Monday, February 18, 2013

Industry Innovators: Karen Williams - One Umbrella Retail Store

One Umbrella Retail Store
A Retail Community
Did you ever wish that you could afford a nice retail space in a nice location where you could sell your products and meet your clients? Are you tired of packing and unpacking for weekend flea markets, festivals and other vending events? Or, are you retired and seeking additional income?  Wouldn’t it be nice if someone else could sell your products while you worked your full-time job or just took a much-needed break? Well, your wishes have been granted!

Welcome to One Umbrella Retail Store, O.U.R. Store! Come under the Umbrella for affordable retail rent in a great location. Experience a beautiful boutique environment where you could welcome your clients. And learn from seasoned retailers while growing your business.

We are now offering a low introductory rate of just $100/month. That’s right! For just $100/month, you will have access to a great retail experience, merchant services (credit/debit card processing), classes to help enhance and grow your business and a great location to meet your clients.

For more details, contact us at 404.482.0072. We look forward to welcoming you into O.U.R. Store!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

VINCE ROGERS – BUSINESS OWNER – THE VITAL BLOG INTERVIEW

Disguised Limits is Partnering with The Vital Portal

www.thevitalportal.com 

which will Feature Disguised Limits @ Vital on the Vital Blogs platform @ www.blogs.thevitalportal.com

 


The Vital Portal is the Premier Service of Vital. 

Ventures of all sizes use the Vital Portal
to climb the business conditions learning curve quickly and efficiently

 

Please read My interview with vital Below 

the vital portal news service

THE VITAL NEWS WIRE BLOG

 

 

 

VINCE ROGERS – BUSINESS OWNER – THE VITAL BLOG INTERVIEW
1. What did you aspire to be as a child?
I aspired to become a Lawyer as a child, but when I found out that defending the bad guys” was also a part of the job I didn’t want to be a Lawyer anymore. Of course my childhood idea of what a Lawyer did was limited to what I saw on television.
2. If you could meet anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be and what would you say to them?
Prince– I would congratulate him for maintaining his consistency and integrity without ever sacrificing his commitment to creativity and excellence.
3. What is your vision of a perfect team?
A perfect team is a team on which all members are empowered to contribute their best and they will be respected regardless of the position they hold in the organization while still maintaining the successful completion of the project as the sole focus of the team.
4. Give us your definition of success.
Success is being confident that you possess the information and resources to undertake any project and are prepared and empowered to face any challenge.
5. Tell us about the best part of your work.
Helping people to acquire the tools that they need to make their lifelong dreams become a reality.
6. What keeps you awake at night?
Wondering if I have done the best that I could today.
7. If you could be a dessert, what would you be? Why?
A Chocolate Brownie – I would like to be firm, consistent, extremely pleasurable but nutty at times.
8. What is your favorite word or phrase, the one you tend to use most often?
Essentially – I like to get to the real essence of an issue rather than just comprehending the surface matter that is obvious to most people.
9. Walk us through a typical day at your current/previous position.
I wear many hats in a given day. I write articles about achieving success and high-performance for various publications. I work with entrepreneurs to craft success strategies for correcting the dysfunctional and enhancing the high-performing components of their business. I work with non-profit leaders to formulate strategic plans for defining the mission and expanding the capacity of their organization. I also work to define, enhance and expand my own organization’s opportunities on a daily basis.
10. Who was most influential in your life?
I have a picture of Paul Robeson above my desk. I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I have achieved anywhere near the impact that he had on society. Yet, the picture serves to remind me that a life well lived should be devoted to living life fully. We were all given many gifts and talents and should try to use them all as our way of glorifying God.
11. If you could go back to a specific era in history, which one would you choose? Why?
I would love to have been in my mid 20s in the 1970s. I believe that there was a love of spirituality, knowledge, and culture in that era that hasn’t been the same since. I would like to have been a part of that more so than I was able to as a child.
12. What were the biggest disappointments of your career?
A number of years ago I had a successful real estate business. The organization fell apart after my closest friend at the time, who was also a business partner, deliberately caused me to experience a severe financial setback. I still have not recovered completely from losing everything. However, I have learned that what I thought was everything materially was actually nothing essentially. I have maintained my dignity, intelligence, integrity and compassion while experiencing extreme adversity. That is more important to me than having things.

13. What is your favorite way to relax after a long hard day at the job?
Music is my sanctuary” ~ Gary Bartz

14. Tell us how you think five co-worker/team members would describe you?

Persistent, Resourceful, Honest, Thrifty, Humble

15. What career accomplishments are you most proud of?
Many years ago I started working as a cold-caller at Lehman Brothers. I had no college degree, and had never even taken a single business class. I just put my head down, dialed the phone, listened to whoever I was assigned to work for and asked questions when I was permitted to. I worked longer and harder than any of my peers. I had no expectation or promise of career advancement or any increased financial reward whatsoever. I was eventually promoted to Assistant Sales Manager, passed the Series 7 exam on my first try and became a Registered Representative. I ultimately became the top producer at another firm. I would also go on to earn a degree in Economics, graduating with honors.
16. What are/were your favorite things about your current/previous position?
I get to solve a wide range of problems by thinking creatively, being innovative and effectively managing any organizations financial and non-financial resources.
17. What behavior(s) did you inherit from your parents?
My Father was a very level-headed, steady, consistent, hard-working man. My mother is a highly resourceful, very creative, highly intelligent, and a deeply loving woman. I think the combination of these traits that I inherited from them makes me an excellent listener and a great problem solver.
18. What made you choose this occupation?
I was at a party one evening after the cessation of my real estate business. The room was full of people networking to find their next real estate job. It became clear to me that evening nobody was hiring. At that party I decided that I needed to find out what were truly my essential skills and talents. I determined that I could use this knowledge to make myself a resource regardless of what industry was hiring. I realized that my real estate and financial services experience and economics and marketing education gave me a unique ability to manage any organizations financial and non-financial resources, while also being able to craft effective communications and marketing strategies to help any business or non-profit organization to thrive, expand and succeed through good and bad times.
19. What would be the first thing you would do if you knew today was your last day?
Watch the Spike Lee film “Mo’ Better Blues”, while eating a Chicken, Mushroom, Jalapeno and Pineapple pizza with a friend.

On February 20, 2013, Vital will begin sharing blogs about my business management experience and finance knowledge every Wednesday @ 

 WWW.BLOGS.THEVITALPORTAL.COM

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Pantheon of Pioneers: Richard R. Wright

"Tell them we are rising."

~ Richard R. Wright


Born into slavery Richard Robert Wright, Sr. (May 16, 1855 – July 2, 1947) was an American military officer, educator and college president, politician, civil rights advocate and banking entrepreneur. Among his many accomplishments, he founded Savannah State University and the Philadelphia's Citizens and Southern Bank and Trust Company. He also founded the National Freedom Day Association.

After moving to Philadelphia, in 1921 Wright decided to open a bank. At age 67 he enrolled in the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania to prepare for this venture. He entered the business world in 1921, creating and leading Philadelphia's Citizens and Southern Bank and Trust Company at 1849 South Street. At the time, it was the only African-American-owned bank in the North and the first African American Trust Company. He also founded the Negro Bankers Association. It was the first African American banking association.