[Originally published in the News-Sentinel May 14, 2008]
By S.T. Boyer
nsfeatures@news-sentinel.com
Fort Wayne resident Sara Fritz is living her version of the American dream.
After becoming a part-time direct-sales consultant for Silpada jewelry last year, Fritz decided she could make enough money to quit her full-time job in the mortgage industry and work at her own business.
With companies closing or downsizing, personal workloads increasing and long-term job security less common, more people could be facing a decision about whether to go into business for themselves.
Fritz credits her family as her primary inspiration for working for herself. With young children at home, she needed the freedom to leave work for doctor appointments, after-school activities or when her kids got sick.
Fritz recalled one time when her daughter was sick, and both she and the father had important, inflexible work schedules. That was part of the appeal of being a direct-sales consultant.
“I wanted to be able to go at any time,” Fritz said. “I don't want my kids to grow up without a mom.”
The intense competition in the mortgage industry was also a burden. “There are always deadlines and numbers,” Fritz said.
She became disheartened because she was working long hours and had little to show for her efforts. Often she would work with a client through almost the entire process, only to lose him or her and the commission just before the closing. After building the broker/client relationship, she said it was difficult not to take the rejection personally.
“If I spent this time networking myself, I could build my own business instead of building someone else's business,” she said.
According to Fritz, Silpada offers training and a network of other independent consultants. For Internet shoppers, the Silpada Web site ( www.silpada.com) [www.silpada.com] will refer inquiries to a consultant in the shopper's local area.
Fritz has joined with other working moms at meetup. com ( www.meetup.com) [www.meetup.com], a social-networking Web site where members organize and plan networking events and activities nearly every month. The Fort Wayne group was started in 2005.
One reason people often cite for staying with an employer is the loss of health insurance. Fritz said she contacted an insurance agent and found a policy that was not much more expensive than the premiums she was paying through her previous job.
“I think people put restrictions on themselves that keep them from finding these great alternatives,” Fritz said. “It's just a fear of the unknown.”
And there are alternatives. Several Web sites offer resources and links for direct-sales consultants, including www.partyswap.com [www.partyswap.com] and www.directsalesmoms. [www.directsalesmoms.com].
One feature of direct sales companies like Silpada is that they are exclusive lines not sold in retail stores. Fritz likes this idea, because she would feel trapped by the overhead and management of a store, instead of working directly with her clients.
The Silpada line is sold through catalogs, and consultants hold parties where clients can come and see the products. Fritz also works with other area consultants to reach out to customers in large public events, such as the recent Tapestry: A Day for Women and the Fort Wayne Home Show.
Since the jewelry is an exclusive line, there is little competition. Fritz feels this takes the stress out of the process, so she doesn't feel the need to put lots of pressure on people to buy.
Her sales have gone well, even with recent fluctuations in the economy. Fritz said she had planned on the income being irregular, so she has made seasonal adjustments to her budget.
“Owning your own business really is the American dream,” she said.
She has not ruled out the possibility of returning someday to the corporate world. But she also joked she probably would need about six weeks of vacation each year to have the same freedom she has now.
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Learn more
You can learn more about Sara Fritz's business at http://mysilpada.com/.
Resources for starting a business
These organizations can help you develop a plan to start a business.
♦U.S. Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov. The SBA's Indiana office is in Indianapolis, 1-317-226-7272, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays.
♦Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, 3201 Stellhorn Road: 407-6442 or www.niic.net.
♦Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), 110 W. Berry St., Suite LL-101: 422-2601, 9 a.m.-noon Tuesdays-Fridays and 5-8 p.m. Mondays or www.score-fortwayne.org.
♦Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza: Resources available in the Business, Science & Technology department.
------------------------------------------------
Upcoming workshops
The Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center, 4312 Hobson Road, Suite B, will offer these workshops:
How to Start a Business
♦First and third Wednesday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m.
♦Second and fourth Wednesday of the month, noon-1:30 p.m.
Free but registration required; call 481-0500.
Business Planning
♦Third Monday of each month, 6-7:30 p.m.
Cost: $15. Registration required; call 481-0500.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Short brings full repertoire to his one-man show: He doesn't expect you to reevaluate your life after the show, just have fun.
[Originally Published in the News-Sentinel May 15, 2008]
By S.T. Boyer
nsfeatures@news-sentinel.com
Martin Short is a man of many names, faces and talents. Saturday, he'll bring his full range of personae to the Embassy Theatre as part of the venue's 80th anniversary celebration.
Speaking by telephone on his way to a performance in Omaha, Neb., Short described his show as “a party with Marty.”
“An Evening With Martin Short” will be an intimate evening of music and comedy replete with Short playing some of his most memorable characters, including Ed Grimley, Franck from the “Father of the Bride” movies and Hollywood insider Jiminy Click [Glick].
“I bring two guys on stage and teach them the ‘Three Amigos' salute,” he added.
“It's like I'm coming to your house and doing 90 minutes,” Short said. “It's a one-man variety show. It's like the ‘Carol Burnett Show' without all the others.”
Short started acting in plays and musicals in the 1970s, and then worked in the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto. Like many Second City players, Short transitioned to the long-running, late-night television comedy show “Saturday Night Live,” where his frenetic energy and distinct characters made him beloved by viewers.
Short has appeared in television, movies and on stage.
“I like a variety of doing all three (movies, television and theater),” Short said. “Film has a different energy, and television is more immediate. On the stage, you only have 90 minutes to win the people over.”
Short said he gets ideas for his characters mostly from people in real life. “They're people you meet. They're not fictitious people.”
Short has honed his craft through a variety of influences including Dick Van Dyke, Stan Laurel, Harpo Marx, Jerry Lewis and Jonathan Winters. In an animated version of Short's nerdy, pointy-haired “Saturday Night Live” character Ed Grimley, Winters worked with Short as one of the show's character voices.
Short has had a variety of acting opportunities, but he likes to focus on comedy.
“When you are doing characters well, you are acting them. So it's not like you aren't using that muscle. It's a different coating on it. The most interesting comedy comes out of sincerity,” Short said.
“An Evening With Martin Short” should have something for all of Short's fans.
“I'm not trying to get people to reevaluate their lives,” Short said. “I want them to laugh and have fun.”
‘Party with Marty'
What: “An Evening with Martin Short”
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Embassy Theatre, 121 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Cost: $47, $57, and $77; VIP seating with meet-and-greet event, $202. Tickets are available at the Embassy box office by calling 426-5665 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
By S.T. Boyer
nsfeatures@news-sentinel.com
Martin Short is a man of many names, faces and talents. Saturday, he'll bring his full range of personae to the Embassy Theatre as part of the venue's 80th anniversary celebration.
Speaking by telephone on his way to a performance in Omaha, Neb., Short described his show as “a party with Marty.”
“An Evening With Martin Short” will be an intimate evening of music and comedy replete with Short playing some of his most memorable characters, including Ed Grimley, Franck from the “Father of the Bride” movies and Hollywood insider Jiminy Click [Glick].
“I bring two guys on stage and teach them the ‘Three Amigos' salute,” he added.
“It's like I'm coming to your house and doing 90 minutes,” Short said. “It's a one-man variety show. It's like the ‘Carol Burnett Show' without all the others.”
Short started acting in plays and musicals in the 1970s, and then worked in the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto. Like many Second City players, Short transitioned to the long-running, late-night television comedy show “Saturday Night Live,” where his frenetic energy and distinct characters made him beloved by viewers.
Short has appeared in television, movies and on stage.
“I like a variety of doing all three (movies, television and theater),” Short said. “Film has a different energy, and television is more immediate. On the stage, you only have 90 minutes to win the people over.”
Short said he gets ideas for his characters mostly from people in real life. “They're people you meet. They're not fictitious people.”
Short has honed his craft through a variety of influences including Dick Van Dyke, Stan Laurel, Harpo Marx, Jerry Lewis and Jonathan Winters. In an animated version of Short's nerdy, pointy-haired “Saturday Night Live” character Ed Grimley, Winters worked with Short as one of the show's character voices.
Short has had a variety of acting opportunities, but he likes to focus on comedy.
“When you are doing characters well, you are acting them. So it's not like you aren't using that muscle. It's a different coating on it. The most interesting comedy comes out of sincerity,” Short said.
“An Evening With Martin Short” should have something for all of Short's fans.
“I'm not trying to get people to reevaluate their lives,” Short said. “I want them to laugh and have fun.”
‘Party with Marty'
What: “An Evening with Martin Short”
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Embassy Theatre, 121 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Cost: $47, $57, and $77; VIP seating with meet-and-greet event, $202. Tickets are available at the Embassy box office by calling 426-5665 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Making Leaders: Girl Scouts Are More Than Cookies
By S.T. Boyer
stboyernews@gmail.com
The perception of the Girl Scout is often that of troops going door-to-door selling cookies, but as Tuesday morning's Leaders in the Making breakfast demonstrated, the Girl Scouts are more than just cookies.
This was the eighth annual breakfast from the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council, Inc. Participants in the breakfast included approximately 450 women and men from all over the area, committed to the goal of increasing awareness of the Girl Scouts programs for at-risk girls.
Sherri Weidman, the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council, said the Girl Scouts play an important role in empowering young girls with the attributes of Courage, Confidence and Character.
"It is an important time with girls facing peer pressure, negative media messages and negative body images," Weidman said. "They need Girl Scouts to help meet the challenges of growing up in today's world."
According to Weidman's statistics, 63% of all girls are bullied. One in four girls has an STD, and suicide is up 67% in girls ages 10 14. Weidman called this reality check uncomfortable but necessary.
"We should not be lulled into thinking this doesn't affect us personally," Weidman said. "The cost of prevention now saves costs to society in the future."
Costs are increasing and funding for the Girl Scouts is down. In 2007, the number of sites for Girl Scouts progams was down by almost half from what it was in 2006. Weidman attributed this to the reduced amount of funding available through grants and a less stable economy.
Beverley Danusis is the inventor of Sophia Dolls, a line of dolls geared toward girls that focuses on strong women role models. Danusis said the dolls offer a chance for girls to be empowered, unlike many other toys. Danusis started the company because she thought too many girls got the wrong message.
Sophia Dolls was recently approved to use Girl Scouts as its charity, so a portion of the proceeds will directly benefit the Girl Scouts. George Danusis, the president and CEO of the Sophia Dolls parent company Nea Matia, Inc. also attended the breakfast. He said they were proud to support Girl Scouts because Girl Scouts teaches all girls to be themselves.
Megan Woods, a volunteer with the Girl Scouts also stressed the importance of the group's inner-city programs, which help girls to better understand problems. Conflict resolution teaches the girls how to work out their disputes through rational problem solving instead of resorting to violence. Weidman also shared that the juvenile courts mandate participation in Girl Scouts for offenders on probation.
Weidman hopes this fundraiser will help the Girl Scouts provide much needed funding for the organization. With costs of more than $200 per girl and an area that serves over 10,000 girls, the needs of the Girl Scouts are growing.
As part of a national streamlining trend, the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council will be merging with three other northern Indiana councils on October 1.
Weidman and Development Director Natalie Eggeman think combining the resources of the four councils will help provide a good basis for the future, but funding local efforts is still critical.
Smart Cookies
More Information: Information on the Girl Scouts can be found online at www.girlscouts-limberlost.org. Sophia Dolls information available at sophiadolls.com/index.html
stboyernews@gmail.com
The perception of the Girl Scout is often that of troops going door-to-door selling cookies, but as Tuesday morning's Leaders in the Making breakfast demonstrated, the Girl Scouts are more than just cookies.
This was the eighth annual breakfast from the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council, Inc. Participants in the breakfast included approximately 450 women and men from all over the area, committed to the goal of increasing awareness of the Girl Scouts programs for at-risk girls.
Sherri Weidman, the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council, said the Girl Scouts play an important role in empowering young girls with the attributes of Courage, Confidence and Character.
"It is an important time with girls facing peer pressure, negative media messages and negative body images," Weidman said. "They need Girl Scouts to help meet the challenges of growing up in today's world."
According to Weidman's statistics, 63% of all girls are bullied. One in four girls has an STD, and suicide is up 67% in girls ages 10 14. Weidman called this reality check uncomfortable but necessary.
"We should not be lulled into thinking this doesn't affect us personally," Weidman said. "The cost of prevention now saves costs to society in the future."
Costs are increasing and funding for the Girl Scouts is down. In 2007, the number of sites for Girl Scouts progams was down by almost half from what it was in 2006. Weidman attributed this to the reduced amount of funding available through grants and a less stable economy.
Beverley Danusis is the inventor of Sophia Dolls, a line of dolls geared toward girls that focuses on strong women role models. Danusis said the dolls offer a chance for girls to be empowered, unlike many other toys. Danusis started the company because she thought too many girls got the wrong message.
Sophia Dolls was recently approved to use Girl Scouts as its charity, so a portion of the proceeds will directly benefit the Girl Scouts. George Danusis, the president and CEO of the Sophia Dolls parent company Nea Matia, Inc. also attended the breakfast. He said they were proud to support Girl Scouts because Girl Scouts teaches all girls to be themselves.
Megan Woods, a volunteer with the Girl Scouts also stressed the importance of the group's inner-city programs, which help girls to better understand problems. Conflict resolution teaches the girls how to work out their disputes through rational problem solving instead of resorting to violence. Weidman also shared that the juvenile courts mandate participation in Girl Scouts for offenders on probation.
Weidman hopes this fundraiser will help the Girl Scouts provide much needed funding for the organization. With costs of more than $200 per girl and an area that serves over 10,000 girls, the needs of the Girl Scouts are growing.
As part of a national streamlining trend, the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council will be merging with three other northern Indiana councils on October 1.
Weidman and Development Director Natalie Eggeman think combining the resources of the four councils will help provide a good basis for the future, but funding local efforts is still critical.
Smart Cookies
More Information: Information on the Girl Scouts can be found online at www.girlscouts-limberlost.org. Sophia Dolls information available at sophiadolls.com/index.html
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