me he would have to quit high school.”

When she asked him why, he showed her the third-degree burns on his arms that he suffered working the graveyard shift at a local plastic company making plastic jugs. He explained that since there is no free public education system in Haiti, he had to work for tuition money so he could attend high school. One night,

6

he was so tired he started falling asleep and accidentally poured hot plastic on his arm.

“He was fired,” she said. “He could not afford to pay for his high school tuition. That evening our mission team put our resources together to pay for the rest of his senior year and the exams required to graduate.”

The following year, when visiting Haiti again, Hertzog was thrilled to meet the same young man, now a proud high school graduate.

However, he had none of the additional skills needed to make him employable in Haiti’s economic marketplace.

“His desire was computers and technology,” said Hertzog. “So I, our co-founder Curt Edwards, and other friends raised the funds to send him to a two-year computer college in Petionville, Haiti. He graduated with honors and two years later, dressed in a business suit and armed with a handme-down briefcase, he and I went door to door to any organization we could find that might offer him a job.”

They were successful and today, he owns an office supply company, employing other Haitians and contributing to the economic growth of his own country.

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

A true success story, or like “the finish line at a marathon for me,” Hertzog said.

The story of this young man is proof of what a big difference education can make in the lives of the Haitian people. It is Hertzog’s desire to hear more of these kinds of success stories, and so she strives in her work with HCN to help make them happen, wearing many hats on any given day.

“One day I am in virtual meetings with students in Haiti, the next I am speaking to a foundation committee about our funding needs. HCN is a small organization and many people still don’t know about the work we do yet. Our resources are still growing,” Hertzog said.

Frequently presented with the opportunity to give presentations about the work HCN is doing, Hertzog said that her favorite groups to speak with are “people who really want to understand why an educationto-employment model is so critical for long-term sustainability in Haiti.”

Recently, HCN held the first annual Hope for Haiti Benefit Auction.

“I live in the middle of the Amish Country, and our HCN office is surrounded by local farms. When the

local Plain community heard about HCN wanting to hold an auction, people responded in droves,” Hertzog said.

“They showed up at our door donating quilts, storage sheds, gift cards, and with so many volunteers … almost all of this via word of mouth.

Our auction committee meetings must have looked hilarious to an outsider. Amish; Mennonites; university interns; professional, whitecollar people—all trying to figure out how much chicken barbecue one needs to order at these things.”

In Haiti, Hertzog said that it is not typical to find a woman in corporate business circles.

“In some ways it has helped me because people are curious about how on earth I got into this,” she said. “I think being engaging has proven more helpful than the fact alone of being a female.”

But she also has some advice for women like her, women who have a passion for helping others that could easily become overwhelming.

“Help others and remember to also do your best to make time for your family and yourself,” Hertzog said.

“When one of these is off balance, everything suffers.”

CAREER

Making an Event a Success for You:

Improve Your Visibility

By EILEEN CULP

W

hen working with a marketing department to promote your business, chances are, they are considering participating in community or networking events, such as expos.

Obviously, event promotion starts with the event organization’s own marketing plan. But there is one key question that you must ask yourself: What can you do to help promote the event?

Once you’ve selected a few events that might give your business valuable access to the community, there are questions that you should ask each event’s sales representative before making a final decision: 1. How will you be marketing the event?

2. Are there any means to gain additional exposure, such as sponsorships, seminars, or demonstration opportunities?

The promoters of an event should make their marketing strategy available to you. This gives you, the potential exhibitor, a glimpse of the variety of platforms used to promote the event. These can include traditional media—such as local and regional print, radio, and television ads; billboards; and press releases—as well as social media and website ads.

But once you’ve made the decision to participate, how can you help to make the day successful not only for yourself, but also for other vendors who will be at the show? The simple answer is to let your clients and potential clients know that you will be there, and there are various ways to accomplish this.

For starters, ask the promoter of the event for postcards that you can mail as invitations; ask for free (or reduced-price) tickets that you can use to encourage potential clients to attend the event; and create your own social-media contest to bring more

attention to your participation in the event, which may turn those on-thefence customers into actual customers.

The following measures allow you be a larger part of the event and are great ways to involve your staff by collaborating on creative ways to let your database know where you’ll be.

Newsletters Whether you produce enewsletters or mail a printed newsletter, include the event information in a small corner box or on the back page. Remember to include the location, date and time, if tickets are required and how the attendees can obtain or purchase them, and the event website.

A template for mentioning an event in your newsletter could be: Meet us at the XXX Expo on (fill in date) from (fill in time). It will be held at (provide the location and address).

We will be in booth #XXX and look forward to seeing you there and answering questions regarding (list your products and/or services). We’d love to tell you about our new product or service (followed by a brief description).

“I [include] an announcement in our newsletter of what events we have

coming up,” said Judy Fry, marketing coordinator at Susquehanna Dental Arts. “Every three weeks I also send out an e-blast reminder about the event, how long it is until the event takes place, or what our door prize is going to be.”

Staying top-of-mind is key to maximizing the dollars you invest in community and business events.

Advertisements and Billboards Print and online advertisements are already a part of your marketing plan, so why not include an event announcement in the corner of any ads already scheduled to run? It helps to provide a congruent advertising message from both your organization and the event host.

Personally promoting the event shows how dedicated your company or organization is to the community and its people.

“I have created and put up small posters on our counter in our office, along with any flyers/postcards we may get from the entity doing the event,” Fry said.

Social Media Most, if not all, marketing plans include social media across many

platforms to help generate awareness.

Social media can be essential for getting “calls to action” to your customers and clients—statements that encourage your social-media audience to do something or a promotional enticement that will drive traffic to your booth the day of the event.

“Our most effective calls to action for outside events have been promotional gift cards,” said Jim VanHorn, treasurer at Home Climates, Inc., in Elizabethtown. “We also post a picture of our display so it’s easier for people to recognize us at the event.”

Here are a few tips for sharing your event participation across several social-media platforms: Pinterest Pinterest is primarily followed by females, as they are the decision makers for most home and family issues. It is easy to pin photos, demonstrations, entertainment schedules, and sponsors directly from the event website.

Pinterest has a Pin It button that can be installed directly from their website to your Internet browser. Pin the map and layout of the event to your Pinterest page with attention to your booth number.

Facebook Facebook recently began using hashtags, so when posting about the event, use the event’s hashtag to announce your presence. Follow and tag the event’s Facebook page, stating that your company will be present; plus, use the opportunity to announce your door prizes or new products and services you may be debuting.

“Facebook has been our most effective way to stay in front of our customers,” said VanHorn.

Facebook posts can be exceedingly valuable in letting your clients know how they can be involved in any charitable events in which your company is participating, thus helping

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

7

CAREER

make the events successful.

“We also post information to let people know that our company’s greatest asset is great people,” VanHorn said. “For example, we participated in the pajama drive for the Connor M. Holland Foundation. Posting our involvement on Facebook allowed our customers to be involved too. They could drop pajamas at our office or give them to a technician during a service call.”

If your schedule permits, post to Facebook once a week, the day before, and during the event, inviting attendees to visit your booth and learn more about your company.

Twitter First and foremost, be sure to use the event’s hashtag with any of your related tweets.

Follow the event itself on Twitter as well as at least five of its followers.

Retweet their tweets that are pertinent to the event or to your industry.

Additional Social-Media Platforms Instagram, Tumblr, and Vine are great resources for visually appealing content.

Post photos of the event location, materials, and your company’s logo.

With the introduction of video on Instagram and Vine, create short clips to post.

For added exposure, post your participation in an event to your company profiles on both Google+ and LinkedIn, which are searchable sites.

If you have an impressive door prize to give away at the event, take a photo of the item and spread it across your socialmedia venues.

“We’re finding that pre-promotion through social media and e-marketing greatly improves our recognition at outside events,” VanHorn said.

If your company participates in community or networking events, make sure that each event’s team is branding your company through its advertising and by marketing to the community and your client base as much as the budget will allow.

And be sure to do your part in promoting the event—a successful event means time well spent for you and your business.

What do you do to promote your company’s event participation? Post on our BusinessWoman Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BWMagazine.

8

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

Tradeshow

CAREER

Life is a

By DENISE RYAN

I

‘ve been to two huge tradeshows recently, so I have them on the brain. And what works on the tradeshow floor works in life, like it or not.

1. You will be judged by your appearance. Cheesy, ugly booths did not attract the crowds that colorful, well-designed booths did. I’m not talking money—creativity works too.

But if you want to play in the big leagues, you have to look like the big leagues.

This means you have to dress appropriately. And the better you look, often the greater your success will be.

Know the No. 1 reason for rejecting a job applicant? Poor personal appearance.

You can lounge around all day in your sweats at home, but if people are going to see you, think about what image you want to convey. Think twice before wearing the baggiest jeans you own or the lowest-cut top. You are judged by your appearance constantly—use this to your advantage.

2. Your body language will speak more loudly than your words. Some of the people manning the booths apparently believed all the attendees had swine flu. They talked only to each other, avoided eye contact, and looked generally put out.

If you are going to spend the day at a tradeshow, work it, baby! Be nice to everyone; have fun! You may think you’re wasting time with a little fish, but a big fish may be watching. This is something that surprisingly few people seem to get.

I can often pick out problem employees in a training session after just a few minutes. Their body language is so negative, it screams.

Guess who will be the first to get laid off?

Actions are everything—your facial expression, your gestures, even the movement of your eyes conveys a ton of information to anyone who sees you.

Be more aware of what you’re communicating. And as long as another human can see you, you’re communicating.

3. People love chocolate. Put out a bowl of miniature candy bars and people will not be able to stay away.

Tote bags? Eh, not so much. The candy is easy—people like it enough to take the risk of approaching you. You are welcoming them.

What is your chocolate? A warm smile and a compliment? A great discount? Give them a reason to come closer.

4. Love the one you’re with. If there are 500 people at a show but only one in your booth—hello! Treat them well!

I was so surprised at the number of people who would ignore me while there was no other customer in sight.

You don’t know who someone might know or how much money they might have.

Treat everyone you interact with well—too often our judgments are dead wrong and we hurt only ourselves. Be open to everyone. You never know who might place the next big order or introduce you to the love of your life.

The biggest mistake I think we make nowadays is ignoring all the live people around us to check our PDAs. We’re losing the excitement of a chance encounter—the opportunity to meet

someone new. We shut off the world around us.

We also do this when we are with people we love. We text, check voicemail, and/or write emails. This is utterly rude and clearly says to the other, “This is more important to me than you are.” Ouch.

5. Have fun! Some of the people manning booths looked as though they were serving a sentence in jail. Who would want to stop and talk with them, much less do business with them? But some people were up and laughing, and attendees were drawn to them.

Fun has taken a serious beating with the recession—it’s as if anyone who has fun while others are being laid off should be ashamed. I say people want to spend time with, do business with, and hang around those who are having fun. The guys who change my oil are always having fun, and I love to go in there. I’ll never go anywhere else, in fact.

I’ve never equated misery with quality, and you shouldn’t either.

Happy people usually get sick less and do better work.

6. It’s really not about you. The best booths were manned by people who actually engaged me. They asked what I did or where I was from. (These are also good screening questions, by the way.) The worst booths had someone who went on and on about

themselves, shoved a business card in my hand, and moved me out of the booth. They didn’t even have any good giveaways.

This is true in life—if you want to connect with someone, you have to realize it’s about them. We like those who are interested in us. And if you’re in business and you aren’t interested in your customers … well, you may not be in business for long.

Success in relationships is about thinking about the other person— clearly not at the exclusion of your own needs, but we like people who like us.

Most people are far more interesting than you can imagine. Pay more attention to them; ask them some deeper questions. You may be surprised at what you learn.

You may also find they are paying more attention to you and asking more about you. And isn’t that what we all want—to be known?

It’s simple: Look good, be friendly, give chocolate, have fun, and focus on others. Life is a tradeshow.

• Denise Ryan is a motivational pyromaniac—her infectious energy and enthusiasm will set a room ablaze. You may have heard her speak at PowerLunch! She holds the title of Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and she is an author, keynote speaker, and most notably, a firestarter extraordinaire. firestarspeaking.com

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

9

CAREER

The SOCIAL MEDIA Effect: Are You Really Who You Portray Online?

By DR. R.K. GREEN

O

ver the past 15 years, the world as we know it has been taken by storm through the onset of social media.

According to Comscore (2011), about 90 percent of U.S. Internet users visit a social media site each month.

Because we live in such a largely global society, creating and maintaining an online presence has become most relevant in promoting your brand and expanding your social network.

As we know, perception is everything, especially in the world of social media. In terms of perception, we all have an ideal self. We all wish to maximize our careers and aspire to be like those whom we find most successful. As the use of social media continues to evolve, the concept of presenting our ideal selves versus our real selves has become more and more prevalent on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and even LinkedIn. As research suggests, your “real self ” is what you are—your attributes, your characteristics, and your personality. Your “ideal self ” is what you feel you should be; much of it is due to societal and environmental influences. From a societal standpoint, many of us are driven by competition, achievement, and status; hence, the creation and portrayal of our ideal selves.

Consider the fact that on social media sites, we consider our profiles to be presentations of who

10

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

we are. Therefore, through interaction with the social medium, the real and ideal selves intersect, and the ideal self is at least partially actualized. In essence, our online selves represent our ideals and eliminate many of our other real components.

“ Are we really

presenting who we are or are we

presenting a hyperidealistic version of ourselves?

”

The question we have to ask ourselves is: Are we really presenting who we are or are we presenting a hyper-idealistic version of ourselves?

It has been argued that the social-media effect creates a false sense of self and self-esteem through the use of likes, fans, comments, posts, etc. For many social-media users, it is an esteem booster, which explains why so

many people spend so much time on social media. It provides many individuals with a false sense of self and an inflated sense of who they really are.

In considering these points, here are three important factors to consider while social networking: 1. Stop comparing yourself to others. When you compare yourself to others, you are comparing yourself to the perception of what you think the person is. In reality, many people are presenting only their ideal selves online. Therefore, you are comparing yourself to an ideal figure, not a true representation.

2. Authenticity is key. Stay true to your real self. Instead of creating an inflated, unrealistic version of yourself, examine who you are and your best attributes. Determine what makes you unique and focus your attention on enhancing yourself.

Ask yourself this question: “Would you rather be 1,000 carbon copies of replicas or one authentic version of yourself?” People like individuals who are relatable, yet real. Do not be afraid to show who you really are.

3. Align your “real” self with your “ideal” self. If you are portraying yourself as an ideal figure or with an ideal career, why not work toward those goals to achieve your ideal status? As we know, everything in life worth doing takes time, effort, energy, and persistence.

will align your real self with your ideal self. By doing so, you will ultimately become more fulfilled as you accomplish the goals that will lead to your path to self-actualization, i.e., becoming the best you … the “real” you.

• Dr. R. Kay Green is the CEO/president of RKG Marketing Solutions, a professor of marketing, and a popular keynote speaker on marketing and business topics. www.rkgmarketingsolutions.com

2129 Market St., Camp Hill 717.737.5400

CAREER

As a final point, if you’re consistent and transparent in your online and offline persona, you have nothing to fear from exposure (Emily Magazine, 2013). Everything about your online persona should be reflective of your offline persona, e.g., your background, experience, education, etc.

Rather than focusing your attention and effort into creating an ideal online persona, use your time and effort to accomplish the goals that

The Women’s Expo was by far our largest, most energetic event we’ve participated in … The coordination and planning for the day of the event were executed perfectly. We will definitely be back again!”

Sarah S. Awakening Massage and Wellness Center

YORK’S BEST KEPT SECRET 700 West Market Street, York, PA 17401 Mon, Wed, Fri: 9-6 • Tues & Thurs: 9-5 • Sat: 9-3 www.furniturefinesse.com • 717.848.8759

M 10-5, T W F 10-6, TH 10-8, S 10-5

www.CreativeEleganceBoutique.com Find us on Facebook “Creative Elegance Boutique”

Follow us on Twitter @CEBoutique

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

11

Come, Relax, Be Pampered, and Have Fun Ladies, send a text or an email, make an old-fashioned phone call, or however it is that you communicate with your family and friends, but be sure to plan to visit the upcoming women’s expos in Lebanon and Cumberland counties. They are special events designed for women of all ages.

Premiere

E October 5, 2013 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road, Lebanon

Second Annual Cumberland County

omen’s Expo November 9, 2013 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center, 100 K Street, Carlisle

New this year is the premiere Lebanon County women’s expo.

We heard from many women who said, “Why don’t you do something in our area?” said Kimberly Shaffer, events manager for On-Line Publishers, Inc. “So we connected with businesses and leaders in the community to gauge their interest and received a very positive response!”

The Lebanon Expo Center is an excellent location with easy access to and just east off Route 72. While at the women’s expo, you can shop, enjoy mini spa treatments, talk with exhibitors, and watch a few demonstrations.

Amaryllis Santiago, a professional recording artist who was born in Lebanon, Pa., will put on a special mini-performance for you, her friends and neighbors. Most recently, she shared the stage with Maestro Jose Feliciano on his World Tour 2013 as a special guest in Harrisburg.

Of course, women love fashion.

Various boutiques will come together to strut their fashions on behalf of Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Check out what you’ll want to be wearing next season!

Give your wardrobe a personal touch with accessories. Sharon EmbryGlick with Premier Designs will help us learn how to accessorize our existing wardrobe through the use of proper jewelry techniques. We women love our bling!

Having company for the holidays or just want to give your kitchen or bathroom a little pizzazz? A representative from The Home Depot will be demonstrating how to install mosaic tile. What a great idea!

The Cumberland County women’s expo is coming along nicely as well.

We’re going to kick off the day with an energetic display of Zumba.

If you have never seen or tried Zumba, join Red 102.3’s Sara Sage and licensed Zumba Fitness Instructor Lisa Oplinger as they work out to Zumba’s lively music. You can dance your way to fitness.

Another new craze in the fitness world is Hot Hula. Michelle Bell from the Carlisle Family YMCA is going to show us how we can get a total-body workout the Pacific Island way. Hot Hula is a great alternative to traditional exercises.

The holidays are quickly approaching, and you’ll want to enjoy some of the special foods of the season.

Sylvia Warner, GIANT Food’s in-store nutritionist, will help us learn how to lighten recipes so health-conscious friends and family can still enjoy your favorite dishes.

Your taste buds will be watering when April Walsh, owner of Dinner Knocks, gives us some edible gift ideas (think gourmet hot chocolate and chocolate-covered strawberries) as well as time-saving tips for meal preparation.

Coldwater Creek, a women’s apparel and accessories retailer in the area, will be joining us on stage this year to present a sneak peek at holiday fashions and trends for 2014.

Both expos will have exhibitors galore. We hope you will stop by and learn about their products and services and how they can help you live a happier and healthier life. Plus, you can get some holiday shopping done and have a mini spa treatment while you’re at the women’s expo.

Hula Hoop Cont est!

Top Pri z $100! e

And prepare get your groove on because the Hula Hoop Contest will be in full swing at both women’s expos.

Yep, there’s a $100 cash prize to the person at each event who can keep their hula hoop swingin’ the longest.

Come to the women’s expo and enjoy some time with other women.

It’s the way we women relax and rejuvenate, and you’ll go home saying it was … a great way to spend my day!

Visit our website now at www.aGreatWayToSpendMyDay.co m for free advance guest registration ($5 at the door).

Exhibitor space is limited, so contact us today to learn more about how your business can reach the women in your community—those who make or influence more than 85 percent of all consumer purchases.

For guest registration, to reserve booth space, or for more information, go to:

a G r e a t Wa yTo S p e n d M y D a y. c o m

Join likeminded women who want to create valuable relationships, learn business skills, and network with other successful women.

PowerLunch – a powerful event that can enhance your business, health, finances, and life.

Luncheon Sponsor

Transportation Sponsor

Speed Networking Sponsor

Marketing Sponsors • Greater Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce • Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce and CREDC

Exhibitors • Listing • Map 10 ADT Security Services, Inc. 3040 Industry Drive Lancaster, PA 17603 717.475.8391 www.adt.com

POWERLUNCH‘13 Capital Region GUIDE

1 Altland House Catering & Events 142 N. George St. York, PA 17401 www.altlandhouse.com 4 Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. Sara Neagley 2331 Market St., FL 3 Camp Hill, PA 17011 www.ameripriseadvisors.com/ sara.r.neagley

17 Paparazzi Jewelry by Melissa Jones melissajones3@aol.com 3 Pennsylvania Center for Wellness 313 Liberty St., Suite 225 Lancaster, PA 17603 www.PACenterforWellness.com 11 Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission P.O. Box 3265 Harrisburg, PA 17105 www.puc.pa.gov www.papowerswitch.com

Brought to you by

Entrance

Speed Networking

Stage Area

Registration

T1

20 PinnacleHealth Multiple facilities in the region www.pinnaclehealth.org

8 Bayada Home Health Care 4807 Jonestown Road, Suite 254 Harrisburg, PA 17109 www.bayada.com

6 PPL Epower Solutions 1553 Mountain Road Elizabethville, PA 17023 www.pplelectric.com/epower

12 Changes Salon & Day Spa 5121 E. Trindle Road Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 www.changesdayspa.com

7 Renewal by Andersen 4856 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 www.rbacentralpa.com

5 Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC 3211 N. Front St., Suite 201 Harrisburg, PA 17110 www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org

14 Sherman Werst & Co. Wealth Management 480 New Holland Ave., Suite 6204 Lancaster, PA 17602 www.shermanwerst.com

18 Isaac’s Famous Grilled Sandwiches 354 N. Prince St., Suite 220 Lancaster, PA 17603 www.isaacsdeli.com

2 Shokti Leadership Coaching Srirupa Dasgupta 527 W. Frederick St. Lancaster, PA 17603 www.shoktileadershipcoaching.com

9 Jaffy Jewelry Penn Street Farmers’ Market 380 W. Market St. York, PA 17401 www.jaffyjewelry.com

16 Take Shape for Life Beth Ranck www.branck.tsfl.com/explore

T1 Julie A. Lichty, LLC www.focusdiscoverachieve.com

19 Unique Limousine 1900 Crooked Hill Road Harrisburg, PA 17110 www.uniquelimousine.com

13 Origami Owl Living Lockets by Amy Amy Rehmeyer 160 Barnwell Lane Palmyra, PA 17078 www.amyscharms.origamiowl.com

SPEED NETWORKING SPONSOR

TRANSPORTATION SPONSOR

LUNCHEON SPONSOR

MARKETING SPONSOR

Unique Limousine will be providing transportation from the parking lot to the front door ... and back again!

PL2

~ POWERLUNCH’13 Capital Region | BUSINESSWoman

Authenticity is a rapidly growing cultural trend, and life balance is a hotly debated topic.

Life can be overwhelming, as many of us juggle families, homes, careers, and so much more. As life speeds up, many women are looking for a way to slow down and find true personal fulfillment.

Do you often think about whether it’s possible to feel more anchored, more centered within yourself? Do you wonder, deep down, if there is more? More time, more clarity, more confidence to genuinely savor your life?

Join us at POWERLUNCH Capital Region, where keynote speaker Julie Lichty will share thoughts about what it means to live authentically, to own your personal power, and to make choices that lead to much-desired balance in your life.

POWERLUNCH‘13 Capital Region GUIDE

About Julie Lichty

Julie Lichty

Julie Lichty partners with clients to create more authentic lives—personally and professionally.

She has extensive experience in business, personal development, and coaching. For many years she held leadership roles with a prominent media/consumer products firm but knew there was something “more” that was meant to be.

It is Julie’s personal mission to use words—written and spoken—to inspire and support others in their quest to live more authentically. She enjoys connecting and invites you to do so, via her website, Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.

www.julielichty.com www.facebook.com/julielichtyllc @BestCoachJulie Blog: www.julielichty.com/wordpress

Be sure to hear Julie’s presentation at 12:30 p.m.

Meet more people, make more contacts, and generate more business!

Speed Networking Session 1: 10:15 a.m.

Speed Networking Session 2: 11:15 a.m.

Reservations for Speed Networking will be taken at POWERLUNCH’13 on a first-come, first-reserved basis.

For more information, please contact On-Line Publishers, Inc. 717.285.1350 • info@businesswomanpa.com BusinessWomanPA.com

~ POWERLUNCH’13 Capital Region

PL3

POWERLUNCH‘13 Capital Region GUIDE

Register Today for this Excellent Women’s Networking Event!

BusinessWomanPA.com/powerlunch

PL4

~ POWERLUNCH’13 Capital Region | BUSINESSWoman

Welcome to ...

Bangkok Wok

Exotic Oriental Thai Cuisine

Voted

Best Thai Restaurant in Central PA for 22 years 125 Gateway Drive, Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg location is across from Park Inn, easily accessible from the 581 extender.

We do accept Visa, MasterCard & Discover.

OPEN Mon. thru Thurs. 11-9 • Fri. 11-10 Sat. noon-10 • Sun. noon-9

BYOB 795-7292

Take-out available

www.BangkokWok.com

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

13

Pennsylvania is Great for Wining

LIFESTYLE

G

From top: Guest enjoy wine tasting at Pinnacle Ridge Winery in Kutztown, Pa.; Vynecrest Winery in Breinigsville, Pa.; and Twin Brooks Winery in Gap, Pa.

14

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

enerating more than $2.35 billion annually from vine to glass, wine in Pennsylvania is much more than an enjoyable adult beverage.

With 12 distinct grape-growing and wineproducing regions in the state, all containing their own flair, Pennsylvania has become a thriving hub within the wine industry. The market is exploding at an exponential rate: The number of wineries in Pennsylvania has almost tripled over the last decade from just 64 in 2000 to more than 160 currently open wineries today.

Pennsylvania harbors grape-growing conditions that are unique to its particular location. Within the state itself, there are many different microclimates, or local atmospheric zones, offering different soils, temperatures, precipitation, etc.

“This range of growing conditions allows for many varieties of grapes to flourish and, therefore, a wider range of wine varietals can be produced,” noted Jennifer Eckinger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Wine Association.

Different species of grape and growing conditions help to create the slight variations in wine flavor. The Niagara, Concord, and Delaware grapes can all prosper naturally in the Pennsylvania climate. Other regions of the state utilize a special French hybrid grape to help the grapes withstand the Pennsylvania climate conditions.

Visiting a winery provides a new experience over simply purchasing a bottle from a store. For the professional sommelier, an at-home connoisseur, or if you are simply interested in learning more about the beverage, a “wine trail” expands on the basic winery experience.

Wine trails are groupings of local wineries that are located within close proximity. They offer a wide-ranging Pennsylvania wine experience. On a wine trail it is possible to compare and contrast not only varietals and their flavor, but also the different winemaking processes, agriculture, and scenery that are exclusive to each location.

Each of Pennsylvania’s 12 trails is distinctive, with the number of wineries along a wine trail varying. The smallest trail is a cluster of three wineries, while the largest boasts more than 12.

Each trail showcases its own regional varietals. For example, the Lake Erie Wine

By JESSICA JOHNS Country, part of one of the largest grapegrowing regions in North America, is able to exclusively highlight ice wine. Erie County contains a 20-mile-long and 5-mile-wide sea of native grapes, like Concord and Niagara, along the Lake Erie shoreline. It is the state’s sole producers of ice wine, noted Eckinger.

“Most of this fruit goes into juice production, but much of it, along with other hybrid and vinifera varieties, is made into wine,” said Eckinger. “The lake moderates the climate, which is cooler and drier than the southeast and south-central areas [of the state], and varietals like Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, along with hybrids like Vidal and Vignoles, thrive in the gravel, silt loam, and sandy soils.

“Distance from the lake, local topography, and the escarpment have a great influence on local climate features,” she continued. “Inland and south from the shore, the elevation rises into hills and the climate cools, and coldtolerant hybrids make the most attractive wines.”

Similarly to the Lake Erie Wine Trail, the other 11 trails feature the wines that are best produced in their particular region.

“Much like the differences seen between wine trails, each trail contains many individual wineries showcasing their own specific wines, processes, and flavors,” said Eckinger. “Trail travelers can choose to visit only one or two wineries along the trail or extend the trip to visit each one. Most wine trails offer the option of a purchasing a ‘passport.’”

This passport program allows travelers on the wine trail to space out their visit over the period of a month, providing more time to sample and savor all of the wineries along a particular trail.

Each wine trail and each individual winery projects its own personality. As a way of presenting their local character, many of the wineries host individualized special events a few times each year, perhaps a band or some other incentive to accompany their passport program. Many events involve a chef tasting or pairing sweet or savory food with appropriate wine samples.

In the next year, it is projected that more than 1 million people

It’s harvest time at Twin Brook Winery!

Plan ahead – Make sure that there is a plan of action in place and review the simple processes of the trail, like directions between wineries.

Choose the correct time – Weekends are busiest and may be optimal for visitors looking to mingle with other guests. But for someone looking for a more private experience, a weekday or earlymorning weekend visit may be more appropriate.

Do your homework – A list of every wine trail in Pennsylvania, with extensive information about each trail as well as the individual wineries, can be found at www.pennsylvaniawine.com. A few minutes of research will answer

LIFESTYLE

will visit the wineries of Pennsylvania. If you are thinking about being one of them, the Pennsylvania Wine Association offers some advice on getting the most out of your trip:

questions about sampling policies, food, and if any special events are being held at the time of your visit.

Make additional stops along the way – The ultimate purpose of a wine tour is to not only experience the wine, but also the local history and culture. Supplementing the winery experience with a trip to a museum or a local restaurant will allow for a more holistic experience.

Eckinger recommends that anyone wishing to learn more about wine or the approach to and process of wine making—or even just to experience more of Pennsylvania culture—should consider embarking on a wine trail.

Each winery and trail may have its own personality, but, much like the proper pairing of a fine wine with the right food, each winery highlights and complements the others on the trail, culminating in an exceptional wine experience.

Professional Cleaning Services • Carpet & Upholstery • Ceramic Tile & Grout • Marble, Granite, & Wood Floor Rejuvenation

717-761-4444 • www.gelcopa.com BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

15

By AMY THORN

R LIFESTYLE

emember your first kiss? Or the best kiss you’ve ever experienced? Chances are, you remember much more than two lips meeting; you probably recall his smile, his scent, and even the taste that lingered on your mouth.

Truly tasting a glass of wine is a little bit like experiencing a really great kiss. Let me explain …

When a wine connoisseur tastes wine, she does it with much more than her taste buds.

It’s a complex, sensual experience, and you can learn how to enjoy wine in the same, thoroughly enjoyable way. As one of a handful of women winemakers in the United States, let me share the experience of how I taste a wine.

First, set the right ambiance. Strong cooking smells or overpowering perfume will interfere with your appreciation of a good wine’s delicate aromas.

Likewise, any residual odors in the glassware will also detract from the wine’s flavor, so check them carefully for hints of dishwashing detergent or mustiness. If you detect a musty odor, swirl all sides of the glass—not with water, but with wine—and discard the wine. This is called conditioning the glass.

Second, choose the proper glassware. The traditional shapes of wine glasses capture the wine’s bouquet for your enjoyment before you even bring the glass to your lips. A wine glass should be filled about one-third full to release the wine’s aromas.

The right temperature is important, too. If a wine is served to you too chilled, cup your hands around the bowl of the glass, and let it warm up a bit. It’s worth the wait.

Next, take a good look at the wine from several angles. From the side, you can check the clarity of the wine. If it’s murky, the sediment may have been disturbed during its pouring, or the wine is unfiltered, both of which are not an issue. But sometimes, a cloudy wine indicates a problem with its fermentation. Wines, particularly whites, should be clear and sparkle in the light.

16

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

“”

you can give is to create a bottle of wine that is the purest expression of each varietal, a wine that is a combination of nature and nurture, resulting in a vintage that represents a union between the fruit of the vine, the richness of the earth, and the passion of the winemaker.

• Amy Thorn is owner and winemaker of Thorn Hill Vineyards and one of a handful of women winemakers in the United States. A Lancaster resident, Amy divides her time between home and her vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, and Lake County, Calif. Please visit www.ThornHillVineyards.com for more information.

Don’t miss another issue!

LIFESTYLE

Tilt the glass and look at the wine from the side.

The color should be burgundy to deep ruby for reds, and very light yellow to straw-colored for whites. If you see orange or rusty brick in a red wine, or tan to brown in a white, the wine may be oxidized and not suitable for drinking.

Lastly, give the wine a gentle swirl in the glass.

This shows the wine’s “legs,” which are the lines that run down the sides of the glass. Wines with good legs usually mean a bigger flavor—more robust and mouth-filling—and perhaps a higher alcohol content.

Now you’re ready to use another sense, and it’s not taste—yet. Sniff the wine. Yes, place your nose above the glass, not in it, and inhale the aromas.

Then, name what you smell. Perhaps it is cherry or blackberry for a red wine or melon or citrus for a white. Fruit aromas are obvious and fun to identify.

Now how about the more obscure: chocolate, apricot, hazelnut? In my “Ice” wine, for example, hints of honey and apricots emerge, and nuances of cocoa, blackberry pie, and nutmeg are detectable in my Port-style wine. All delicious!

Truly tasting a glass of wine is a little bit like experiencing a really great kiss.

But there are also scents that give you a “heads up” that a wine is past its prime. Scents of vinegar or a musty basement? Uh-oh. This may be a wine not worthy of drinking. Sulfur, on the other hand, may be a temporary condition. Give it a hearty swirl for a few moments, and the sulfur may dissipate to reveal a fine wine.

At last, it’s time for the kiss! Put that beautiful wine to your lips and sip, taking in some air along with the wine. While your tongue will tell you sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory, you’ve done the preliminary “work” that will help you appreciate the nuances of this magical liquid. The best wines—and what I strive for in my wine-making work at Thorn Hill Vineyards—dance in your mouth. It lingers on your palate and changes as it does so. It evolves with each sip, so you will want to slow down and savor the journey.

As a winemaker, I believe that the greatest gift

Get BUSINESSWoman delivered right to your door.

Subscribe online at BusinessWomanPA.com

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

17

The Affordable Care Act Provisions and Small Business in 2014

By SYLVESTER E. WILLIAMS, IV, JD, MBA, CCLE

T

indirectly affect small firms (fewer than 100 employees).

The new rules will require small firms to decide whether or not to offer health coverage, although making this decision is going to necessitate analysis of several variables on the firm’s part.

The ACA is set up using multiple incentives and penalties to encourage more small businesses to offer coverage.

Even though most elements of the ACA affecting employers take effect in

WELLNESS

he Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was established as a way to increase access to affordable health coverage using a myriad of provisions that shift the obligation to employer-sponsored health coverage.

The new law will directly impact midsize (100 to 1,000 employees) and large (more than 1,000 employees) firms, but certain provisions will

2014, some of the provisions have already gone into place and apply to employers of any size that offer selfinsured and fully insured coverage.

These provisions include: 1. Extension of dependant coverage for adult children up to age 26 2. Prohibition of health plans from excluding children under age 19 from coverage due to a preexisting condition 3. Requirement of health plans to cover preventive services without cost sharing 4. Nondiscrimination rules and penalties for fully insured groups that offer richer benefits to only select employees 5. Excise tax on high-cost selfinsured and fully insured plans that exceed annually adjusted limits for individuals and families Looking forward to 2014, there are specific provisions of the ACA that will apply to small firms. The ACA separates the small firms using the number of fulltime equivalents (FTE) employed by the business.

Starting in 2014, depending on the number of FTE employees, a small firm will either offer affordable care coverage or pay a statutory penalty.

Small firms with 50 or greater FTE will be subject to the above-stated rule if 95 percent of their employees are not provided affordable insurance.

More specifically, in 2014 a small firm that fails to comply with the compliance coverage provision will be subject to a $2,000 penalty per fulltime employee per year beyond the first 30 employees. However, this does not include part-time or seasonal employees.

18

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

Subsequently, going forward, the penalty will increase by the rate of premium inflation. So firms with 50 or greater employees will need to make some decisions about employee coverage.

Under Section 1311 of the Affordable Care Act, each state will have a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) that will be designed to offer affordable insurance to smaller businesses by spreading administrative cost, providing greater purchasing leverage, promoting employee choice, and pooling the risk across multiple firms. The implementation of the SHOP Exchange is being phased in over several years.

In the first year of the program, federally facilitated exchanges will only allow firms to purchase a single plan to offer employees. Therefore, these plans will not be required to aggregate premiums. So in 2014, small firms intending to use plans from federal SHOP Exchanges will need to choose one plan for all their eligible employees.

However, in 2015 and thereafter, small firms will be able to select a general coverage level, and employees can choose a plan on the exchange within that level. Additionally, a small firm may elect to purchase a plan for coverage of employees outside the Exchanges, but the requirements provided in the ACA still apply.

Another important provision to small firms is Section 1321 of the Affordable Care Act, which states that health coverage under the ACA must be considered “affordable” by employees.

Section 1321 sets forth a two-prong test that employees must meet before being eligible for a subsidy.

WELLNESS

The first part of the test requires employee premium contributions for single coverage not exceed 9.5 percent of the employee’s annual income. The second part of the test requires that the plan must cover at least 60 percent of healthcare expenses.

If both requirements are not met, the employee is eligible for subsidies to purchase insurance on the exchange, and the employer is subject to an annual $3,000 penalty for each employee receiving subsidies.

Section 1321 stipulates that the penalty for a small firm not providing affordable coverage cannot exceed the amount of their Section 1311 penalty. As a result, a small firm with 50 or more FTEs cannot reduce its penalty for an unaffordable plan by dropping employee coverage altogether.

It is important to note that small firms with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from penalties for not offering coverage.

Although, if the firm with fewer than 50 employees decides to offer coverage, it can purchase qualified health plans through the SHOP Exchange to decrease otherwise high administrative costs, pool their firm’s risk with other small firms, and increase their own purchasing power.

Most recently, the effective date of the employer-shared responsibility provisions of ACA was extended for employersponsored health plans to prepare for implementing the new requirements.

However, there was no extension given on compliance dates for other ACA provisions.

Furthermore, no modification was made to the Health Insurance Marketplaces, so they are on course to open as originally mandated on Oct. 1, 2013.

The employer-shared responsibility penalties create significant risk for employers and insurers, but employers should be mindful that the U.S. Department of Labor is already including ACA requirements in its benefit plan audits.

This is not something that is going to go away, so please make sure to understand the incentives and penalties that apply to small firms. Consult an accountant or attorney who is familiar with the ACA about the new regulations. Planning is essential to avoid tripping one of the penalties in the new ACA guidelines. • Sylvester E. Williams is the chair, Department of Business, at Elizabethtown College.

BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

19

Weight Control

is NOT Only Found in the

By JANA BENSCOTER

Gym

WELLNESS

U

nderstanding the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle can virtually guarantee greater lifelong results. Exercise and a balanced diet can reap advantages, but if that isn’t enough to help achieve weight-loss goals, bariatric surgery is another safe option for certain people.

Obesity is becoming more commonplace. Medical experts agree that a person is treading in the danger zone when they are 100 pounds overweight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2.4 million more adults were obese in 2009 than in 2007.

“The epidemic has affected every part of the United States,” the center reported. “In every state, more than 15 percent of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30 percent of adults are obese. The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are staggering.

Recent estimates of the annual medical costs are as high as $147 billion.”

The number of obese Pennsylvanians is an estimated 20 to 29.9 percent. A body mass index (BMI) of over 40 is considered dangerous. It is at that point a person should consider a form of bariatric surgery. BMI is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

Being overweight jeopardizes your health, and obesity severely compromises it. Reducing your weight, even in small increments, may improve or resolve some health conditions you are experiencing.

Among them, weight loss: • Lowers the risk of heart disease by 47 percent for women and 67 percent for men • Lowers the risk of colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, and esophageal cancers 25 to 30 percent (when combined with physical activity)

20

Dr. Alan Brader with the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute of Lancaster helps patients through the weight-loss process.

• Lowers your risk of diabetes by up to 80 percent • Increases your ability to get pregnant by 43 percent • Lowers your risk of developing osteoarthritis, which could lead to joint replacements; every 2-pound loss decreases your risk 9 to 13 percent • Lowers your risk of sleep apnea, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), and depression • Decreases the amount of money you spend during your lifetime on medications by 77 percent and your need for healthcare services by 36 percent Research by Drexel University’s Department of Medicine determined that “obesity is now regarded as a chronic medical disease with serious health implications caused by a complex set of factors.” The department estimates that an alarming 80 percent of women are either overweight or obese.

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

“It is predicted that obesity may soon become the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the USA, having already outranked tobacco use,” Drexel medical staff calculated.

“Current U.S. statistics indicate that approximately 400,000 people die each year as a consequence of obesity and obesity-related problems.”

Dr. Alan Brader, a surgeon at the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute of Lancaster, said bariatric surgery is a successful way to lose weight.

Controlling the problem of obesity is the lesson, though, that patients need to learn. Nutritional, exercise, and

behavioral counseling, before and after surgery, are vital parts of the process.

“Once you control the problem, that’s when the illness breaks,” Brader said. “It is an elective surgery. We do it for health. Obesity is a visual illness.”

Brader said there are three options that are assessed individually with each patient. A patient chooses the surgery based on their eating habits and answers to questions like, “What drives you to eat? What type of eater are you: boredom, nighttime, chocolate?”

The surgeries are gastric bypass,

“”

It is predicted that obesity may soon become the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the USA, having already outranked tobacco use.

sleeve gastroectony, and adjustable gastric band. All of them are performed laparoscopically, which is a minimally invasive surgery, bandaid surgery, or keyhole surgery. It is a modern surgical technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions as opposed to the larger incisions needed in laparotomy.

All three are intended for a person to consume a lower caloric intake. Gastric bypass is associated with more extreme, genetic cases of needing to lose 100 pounds for health reasons. The surgery reroutes digestive foods and juices.

Brader said he has witnessed people with diabetes go through the surgery and come out of it “48 hours later near normal blood sugar levels, without medication.”

He suggested a person wanting portion control, or having more difficulty with behavioral control, to opt for the gastric band. Brader compared the surgery to “narrowing a four-lane highway into a single

lane.” It is simply a belt wrapped around the upper portion of the stomach that restricts volume.

The sleeve option is literally removing part of the stomach. It is ranked somewhere between gastric bypass and the belt options.

“There are a lot of illnesses out there caused by a number of different things,” Brader said. “There are people who are genetically predisposed to this illness. This illness flourishes. It is caused by genetics and by environmental, behavioral, and metabolic [factors].

I have to treat the illness, recognizing those four things.

Surgery is not going to change when someone goes to eat or what someone puts in their shopping cart.”

Brader said he believes surgery is a step toward a healthier lifestyle. It’s a safe procedure and is both life changing and saving. The first step, he said, is the surgery, but the responsibility will ultimately remain with the patient.

WELLNESS

397-8177 maygrant.com

OB • GYN • Infertility • 3D/4D Ultrasound • In-office Procedures Urinary Incontinence • Osteoporosis Screening Main Office: Women & Babies Hospital Other Locations: Brownstown, Columbia, Elizabethtown, Willow Street and Intercourse BusinessWomanPA.com

|

September 2013

~

21

Watch

WOMEN TO

Donna Eyler has been promoted to compliance manager for Metro Bank. She has 18 years of banking experience and is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager, Certified Internal Auditor, and Certified Financial Services Auditor.

Rachael A. Potts has joined the

president – consumer lending manager. Appleby joins F&M Trust with more than 15 years of experience in both the real estate and banking industries.

Jeannie Sadaphal has been hired by

JP Shaw has joined CENTURY 21 Realty Services as a sales

Jane B. Tompkins will join F&M Trust’s management team

the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau as its new sales coordinator. She will assist with the organization’s daily marketing and promotion of the Lancaster County destination.

associate. She will specialize in residential property sales in the Cumberland County area.

as senior vice president and risk management officer.

Tompkins has an extensive background in credit management, commercial services, and lending during her 39 years in banking.

Kristen G. Appleby has joined F&M Trust as assistant vice

SF&Company, CPAs and Business Advisors York office as a staff accountant. She is a graduate of York College of PA with an accounting degree and a minor in finance.

Applause

ACHIEVEMENTS &

Lisa A. Myers, a partner specializing in forensic accounting, fraud investigations, and more with Boyer & Ritter CPAs in Camp Hill, has been elected 2013-2014 treasurer of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Do you have an announcement?

Please email your announcements of career advancements and professional new hires to crupp@onlinepub.com. Electronic photos should be saved as a tiff, jpeg, pdf or eps at 300 dpi. Or mail to: BUSINESSWOMAN, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512. Photos sent through mail will not be returned.

Please – no duplicate releases.

While We Were Out ...

Church Events • Concerts • Sale Days • Car Shows • Grand Openings

CONNECTIONS

Harrisburg Chapter of EWI The Harrisburg Chapter of EWI awarded $6,000 in the 2013 Adult Student in Scholastic Transition Scholarship (ASIST) Program. The Taylor/Cackovic Scholarship recipients are: Christine Hollman, Jillisa McCollum, and Cassandra Guerrero.

From left: Christine Hollman, recipient; Dee (Cackovic) Kolakowski; and Cassandra Guerrero, recipient.

SEND US YOUR PICTURES!

BusinessWoman would love to share what’s happening while you're out and about. Send your picture(s) and descriptions to: editor@ businesswomanpa.com

22

~ September 2013 | BUSINESSWoman

w w w. s p o t - l i g h t m e d i a . c o m

Greet

MEET AND

WOMEN’S NETWORKING GROUPS American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) Camelot Chapter 6 p.m.

3rd Monday of the month The Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center, Camp Hill Tania Srouji, President www.abwacamelot.com Continental Yorktowne Chapter 6 p.m.

4th Tuesday of the month The Roosevelt Tavern 400 W. Philadelphia St., York Jeanne Weicht jweicht1@verizon.net Ephrata Charter Chapter 6 p.m.

1st Monday of the month Olde Lincoln House 1398 W. Main St., Ephrata Carol Gilbert, President carol@chgilbert.com Lancaster Area Express Network 7:15 – 9 a.m.

3rd Wednesday of the month Lancaster Country Club 1466 New Holland Pike, Lancaster Kathleen King 717.305.0206 kmking@ptd.net www.LAEN-ABWA.com Lebanon Valley Chapter 6:30 p.m.

4th Wednesday of the month Hebron Hose Fire Company 701 E. Walnut St., Lebanon Penny Donmoyer 717.383.6969 www.abwalebanonpa.com Penn Square Chapter 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.

2nd Thursday of the month Hamilton Club 106 E. Orange St., Lancaster Dottie Horst 717.295.5400 dhorst@realtysettlement.com

Central PA Association for Female Executives (CPAFE) Sept. 4 7:30 – 9 a.m. (Registration Required) Giant Super Foods, Community Room 2300 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg Carol Fastrich 717.591.1268 info@cpafe.org www.cpafe.org Executive Women International Harrisburg Chapter 5:30 p.m.

3rd Thursday of the month Rotating location Cynthia A. Sudor 717.469.7329 cynthia@cynthiasudorenterprises.com www.ewiharrisburg.org Harrisburg Business Women 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

2nd Tuesday of the month Best Western Premier Central Hotel & Conference Center 800 E. Park Drive, Harrisburg Lynne Baker 717.975.1996 lynne.baker@proforma.com info@harrisburgbusinesswoman.org www.harrisburgbusinesswoman.org Insurance Professionals of Lancaster County (IPLC) 5:45 p.m.

3rd Tuesday of the month Heritage Hotel 500 Centerville Road, Lancaster Krista Reed 717.945.4381 Kristathompson101@comcast.net www.naiw-pa.com/lancaster.htm International Association of Administrative Professionals Conestoga Chapter 5:30 p.m.

4th Tuesday of the month Woodcrest Villa 2001 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster Barbara Tollinger btollinger@normandeau.com www.iaaplancaster.com

Do you have an event you would like to post on our online events calendar?

It’s easy to do … and it’s free! Just go to BusinessWomanPA.com and click on the “events” link, or email your info to calendar@businesswomanpa.com.

Harrisburg Chapter 5:30 p.m.

3rd Monday of the month Holiday Inn Harrisburg East Lindle Road, Harrisburg Karen Folk, CAP-OM, President Jodi Mattern, CAP, Webmaster jodi4psu@gmail.com www.iaap-harrisburg-pa.org White Rose Chapter of York 6 p.m.

3rd Wednesday of the month Normandie Ridge 1700 Normandie Ridge Drive, York Dorothy Keasey 717.792.1410 djkeasey@comcast.net Mechanicsburg Business Women 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

3rd Wednesday of the month Flavours ETC Catering 5222 E. Trindle Road, Apt. D, Mechanicsburg Abeer Srouji info@mechanicsburgbusinesswomen.org www.mechanicsburgbusinesswomen.org Pennsylvania Public Relations Society 5:30 p.m.

Last Thursday of the month Kim Barger, President 717.979.8792 kbargerdesign@gmail.com www.pprs-hbg.org Shippensburg Women’s Area Networking (SWAN) Noon 1st Wednesday of the month Rotating location Lisa Mack 717.609.3781 lisamack.re@gmail.com Women’s Business Center Organization (WBCO) 11:30 a.m.

2nd Tuesday of the month Alumni Hall, York College of PA Mimi Wasti mwasti@ycp.edu Women’s Network of York 11:30 a.m.

3rd Tuesday of the month Outdoor Country Club 1157 Detwiler Drive, York Therisa La Cesa 717.495.7527 tlacesa@aol.com www.wnyork.com

BusinessWomanPA.com

CONNECTIONS

Women at Work Express Network 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

2nd Thursday of the month Heritage Hotel 500 Centerville Road, Lancaster Virginia Klingensmith vklingensmith@unioncommunitybank.com

Yellow Breeches Chapter 6 p.m.

4th Wednesday of the month Bob Evans 1400 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle Leslie Shatto leslie.shatto@hma.com

|

September 2013

~

23

Exhi

Premiere

bito rs

Fas h

ion

E October 5, 2013 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road, Lebanon SUPPORTING SPONSOR Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County, Inc.

Call, text, or email your friends and family to join you at the women’s expo!

Relax and unwind

Hula Hoop Cont est!

at the

premiere Lebanon County women’s expo

Top Pri ze $100!

and the

omen’s Expo

second annual Cumberland County women’s expo

November 9, 2013

Women of all ages have enjoyed these fun-filled events!

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center,

held this fall.

100 K Street, Carlisle AUTOMOTIVE SPONSOR Brenner Family of Dealerships

SUPPORTING SPONSOR Giant Food Stores, LLC

MEDIA SPONSORS abc27 • WHP580 • WHYL WINK104 • WIOO • WWKL • WZCY

PAID

Cumberland County

Attention,Ladies!

ing

PRSRT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

Second Annual

pp

PERMIT 280

CBS 21 • WINK104 • WJTL • WQIC WWKL • WZCY

Sh o

LANC., PA 17604

MEDIA SPONSORS

Sho w

Health & Wellness

o rati t s n o Dem

ns

ars n i Sem

zes i r P or o D

717.285.1350

FREE advance guest registration online! ($5 at the door)

For guest registration, to reserve booth space, or for more information, go to:

a G r e a t Wa yTo S p e n d M y D a y. c o m Sponsor and exhibitor applications now being accepted.

Woman BUSINESS

career

~

lifestyle

~

wellness

~

connections

3912 Abel Drive Columbia, PA 17512 businesswomanpa.com

~ ~ ~ ~

career lifestyle wellness connections