Podcasts about pop international galleries

Street art and street artists have long been the documenters of history and culture. In the past two years, this especially rings true as we faced the COVID-19 pandemic, the BLM Movement, political turmoil, climate change, the War in Ukraine and so much more. About the Interview In this episode of Hilary Topper on Air, Hilary speaks with Jeff Jaffe, Founder and Owner of Pop International Galleries, an art gallery on The Bowery at the junction of Spring Street in New York City. Hear from Jeff about how in times of social injustice and unrest, Street Art has always provided a snapshot of what our country is feeling like as a whole while amplifying marginalized voices. Listen as Jeff breaks down street art today and what he predicts for the future. Also hear an update on his gallery and what's coming. About Jeff Jaffe Jeff came to the USA in the early 80's after leaving South Africa during the apartheid years. He earned an MFA in sculpture from the Cranbrook Art Academy near Detroit, and eventually set up a studio and settled in New York City, where he has lived and worked in the visual arts ever since. Straddling the art world, both as a gallerist and as an artist, Jeff believes he has developed a keen understanding of what collectors really want and need. Over the years, Jaffe remains struck by a few things that are constant at POP. Through the relationships the gallery forges and the reputation POP continues to build, the collections the gallery helps grow, tend to remain with people for many years...sometimes even generations. He truly believes that what Pop does, adds value and substance to their lives in both subtle and profound ways, and consequently, he remains convinced that as families grow, so should their art collections! As POP is now into its third decade of operation, Jeff Jaffe is humbled and deeply grateful for the unwavering loyalty and continued support of Pop International Galleries collectors and friends the world over. About Pop International Galleries As a New York City gallery, Pop International Galleries recognizes that the heart of our city thrives on its creative community. New York is home to some of the greatest artists, art collectives, museums and galleries in the world; but none of this could exist without all of the unstoppable, generous and resilient people who make up our incredible city. We may be currently socially distant, but make no mistake, we are ONE CITY! To quote the curators: “POP may be a small business, but we always aim to make a big impact. Please spread the word to support the arts and to make a difference for those who so desperately need our help!” Founded in 1997 by Jeff Jaffe, Pop International Galleries - aka "The Pop Gallery" - is an exciting art gallery on The Bowery at the junction of Spring Street in New York City. Pop International specializes in Pop Art, Urban Art and art and photography that is derived from, or influenced by, popular culture. To contact Jeff or learn more about Connect For Cause and Pop International Galleries, visit www.popinternational.com.

Is your child having strange symptoms? Imagine your child wakes up one morning and can't move an arm or a leg, has trouble speaking, can't taste, is suffering small seizures, or even temporarily blinded, all the tests come back normal and the doctors can't figure it out. This is an alarming trend that's happening now in children and some adults as a result of acute stress due to COVID-19. This is called conversion disorder. And although it's usually temporary, it's a way the brain copes with too much emotional stress. What parents do and what do they need to know? I'm Hilary Topper and this is Hilary Topper on air. Today I have the great pleasure of speaking with Dr. Fumi Stephanie Hancock, CEO of Pool of Bethesda Psychiatric Health and a bestselling author of 24 self-help books. Dr. Hancock, welcome to the show. Dr. Hancock - Thank you so much for having me, Hilary. Thank you. Hilary - So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Dr. Hancock - Oh, wow. Well, I'm a board-certified psychiatric, doctor of nurse practice out of Arizona. I own a group of clinics, but, prior to that, I was a social worker. This means that I was already exposed to seeing children go from foster care to adoption and just the cyclical, you know, go in and out and in and out. And I was able to see a lot of mood disorders going on. And because of that, I went back to school to do nursing until I got to the advanced practice. And now this is all I do. I see patients from four years old all the way to 99 years old. Hilary - Wow. Let's talk about conversion disorder. What exactly is it and why is it prevalent right now among children? Dr. Hancock - Thank you so much for asking that question. Uh, when you look at that word convert right conversion, which means something changing from one state to the other. And so when you talk about conversion in psychiatric, we're talking about people who exhibit certain symptoms, but when you take them to a physician, you really cannot find a medical reason for these things that they're going through. So it's more of, it becomes more of a mental issue, even though that what they are exhibiting looks like a physical, like a physical thing that primary care can take care of. Hilary - So, how do you go about treating this? I mean, first, it's gotta be diagnosed and I'm sure these children, they put them through a lot of different tests before they come to this. Dr. Hancock - Absolutely. A lot of times, because it is not something that is so known, so I thank you for even bringing it to the forefront because, with the pandemic and everything, kids are being brought to someone like me, brought a family, going to primary care and thinking, oh, well, you know, they have seizures or they can't move or, oh, well, they can't speak well. So you have people really looking at all the things before, even looking at conversion. And so, because of that, it's important that we ask them. Parents were with that, seeing all these signs that are there feel like physical and you're going to the primary care and they say, uh, yeah, it looks physical. We ran a test, we did an EKG. We did all kinds of blood work. We do all things, nothing. We don't see anything there. Then it's time to come to a psychiatric person like myself because we know that it is more of a mental health issue than a physical issue. Hilary - Well, before we move on, just have to say that I am so appreciative of our sponsors and must take a moment to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo law group, the Profit Express with Tim Healy, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. Now, Dr. Hancock back to you, we were talking about conversion disorders in children. What tips can you offer parents regarding mental health for children as we start to come out of this COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Hancock - Thank you for asking that again. One of the things that I want to talk about each, the fact that our children are going through a lot of stress. So it's important that we put our kids in a routine, they need to have a routine as much as, they've been in the house, cooked up in the house for over a year. Some of them are a bit online, you know, not doing well, so great on online schools. So it's important that as they begin to now swittch from an online school into on-site, they need to have a routine. And by that, I mean, For example, if they have whole walk time, make sure that they're all work time sticks to, for example, if it's 2:00 PM, let it be 2:00 PM. If it's, 12 noon that they have lunch, stick to that. If it's a playtime that is 3:00 PM, stick to that, they need to because they're already going through panic. And because they do not know what's going to happen going back to school, they are one minute excited about going back the other minute. They're not too excited because they've been out of touch for a while. So the anxiety is there, but if you can calm them down, and give them singing then that can really slow down, the need to want to kind of them, the brain wants to switch into, well, uh, let me find ways that I can cope with the stress. Hilary  - And are there any other methods that kids can cope or parents could teach kids or, you know, how you teach parents to teach kids to cope. For example, do you do any kind of like meditation or anything like that? Dr. Hancock - Well, some of the things that we do is the breathing exercise is really very great. A lot of our kids, they panic. And so they go into this hyperventilation. I remember several years ago I had a opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia and I worked in Saudi Arabia for several years. And I would see this in kids, but I did not even understand what it was. They would come into class and boom they'll drop and you'll see. As soon as one drops, the other drops and the whole class is dropping. I just drop in with incredible amount of seizure. This is the way of coping. We need to give them, we call it cognitive behavioral therapy, where you take irrational thinking and turn them into rational. And for example, you teach them if they come to you and they say, oh my God, I know I kept me in school today because, and they give us all the days irrational. Your role is to say, okay, um, that sounds rational to you, but let's think about that for a second. What could happen if this, if what you say is true or what could happen if it's not. So you need to teach our children how to take that irrational thinking to rational thinking by really. You as a parent, making yourself an example of making the right decisions, stress management is, it's a good thing, exercising. It's a good thing. Debriefing exercising is also a good fit too. And of course, giving them time to really play with their friends, giving them time to use. Even the internet is not as bad provided is not something that you sit in front of for 11 hours a day. Hilary - That was my next question. You know, is it okay for kids to do use a screen time? You know, there's been so many different studies out there that are so conflicting about screen time. Could you. Just address that a little bit more. Dr. Hancock - Yeah. Let's talk about that for a second. Now here's the thing we live in a technology age. We cannot shield our children from it, you know, even in advanced technology. So there's not, there's nothing wrong in giving them time. To be there, but of course, you also want to be watched for, to understand what they're doing on there. I've often found, parents that would just leave their kids and say, oh, they just want to be by themselves in their room. I'm just going to leave them alone. And then you leave that kid alone to his hers own device. 10 hours on the internet now that could, that could smell trouble. So there is nothing wrong with growing in technology if it is used the right way, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. We think it's where they've come together. I have some books where they just come together and they use the technology to come together to talk about the anxiety. Talk about depression, talk about bipolar. So there is a great way that you can use the tool. However, depending on the age of your kids, you've got to be a participant in the tube. You just cannot do ends off with a five-year-old and than go sit in a bedroom, doing something else. Why you leave your five-year-old to play around on the internet for 10 hours crazy. Hilary - And, and I guess people do that and that's so sad. I know for me, getting outside really helps my mental health. Does this pertain to children too? Dr. Hancock - Oh my goodness. Oh, absolutely, a lot of parents who tell me, oh, he just wanted to stay in his room. She just want to stay in her room for ever. But then we have something called vitamin D. Right. And the sun is the best way that you can get natural vitamin D.So when you have kids indoors all day with that, you'll have the coordinates or the room is dark and everything like that. What happens is that increases their anxiety. It increases that depression, but when they are out there, the sun. They get that natural vitamin D that helps, that helps to uplift them away from that depression. Then they also get a time to actually breathe and just breathe fresh air into their system. That's also good. Then they're out there playing with others or maybe with their family members. And just exercising every part of their bodies. Some of them go through like fake the call, them false seizures. And because they've been home for so long doing absolutely nothing. So their brain, to cope with all that, go into seizure. We really, I mean, you need to really see this, and looks like seizure. It feels like seizure. The mother is just like, oh my God, what is this? Well, it is not really a seizure. So when we take them out, they're exercising themselves when they come back. I think even with adults, I don't know about you. When I go out and take a walk and come back, I feel a lot better. My mind is clearer. And so we have to expect that our children are like that. Hilary - Absolutely. Now let's just talk about. What a parent should do. So their child is having these seizures or there are things going on and they just don't understand what would be your suggestion on what are the steps are to do for, you know, for a parent to take care of their child is the first step to take them to their general practitioner. Should they see someone like you? Dr. Hancock - Wow. I tell you this, the very first one is seek help with a psychiatric provider because it is a psychiatric issue when you have, I actually had a mother about a few weeks ago. She actually took a picture because this always happened to the kid is a 14 year old and she will go into seizure at 12 midnight and they kept watching it, that it was always between midnight and 12:15. And so. She took a video and actually sent it to me. And I actually literally watch all that movement with our kid. So when you start seeing your kid going through this, I would advise any parent, please seek help with a psychiatric provider, because there are so many ways that you could treat this with a professional. Hilary - Now I am a big proponent to therapy and psychotherapy, but there are some people who are not, they feel that there's a stigma and there's a shame around this. Can you talk a little bit about that? And if you have any case studies in regard to that? Dr. Hancock - So, yeah, so here's the thing, cause when we deal with situations like this, I, like you, talk the language that a parent out there would understand. Here's the deal. This is your kid. It is nobody's kid. You're the one who have to face not sleeping overnight. You're the one who have to deal with the pain of watching your child go through the ups and downs. Right. And so as much as we want to talk about stigma, which is out there, there's a lot of stigma out there, but the truth is we know that one right now. Where we are right now, particularly with the COVID pandemic, one in five kids right now are dealing with depression and anxiety, but they're not able to tell their parents now what if three are dealing with seizures, not just seizures alone, but suicidal ideation, particularly in the area that I'm in right now. This is what I'm seeing. One in every three per child that comes to see me. Tell me, I have suicidal thoughts as suicidal ideation, and I've been checking that and just watching that trend. So as a parent, well, we know and understand that there's a stigma because of the pandemic. Things are erupting right now that we can no longer talk about stigma. We have to talk about how to treat our child, how to make sure that they're okay. Let me give you an example. About a few months ago, I had a four-year-old that attempted to hang himself in a closet. I want to parents hearing this to sit on that, hang himself a four-year-old. And by the time they caught him, the rope was around his neck. He hit the on that, on that set. Some reason that the sister, the older sister, a 16-year-old was going through something. So they called me and I was going through medication with educational with her and somebody just said, well, ask about it. So I said, well, what would have been the house? How's your brother doing? He said, oh, he is in his room. I said, oh really? I said, oh, bring him out. Let me talk to him. Well, what. Well, they went in and guess what it was right on that with the wrong, and this is, so this is a key that I come out five minutes before smiling, laughing, saying like everything was okay. Hilary - That is so incredibly sad, and this is such an important topic. And I so appreciate you bringing this to my attention and to my listener's attention because this is really. This is something very, very serious and people really need to know about this. So, Dr. Hancock, can you tell our listeners how people can get in touch with you to find out more information? Dr. Hancock - Well, they can always go to www.pobpsychiatric.com. That is my clinic. And then we have resources there for them that can talk to you that they can read. They can watch some videos that can tell them a little bit about not just myself, about the clinic and what we do. Well, more importantly, I would urge parents right now to begin to look particularly now that things are opening up slowly. We need to begin to look for signs of anxiety signs and talk with our children. Tell them, give them that opportunity to say, look, if you're feeling a certain way, you have to share with me so that I can help it is time to begin to have this conversation and begin to do it at a massive, a massive pace, because as the pandemic goes, this is yet another pandemic that is growing and many people are ignoring it because, and the fact is there is no shot. We don't have a vaccination mental illness. There's no vaccination. We have to deal with this. Hilary - So, let me ask you something. One last question. Do you take people from all over the country? Dr. Hancock - Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. There is tele-psychiatric now. So that's the great thing about it because of the epidemic all of our health plans have now kind of open themselves up to the possibility that we can see patients from different parts. So I have patients that dial in from New Jersey. I have patients in New Jersey. I have them in Wisconsin have in California. So I do have them that dial-in. So that's the cool part about this, and this is what also helps with the stigma, right? So if you, if you feel okay, you know, particularly those who are from the silent cultures, like myself, Africa and all those other countries, You have the tele-psychiatric, where you can do it in your home with nobody know nobody looking or that they'll never know unless you tell them. Hilary - Right. So this is the great way that you can actually use and tap into the services. Well, we'll be putting your information on the website with this interview. Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Hancock for being on the show. This was so informative. This was a real eye-opener and very upsetting, you know, so I do hope that if you are listening to this out there and you see an issue with your child, please give Dr. Hancock a call. Dr. Hancock - Thank you so much for having me. Thank you. I'd also like to thank our sponsors, the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis law group. And last but not least, I want to thank you for tuning in and listening to this. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can visit us at www.hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Alexa, Apple podcasts, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.

Now that the country is opening back up again, many people are excited to see their loved ones, eat at restaurants, go to shows, and live their lives in a more pre-pandemic way. But as excited as we all are, sadly, many of our favorite places to visit no longer exist. They shut down during the COVID-19 recession and couldn't survive. So today I am absolutely thrilled to welcome back my guest to the show. While others weren't so lucky, today's guest is excited to give us an update. I'm Hilary Topper and you are listening to Hilary Topper on Air. Joining me today on this episode is Jeff Jaffe. He's the founder and owner of Pop International Galleries. They are an art gallery on the Bowery at the junction of Spring Street in New York City. Welcome to the show, Jeff. Jeff - Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure to be here, given what we've all gone through this last year and a half or so. Hilary - Gosh, it's been, it's been crazy. Um, well, I'm very happy to have you back on the show and I'm so glad that Pop International Galleries, which is one of my favorite in New York City, is still open and doing well. Can you remind our listeners about who you are and what Pop International Galleries is all about? Jeff - Sure, The Pop Gallery started back, believe it or not, it's hard to even comprehend back in 1997 when I sort of came to realize that there was a need for an art gallery to focus on specific things. And in those days it happened to be pop art, which was Andy Warhol and Keith Haring and big names, John Michel, Basquiat, and Roy Lichtenstein and so on and so forth. And we did really well with that. But as things began to progress, it dawned on me that Pop International really meant focusing on pop culture more than pop art per se, that pop art fits into the realm and genre of, uh, what we're sort of interested in, but there were more things too, we were missing out on. And so we began to focus on sports, photography and rock and roll photography, and, more recently, street art and graffiti, and, as a consequence of which, Pop International Galleries has become this sort of iconic little center for focusing on anything that has to do with pop art and popular culture. Hilary - So, as we were talking at the beginning of the show, I said that this year had been like no other, how was the gallery doing? And how did you fare during all of this? And how did you survive? Jeff - It's funny. I was just going to say before you said the word survive that we dived into survival mode. There were choices that had to be made. And then there were decisions that were made for us that we had no power to overcome or resist or embrace. We just had to sort of take them on. And as a consequence of which, we sort of began to look at what the virtual world was going to offer us. What technology was going to offer us and help us with, that goes past the questions of having conversations with landlords and dealing with those kinds of things. And we were fortunate enough to have a lovely landlord who was willing to help work things out and help us through so that we could really remain in business. And then the other thing is I made a very, very strong decision. Some people questioned me why, but I decided not to let a single staff person go. I was just sort of, of that mind where I felt a certain amount of responsibility. And so I took steps to enable remote working and remote selling, which was very difficult because selling art remotely is not something that we would ever have thought we would ever encounter. People like to come to an art gallery, they like to look at the art and smell it and touch it and look at the frame and we really had to come up with different sort of means and strategies to get people comfortable with the notion that they could buy a lot this way. Hilary - So during this pandemic, you told me that you developed even stronger client relationships. Can you talk about that a little bit? Jeff - Absolutely we, well, again, it sort of goes back to this notion of virtual business and sort of doing things with Zoom and Skype and all kinds of things. And what we discovered was that by actually picking up the telephone as opposed to sending emails, reaching out to people individually and touching base with people, especially regular collectors about us. And we have, we have a huge collectors base and I mean, people have been buying from us for 25 years. We have thousands of people that we've sold out to and we decided that one of the things that we would do is reach out to people individually. And so it began. And emails became phone calls, emails became texts, messages, and text messages, became phone calls. And then it sort of blossomed into this ongoing dialogue between our consultants and our collective base and which led into larger events using a Zoom to have virtual openings and that kind of thing, which had been very successful. Hilary - So, can you tell us, or, share with us some of the interesting artists that you represent in your gallery today and why you represent them? Jeff - Well, we represent roughly about 25 artists or so from around the world. And again, it goes back to what I said a little bit earlier in terms of representing art is certainly pop related, but it has much more to do with the notion of what popular culture is. And subsequently, we still do represent Andy Warhol and Keith Haring and John Michelle Buskey out and so on. But we've edged out into other realms, which focus on things. Like, for example, we did a very, very special event with the godfather of street art, Ron English. And Ron was thrilled at the concept of making a type of work that he had never made before, which is paintings on paper in the manner he had never made them before. And so running this book has become a very important aspect of the pop gallery. We represent a Danish artist whose name is Ola Olberg and Ola has taken the cartoon character Tintin, who many people know lots of American people don't know about Tintin, but put Tintin into different scenarios, sort of naughty sort of sexual scenarios, which is something that most people don't associate Tintin with. But the idea of Tintin and popular culture and cartoons and things, that many people and I grew up with Tintin comics. So, that's been truly successful. We represent an artist by the name of Tony Ray Negro, who did all the backstage passes for the grateful dead. When, you know, from the age of 20 back in the eighties and nineties and so on. So the whole concept of rock and roll and music fits perfectly into this notion of pop culture. And then of course we represent two other artists that really fit into this concept so beautifully that I couldn't have even imagined it. It was just a natural thing. We represent the art of Dr.Seuss, which besides all this sort of nonsense and drama that occurred with the audit Dr. Seuss recently, we represent the estate of. Dr. Seuss, which means all the illustration drawings and things that he made limited additions of and the estate represents and a very special what we call the secret audit Dr. Seuss, which has stuff that he made in his spare time or the midnight audit Dr. Seuss, along with what he called the unorthodox taxidermy, which are these really beautiful, funny sort of taxidermy heads, which are just hilarious. And then we represent Tom Everhart, who was the protégé, if you will, of Charles Schultz of Peanuts and Snoopy fame. Tom was a young guy who saw Schultz Sparky as a mentor. And they had a really wonderful father, son type relationship. They and Tom started to interpret all the Snoopy characters and Schulz gave him permission before he died to be the only artist in the world to be able to make art using Snoopy and peanuts characters without a license. He has a lifetime license. They had a show together in the loop a number of years ago. So again, this whole notion of popular culture and pop, all these, The Seuss, the Tintin, the Snoopy Eberhardt pieces that all fit in really, really well. And then of course we move into street art and graffiti. And I have some lovely stories to tell you about that when you're ready. Hilary - Tell us we'd love to hear. So the very first sort of graffiti street art experience happened with pop and about 12 years ago, actually I got a phone call from a collector, a good friend collector. They said Jeff, these two boys who live in Bushwick in Brooklyn, I've started to collect their art quite, quite seriously. And I think you should go and visit them in their studio. And I said, Mike, if you are sure that's what you suggest, I trust you and happy to do it. So Mike set up this little meeting and I drove out to Bushwick 12 years ago. Bushwick wasn't what it is today, 12 years ago or so. And I arrived in this sort of funny little loft odd building where these two guys lived and worked. They had a studio together. Their names were, Mike Buck, Michael Bucca and, Fernando Romero, their street names, graffiti names were 2ESAE and Ski. So Fernando is Ski and Mike is a 2esae and I arrived at this place sort of not expecting a whole lot, but it was kind of exciting. And the first thing of course was they had a big pile of donuts and coffee for me on the table. And on the other side, they had a big bottle of Hennessy. They had no clue who I was going to be, and they were wondering what I was going to choose. It was really hilarious. And I meant, I went for the coffee and donuts just for the record, but, I'd forgotten to mention that they went by the name of a group that painted and work together. They went by the name of UR New York. And I saw their work around, you know, they used to sell this stuff on the street for a hundred bucks. And here I had this opportunity and as I went through the space studio, whatever you'd like to call it, I knew instantly that they belonged in the gallery. So I pulled him aside and I said, Fernando, Mike, we're definitely going to do something, but there are a few things that we have to deal with first. And they said, yeah, sure. I mean, they were really, really excited. And I looked at them and I said, you know, the 37 indictments that you have against you and the five years probation that you're on. I mean, these guys were like, looking, how do you know? How do you know all this? I said, how do I know it? Mike told me, you know, Mike referred me to you. He told me all of this stuff, they said. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But how does Mike know? And I had to sort of at that moment in time, decide, should I say how Mike and I figured out what the heck? I said, well, I hate to break it to you but Mike is the undercover cop who arrested you guys. It was always the uniform guys who took you in, but Mike was undercover. So you never knew who he was. And he developed a relationship with your love, of art and started collecting your art. Hilary - That's so funny. That's a great story. Jeff - There's a documentary in there somewhere. I'm sure. Mike, I'm telling you, they went bananas. These two guys jumping up and down hooting and hollering. It was just hilarious. And I said, and based on what. In order for me to put you in the gallery, we have to get rid of those issues that we just discussed and the way we're going to do it is by doing community work and getting involved with children in need and homelessness and whatnot. My attorney is a former judge. Mike, the undercover cop eventually became a DA. We're going to write letters. We're going to do all kinds of things that are going to sort of help mitigate this. And so the first thing we did was a big project in Chelsea in that there's a public housing center in Chelsea, on the west side of New York City. And we arranged for the boys to do a big mural and to work with all the children, helping them draw and paint and do all that kind of stuff. Got a fair amount of press and coverage. And one thing led to another. And the boys started working with children everywhere working with charities and organizations that we were able to connect them with. They went overseas, they went to Australia to work with Aboriginal children. When they went to South Africa to work with children in need, they went to Israel to work with Palestinian and Israeli children to show them how we're all the same. They really did some beautiful things and, as a consequence of all of this, all of those charges and probations were dropped and they have gone on to become two of the most important artists that we represent here. And my relationship with them is incredible. I mean, we are talking about a father-son relationship, and we've sold hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of their art since then. Hilary - Two boys selling their art for 50 bucks on the street, wonderful story. That's awesome, that's awesome. Thank you for sharing those stories with me. So let's take this a step back. Someone walks into your gallery and they're looking to start a collection. How does that process work? Jeff - So the one thing about Pop International Galleries, which I believe was a game-changer and for many reasons, was that we decided to break down that whole barrier. You often walk into these galleries where someone's sitting behind a desk and you can barely see them. It's a high sort of desk and it's just white walls and maybe three pieces of art on the wall and nobody even talks to you. And then they look at you and they want to know what shoes you're wearing or what handbag you're carrying or how big the diamond is, or the watch on your hand. You know, that kind of stuff. We broke that completely. We have a much more open, friendly, inviting, environment. And as a consequence of which people absolutely love coming into the gallery. And so we focus on people who have never bought a piece of art before and on people who have big collections. And so we don't differentiate. We just help people find all that they love. We've always had a policy not to sell art on the basis of investment, when people say to me, well, if I buy this print, you know, it's 3,000 bucks, what's it going to be worth in 10 years? And I say, well, I have a really good stockbroker who has an office down the road. If you'd like, I could send you there, but we try not to. If you came to me with 5 million bucks and said, hey, could you help me invest in art? That might be a different story, but we break down all those barriers. Hilary - That's awesome. Let me ask you something. Do you have any exciting exhibits coming up that you want to share with us? Jeff - I do. Actually. There are a few things that we're working on. I'll just tell you about two that we had that sort of part of what this conversation was about. Where these virtual exhibitions, the first one we did was with Ron English and it was a big test for us to see if we could sell art while the gallery was shut down, or while we have contracted hours or while there were rules and regulations about social distancing and so on and so forth. So we did a test actually with two artists, Ron English, and McKenzie Papa, British artists who I'd been working with for many, many years. And they were amazing, absolutely amazing. They were RSVP events only. So you couldn't come to the Zoom call if you didn't get, if you didn't RSVP, couldn't join the thing. The idea was to show some videos, moderate with questions. My team here had questions for Oscar, the artists, and then, we opened up some of the questions to collectors and again, moderated things well enough so that it didn't get drawn out in long, sort of like into a sort of drawn out thing. And we sold a whole bunch of art. And so it opened up this idea for us. To do some more of them. And, we're now going to be working on a curated show of street art, that Ski from that team that I was just telling you about Fernando Romero is going to curate, that's going to be absolutely amazing, it's going to be a smash hit, no questions about it because he's going to, he has a lot of connections, obviously in the street art world and graffiti world. And he's going to bring in people who we've never represented, um, and curated in a way that will sort of open up art that had never been shown before in this manner. So we're very, very excited about that one. The other one that I'm working on is an Australian couple, the names are Gillie and Mark a husband and wife team who make art together. And, they're actually very well known in New York City for their outdoor monumental bronze works. And, before the pandemic, they did this beautiful, beautiful exhibition of women of valor. They had come to realize that women bronze, sculptures and statues of women, we're sadly lacking female sculptures, and monumental sculptures of women. There were less of them than there were men and they were going to change that. So they did this really beautiful collection of sculptures of some fantastic women, from Ruth Bader Ginsburg and so on and so forth, it was just really beautiful. And then they've done these large outdoor installations. People may have seen it up at Astor Place in Brooklyn, the big rhinos stacked on top of one another. Monumental pieces and part of what they do besides them tease and make fun of themselves. Gillie and Mark, Gillie is a bunny rabbit and Mark as a dog in their paintings and they sit on Vespas and bicycles and do all kinds of sweet, lovely things. We're going to do an event with them online and sort of tied in with the time zone with Australia. Those are two really great things that are coming up. Hilary- So cool. How could our listeners get in touch and actually sign up for any of these events? Jeff - Really easy. All you need to do is shoot us either an email, to, you could send it to me, jeff@popinternational.com or just art@popinternational.com. And just say, Hey, I heard the podcast, or you could, um, just call the gallery. And the number is (212) 533-4262. And we'll put you on the list and, and sort of begin to develop a relationship with you the way we have with our many, many thousands of collectors that we have over the years, we look so forward to it. Hilary - This was really informative and congratulations on your successes. I really appreciate you being on the show. I want to also thank our sponsors, the Russo law group, The Profit Express with Tim Healey, Pop international galleries. Thank you. Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you our listeners for tuning in. If you want more information on this show or any other show you could visit our website at hillarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, apple podcasts, even Amazon Alexa, where out there you'll find you can find us have a great week and we'll see you next time.

Bunions are fairly common problems in the United States affecting approximately 25% of the country's population. They can cause severe pain and discomfort, making it difficult to walk or perform many daily activities. I'm Hilary Topper. And this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Jason R. Miller DPM, a foot and ankle surgeon at premier orthopedics in Malvern, Pennsylvania. He's going to discuss Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™, a relatively new procedure that uses special titanium plates to restabilize and secure the joint. Welcome to the show Dr. Miller. Dr. Miller - Thank you. Hilary - So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Dr. Miller - So, I'm a doctor of podiatric medicine, meaning that I specifically specialize in below-the-knee surgery, but an ankle surgery, in the state of Pennsylvania. So my four years of training at Temple University Hospital was unique to basically performing foot and ankle surgery on adult and pediatric patients of all walks of life. So, unlike some other physicians that may specialize in foot and ankle, where they do a general residency and then do maybe a year of fellowship or worked with an ankle, my training specifically involved a foot and ankle surgery. So that's where my area of expertise lies. Hilary - So talk with us about bunions what are they and how do they occur? Dr. Miller - So most people assume that a bunion is actually just the growth of bone on the side of their foot. In reality a bunion is actually a bone deformity that's caused by an unstable joint. And that is what allows the big toe to begin to drift out of alignment. And then your tendons and ligaments. Sort of add in on the toe by pulling it over even further, once the toe begins to deviate against your second toe on the side. So it is a relatively progressive condition and certainly leads to a lot of discomforts and severe pain. Really, a lot of times patients come in and say, look, I've tried different shoes already. I've tried, you know, these variety of things. I'm having problems now. It was originally when I would run or exercise. Now they even hurt when I'm walking or just going to work on a daily basis. So, you know, the really scary thing about it is that really one in four Americans have bunions. And that number can be much higher in certain other parts of the world. But here in the US that's the reality, it's about 25%. So it is a problem that we see more frequently in females, but, quite honestly, after doing as many labral classes as I have, I've seen quite a few men as well. And one of the reasons I think men tend to get away with the bunions deformities is men's shoes. You can get wider widths and you don't have the problems that women have where they try to go wide, then there's heels or something in the shoe and the Bunion, then, yeah, it becomes a problem, a friction problem for them. So those are kind of the little statistics and really the real thing that finance is now, why always thought that Bunions were a genetic thing. Hilary - So you're saying it's not. Well, genetically, Dr. Miller - You are prone to inherit one of your parent's bedsides so very frequently, and I've seen three generations in my practice, of patients where they all have almost identical types of feet. So mechanically you inherit instructionally or inherit a certain foot site. Whether or not that leads to a bunion or not depends on a variety of factors, how active they are, maybe what type of shoes that they wore early in life. But certainly the foot type itself that is inherent to a lot of Bunions is probably a genetic or inherited condition. But they certainly will develop outside of either one of your parents. Maybe neither parent had a Bunion, but you, the child may get it. So, there is a genetic factor to it. There's certain feet that are more prone to getting bunions and that's something that we'd certainly see and practice. Hilary - So what are some of the options available for people who are looking to get rid of these Bunions? Dr. Miller - Well, as I mentioned earlier, it's definitely something that some patients can manage quite well with padding or different types of shoes. And those things do work for some people. When those things fail to work with provide the relief that the patient needs, then we start talking about surgical options. So traditionally, one of the things that we've done in the foot and ankle world is performed what's called a 2d or a two dimensional or two plane type of correction. And that's essentially where we would cut the metatarsal bone somewhere in the middle or towards the head of the bone and then move it over and shave off the remaining portion while cosmetically that would oftentimes give the result that people were looking for. The problem was is that it wasn't a hearty long-lasting resolve because the instability really lies more proximal than that. Further back at the joint behind it. And by not correcting the instability there. That's what leads to a much higher rate of recurrence. What we've seen is that up 70% of patients who've had this traditional type of bunionectomy can experience a recurrence of their body. And they become unhappy not only with the cosmetic appearance but functional properties of the body and itself. And in some of these cases, these patients were off their feet for six to eight weeks with these surgeries before they were able to get back on it. So it's a unfortunate investment, the time investment for the patient that didn't lead to, uh, a long lasting result. Hilary - So now you, you are now performing this Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ surgery. Can you tell us what this is and how it works? Dr. Miller - Yes. So the Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™procedure is, is based off a tried and true surgical procedure called the Lapidus, on the anatomy. So the concept here is based on a tried and true surgical correction that we've been using for, well, over 50 years. However, what this system does is it allows the surgeon to get a reproducible, consistent result. And correcting all three planes or that 3d dimension of the immune and getting that joint stabilized in a way that allows the patient to get back onto their feet much more quickly. So the system really is designed in a way that's very creative and basically allows the surgeon an almost robotic type of approach to performing it where we can get the same type of results. Every single time we do this. As opposed to some surgical procedures where there's a little factor, so to speak of trying to get things aligned. Three-dimensionally so what we see with this procedure with lapiplasty is that because of the fixation construct being so stable is that 97 to 99% of our patients maintain that 3d correction. A year or two, a year and a half later in the clinical trials that we looked at. So there are just under half a million bunny procedures performed every year in the US. And over 30,000 patients have currently been treated with 11 plasty procedures since it was FDA cleared in 2015. Hilary - Wow. Well, before we move on, I just have to say I'm so appreciative of our sponsors and must take this time out to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on Air special. Thanks to the Russo Law group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis law group. Now back to you, Dr. Miller, we're talking about bunions and a treatment option called Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™. What are some of the benefits of this treatment option? Is it just, the recovery is quicker. Dr. Miller - Well, the recovery is, definitely, quicker when we're talking about, on average in my patient population, about 10 days patients for weight-bearing in a boot. So this is a far cry from the six to eight weeks of being in the cast, that we used to do with this type of procedure. But I guess the other advantage of it would be the fact that the procedure really does address all three dimensions of the bone deformity that caused the bunion in the first place. And with, with it also doing that, it also has that lower recurrence rate of one to 3% in these, uh, 12 months to 17 month clinical trials that have been performed. Hilary - Hmm. Interesting. I'm curious how people feel after the procedure. Can you share any case studies or success stories with our listeners? Dr. Miller - Sure. I'd say probably, you know, one of the most remarkable quick recoveries is as a patient. I perform this procedure on a triathlete and she's a true warrior. She's in her sixties and finishes in the top of her age group consistently probably would beat a lot of, 30 year olds, triathletes. And she really struggled with it for a few years. And it was beginning to really significantly impact her ability to train about the only area where she could train without pain was swimming. So riding the bike was painful, running was painful. So we examined her. We did radiographs that determined that she was a good candidate for the lateral plasty and that she truly added a tri planar 3d bunion. So we got her corrected with the Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ and six weeks post-operative, she began to go into sneakers. Now, keep in mind, this was something where somebody was in a cast for six weeks, let alone getting into sneakers. And between six and eight weeks, she was running and zero gravity trainer, which you may see professional sports athletes where they have no special shorts and they're able to get into that treadmill situation and begin to run by taking off nearly all the body weight off their feet. And by week 9 to 10, she was actually getting onto pavement and training. And by week 12 she was beginning to train for a marathon. Again, I'm pleased to say that she finished in the top of her age group when she went back to compete, 5 months later. So it's a very rewarding experience not only for her, the patient, but for me, the surgeon, when you receive an email with her with a metal and, you know, pictures of her performing this race down Delaware shore. Hilary - That is really awesome. I know so many people that suffer from these bunions and Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™sounds like a really great solution for them. So let me ask you something. How can people get in touch with you and learn more about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™and even hire you to help them alleviate this? Dr. Miller - Yeah, well, there's, there's certainly a bunch of resources. Check out www.fixedmytoes.com. There are fantastic computer-generated videos on there. So there's nothing gory that any patient has to see. Some people choose to find videos on YouTube that show actual procedures, but the website itself has really well-done computer-generated images that really provide the patient with everything they need to know. To make an appointment with me directly we do have our phone number, which would be (610) 644-6900 or you can visit our website premierortho.com to find more information, not only about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ but about myself as a physician and the other physicians in our group at Premier Orthopedics. Hilary - Awesome. This was so informative. I really appreciate your time coming on. And thank you for sharing this information about Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction™ us. Dr. Miller - It's been my pleasure Hilary to join you today. Hilary - Thank you. And I also want to thank our sponsors, The Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you our listeners for tuning in each week. If you want more information on this show or any other show, visit our website at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, apple podcasts, Google Play, Amazon Alexa, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time. Doctor is a paid consultant of Treace Medical Concepts, Inc.

There are people who you talk with in business, or just in life that you tend to bond with for no apparent reason. My next guest is one of those people. I've known Tim Healy of Healy Success Solutions and podcaster of The Profit Express for many years now. Pre-COVID we would meet up and have business lunches, post-COVID we’ve been talking on the telephone. The one thing about this guy is that I feel like I've known him my entire life. He's excellent at what he does. And I know today's show, you will learn a lot. I'm Hilary Topper and this is Hilary Topper on Air. Tim Healy, welcome back to the show. Tim Healy- I think this officially goes down as my best interview introduction ever. That was, that was fantastic. Thank you so much for the kind words and yeah, we just have this chemistry, when we chat, we talk business over lunch. We've just always had a great back and forth together. Hilary - Absolutely. So let me ask you to remind our listeners about who you are and what you do. Tim Healy - Sure. Uh, as you mentioned, I own Healy Success Solutions where my purpose is to help my clients turn their prospects into profits. Right? That's what I get up every day doing, helping my clients turn prospects into profits, and I do it very simply very directly by helping them create winning sales organizations through the power of personal communication. That's how I do it. That's what I do. And that's how I do it at Healy Success Solutions. Hilary - Okay. What about your podcast? Tim Healy - The podcast is, as you've mentioned, The Profit Express, it's like over 11 years now and I've always had a focus, obviously, in the business side, Healy Success Solutions. I'm very focused on the sales process, everything from the first point of contact to close. But when I created, it was started as a radio show. It still is, it's evolved into a podcast, obviously. When I created the profit express, I did decide not to be just so specific on sales, but more focused on the journey of the small business person, the entrepreneur, the startup, what they go through each and every day to win the battle for business because listen, Hilary, you know what, and I know it each and every day, some days it's more challenging than others. But it's a battle and we are here to win at each and every day, each and every day to me is a competition and we're competing. And it's a matter of bringing on guests to the show who can help the small business owner who can help the start-up in everything from sales and marketing and branding, finance, anything and everything that can positively impact a small business owner. Because so many of them I have found that's been a big focus of the show. They kind of operate on an island to themselves, and I've always wanted to just be a resource for entertainment, for education, for information, for motivation, as they head in the direction of success for their small business. Hilary - So today we're talking about sales. And let me ask you something and I really want you to be really serious with me about this. Can everyone sell or are some people just natural salespeople? Tim Healy - That's a great question. Can everybody sell? No. But the reason I say no is if you don't want to sell, you're never going to sell. That's probably true for most professions. And actually, the people say, oh, some people are natural-born salespeople and they could be, but I think there's been a misnomer over the years that, oh, you know, that person has the gift of gab and they can talk to anybody. Believe it or not, I've seen over the many years, working with my clients, helping my clients interview and recruit some of the sales professionals who have the quote-unquote gift to get, who can talk to anybody that can make them a good networker, might not make them a good salesperson because, and I've had conversations about this, I wholeheartedly believe one of, if not the most important characteristic of a great selling professional, is listening and putting the prospect first. And if you were the kind of person who's got this great outgoing personality and you're gregarious and all that, and you know what, you might not give consideration in the conversation to the other, you might interrupt, you might not listen enough. And it's having the discipline to listen, to ask great questions, to have empathy for the prospect that I think can make a great salesperson. Hilary - I mean, how many people do you come in contact with and they just talk about themselves. It's all about themselves. Tim Healy - Well, it's good. Cause it kinda, it kind of keeps me in business to a certain extent because when the business is eventually not doing as well as it should, they reach out to people like me. But it, you know what, so much of sales is human nature. I mean, you have to understand human nature in order to relate to somebody because I think long gone are the days of feature and benefit selling. Because then you can't relate to, and you can't understand why somebody would need your products and services. So again, it starts with the conversation, starts by asking great open-ended probing questions. So those people who talk about themselves or about just about the products and services, there's no connection. There's no emotional bonding whatsoever. And I think it goes back to human nature. People like to talk about themselves, they want to show how smart they are. And again, if they don't listen, if they interrupt they never going to, I won't say never, but their chances of making great connections are greatly reduced. And I think somebody who's a great listener will eat their lunch every day. Hilary - Now, what about if you have a company and you hire a salesperson. What can you do to motivate them? I mean, you know, you and I both know that sales are tough and there's a lot of rejection. So how do you get people to be motivated? Tim Healy - There's, well, when it comes to motivation, I'm sure your listeners are probably familiar with extrinsic reward and intrinsic extrinsic is the compensation, the commission, the dollars, the bonus, the intrinsic is a sense of accomplishment. You know, doing the right thing, helping a client out, right. Both are very valuable, but how do you motivate somebody? A really good sales manager, a really good sales coach has an understanding of the salesperson and believe it or not sure money is a motivator. Of course it is, but it's not the only motivator. It really isn't. And if you just going to do the carrot and the stick for a commission, you're really going to miss, I think a lot of opportunities to increase somebody's ability to become a better salesperson. So you really have to understand what they want to accomplish, what they want to do. And it often goes beyond just the dollars and the commissions and the quotas. And, is it, you know, getting to another level of relationship, really just cracking into a client or a prospect that they've gone after for years and have never made headway. That could be a huge sense of accomplishment and reward and really connecting to clients. I think the best way to answer that is, as a sales manager, never make an assumption that your people are only motivated by money. Is it a key driving factor short, but it's not the only one that takes time to get to know your sales team, your salesperson, and you can often find out there are other things that they can relate to that can help positively impact their behavior. Hilary - So let's take this one step further and look, and can you offer our listeners some tips on how, if they are a salesperson, how they can be irreplaceable? Tim Healy - That's a great question. That's a great word. Think about that in, in just about, I never want to say a hundred percent, but in just about any industry, you've got competition in your field and what you do. So, most of us do some more than others and a lot of our products there's, people can't get across the street. While you may think that you have the world's greatest products, and you should absolutely think that it should be absolutely excited and pumped up about what it is that you offer, there are other good competitive products and services, and that's fine. So with that in mind, knowing that we are going up against the competition on a daily basis, I think it is a great way to start off a great mindset to develop. To ask yourself, how can I be irreplaceable in the mind of my client? So what does that mean to be irreplaceable? It's a big word, right? Not easy, not easy thing to do, what to do to, to accomplish, to achieve. So, typically, it goes beyond just offering and selling your product to service. So what can you do beyond that? What value can you offer your client beyond? You know, the exchange of money for service or money for a good, the better relationship that you have with the client and Hilary, it goes back to listening, the more that you know about what they're looking to accomplish, the more that you can help them. And I've often said, in becoming irreplaceable, when you get known as the guy or the gal, the go-to person, and somebody would just let me call Tim, maybe he can help. When a customer asked you for advice and something that you don't even offer, you know you become irreplaceable. Do you know what I mean? Because then they're like, they see you as such a resource that, well, I know Tim, I know Hilary doesn't sell this, but she probably knows somebody. And then if you just make a simple introduction, whether it's to a person or a resource or a book or link or a website, and you just help that client help your client. That's one more opportunity became irreplaceable. And that's another chance that they remember you again in the future. So you always want to be selfless and say, what can I do to be irreplaceable? Here's one thing I want to share with you. I think your listeners would love this. I like to remind myself every time I deal with a client and I try my best to do it as often as humanly possible. Sometimes I forget. I'm not perfect, but here's a great thing. Write this down. This is a pen and paper moment, Hilary, remind yourself that today may be the last time you see your client and I'm talking about a great client. I'm talking about clients, you’ve being do business for years. They love you. You've gone to their kid's wedding. It doesn't matter. And the reason I say this may be the last time you deal with them, may be last time you see them, it keeps you humble. It keeps you humble and you never take the relationship for granted because we all have, if you've been in the business, you're a sales professional, you have clients for years. If you're doing the right thing, right. We all have clients. If you're doing the right thing for years, never take them for granted and remind yourself: This may be the last time I see them. So what can I do value today for them? What can I bring different to the table? Let's not take this relationship for granted. And that's another way. Do put you in a place to be irreplaceable. Hilary - Love that. That's awesome. So before we move on, I have to say that I'm so appreciative of our sponsors and must take the time out to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. Now back to you, Tim. So we're talking about sales, but I'd like to shift gears a little bit and I want to ask some personal questions as they relate to sales. So for starters, what did people call you when you were a little boy? Tim Healy - Oh my God. How did you, we’ve never talked about this before we’ve never chatted. Okay. So this is, I talk about transparency and I know it's a big topic of yours and something you've helped me with. And by the way, for everybody listening to Hilary's podcast, keep listening and tell five friends because the things you can learn on this podcast from Hilary alone on branding, are phenomenal, it's worth the lessons. So as a kid, my name is Timothy Joseph. My middle name is Joseph. I always wanted to be called TJ when I was a little kid. And I grew out of that. So everybody calls me, Tim, I can't stand the word. Now people might use this against me now. I'm exposing myself here, Hilary. Hilary - No, I was wondering if they call you Timmy. Tim Healy - Oh, I hate it. I did have your father. May he rest in peace. He was, he was a sweetheart of a guy. He called me Timmy. I dealt with it cause I loved the music. Great guy, but that's the one thing I hated, but I was a little kid, it was TJ, since grew out of that. So Tim is, Tim is fine now that that's. Hilary - So if somebody calls you Timmy in business, do you correct them? Tim Healy - I really do because it's like nails on a chalkboard. I do correct them. Yeah. Hilary - What about now? I know your, your name is very easy to spell Tim T I M but what if someone spells your name or wrong or mispronounces, should you say something? Tim Healy - I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Like if somebody really botches your name, I actually did this. I won't say who she was a sweetheart of a guest and I take great pride. It's funny. She says, take great pride in pronouncing my guests names correctly. And for the love of God, I don't know how I butchered this poor woman's name. Her first and her last name, like three times on the show and she was so sweet about it. She ended up like, oh, I'm so sorry. But like if somebody, mispronounces it say, Hey, that's a great pronunciation. That's, I've never heard that before, but actually, it's pronounced, have some fun with it, thank them for the unique pronunciation. Hilary - How many times people call me, uh, say, write down Hilary with two L's.  I usually don't even say anything at this point, but this one person said to me the other day, oh, I was looking you up online and I couldn't find anything on you. Maybe that's because she spelled my name with two L's. Then is it's impossible not to find Hillary Topper, uh, online is you're everywhere. It's impossible. So. Let me ask you another question. This is also sales related, how often is too often to close the deal. You know, for example, somebody, you have a great relationship with somebody, you meet somebody. They love you. You love them. You write a proposal and then they go MIA, how often should you keep calling them or reaching out to them when they are MIA? Tim Healy - We could do a show just on this one topic. So, If the cause you are now, what you did say in the setup of the question was, you know, a great relationship and all this, then you give your proposal, then they go dark on you and it's MIA. For that to happen, there are a few, a number of things you probably did not do correctly as a sales professional. As far as qualifying as far as urgency, as far as timeline, as far as a decision-making process, in how I do it and how I train my clients and work with my clients, you qualify in the front end. You know, really you leave nothing to chance because it's on the one-yard line that you get surprised in this scenario that you just described. And there's a great scenario to describe Hilary because so many people get kicked in the backside with this, and I get so excited about it because it can be prevented. If somebody spends a time, they sit down and you do a meeting, you put together proposal presentation, do yourself the favor. And usually just a handful of good questions. Find out how they're going to decide on this is their competition. What factors are they going to use? Who else is involved in the decision-making process? And by the way, there's always somebody else involved when they're going to decide, okay, is having this something you'd like to have? It's something you must, that's a powerful question right there. Cause you don't get paid for proposals. You don't make a dime a proposal because here's one thing I would say, you have to earn a seat at my table. I don't deal with pipelines in sales. Okay. We've all heard of pipelines. Pipelines can be very dangerous. We just throw lots of stuff in them hoping that they'll close. It's a seat at my table. And you Mr. Or Ms. Prospect have to earn a seat at my table because I know that it takes time for me to put my presentation together. And I know that there are more people in this world. Forget the world, even, even just New York, I can't even, I don't have time to get to. So I have to talk to the ones who are most qualified, cause they deserve my time and attention. I don't want to waste my time with somebody who's not qualified because it prevents me from helping somebody who really needs Healy success solutions... Hilary - All right, let's take another route. So you're at a business meeting, you're at a lunch meeting and the salesperson decides to show you photos of their babies or their dogs. What do you say do you show your photos too? What does that say about them? Tim Healy - Well, it's what it says is it's a completely natural element of human nature. Everybody's favorite topic is themselves or an extension of their children or their dog, their cat, their Chinchilla, whatever. You look at it. Oh my God, Fantastic is beautiful that, you know, oh, what's the name of that? You have fun with it, you know? And then your next few, the second part is, should you show your pictures? Maybe you do, maybe don't you, you honestly played by ear because if they're so engrossed in their own stuff. Okay, fine. I'm here to learn about them anyhow. Hilary - And on that same topic where you are going out to lunch, and maybe the prospect asks you to go out to lunch, who pays for the lunch, you or the prospect, or do you go Dutch treat? Tim Healy- So this is a great question. It is never worth. Even if you go to a really nice lunch and you drop a hundred dollars, right. And that's not that common. Right. But even if you do that and you're in business, It's never worth the 50 bucks. If you split it to make an uncomfortable moment, you know what I'm saying? Can you believe Dutch? You know, especially if diner, you know, what is it going to be? 40 bucks. They eat it, you take it on it always because you know what, they can never take away from you. Hey, Tim bought me lunch. He's a nice guy. Even if we don't do business, I'm a nice guy. It was worth the 40 bucks. Always, always, always, always, always. And don't cry about it. Hilary - So you're at a networking event and the person that you are talking with is sitting there chewing gum. Well, I mean, what do you say to them? Do you say like, I swallow it, spit it out or you just ignore it and walk away? Tim Healy- Part of me would love to stay. Would you like a napkin? Cause it will be funny but I would, I would ignore it, you know, it just is sometimes, you know, but that's the funny thing about business. Again, you're dealing with human nature and there's a lot of you. One great thing is you can, I will never say I've seen it all. Because something's going to happen tomorrow that I haven't seen yet. So by the way, you're a fantastic host. I love I'm having a blast. Hilary - Right. Here’s another one. So now you are at a coffee shop and you both order cookies and milk. So the person that you're out to lunch with, or, you know, out for cookies with he’s dunking their Oreos or chocolate chip cookies into the milk? What's your reaction? Tim Healy- I think my internal reaction, which I do not share is I think cookie dunking is disgusting. That's me, my wife, who I love dearly, she loves to dunk cookies. So you know what is the great thing about life. She gets to dunk her cookies and I can be a dunk less cookie. You know what? Listen, some of your listeners may know me, some many, many, I'm sure don't. I could be a little wound-tight sometimes, I'm a type a personality sometimes. As long as, this is how I'd answer it, as long as they didn't dump their cookie in my milk, Hey, you know what enjoy life. If they decide to dunk their cookie in my milk, then I'd have to say. Wow. You know, what, can I get you to know the glasses? Hilary - Isn't it the same as when someone takes a fry off your plate? Tim Healy- Oh God. Oh, geez. God. I, yeah, I just, I can't I'm I don't know. In a business setting I'm talking about not, not personal. I mean, personal is not the greatest either, but what it is, this setting, you know what I, I would, I would let it slide and oh, okay. Here's a true story. I can not mention the client. True story. I'm at a dinner with a dear client, a great client. And there are 12 of us there. It's the owner, his wife, one of the VPs of sales and about seven or eight sales guys were there. Dinner comes out. We dinner, dessert and I saw an apple crisp pile mode kind of thing. I'm like, Aw, that sounds delicious. The owner sitting next to me, he goes, what are you getting for dessert? And I tell him, Oh, that sounds good. He's like, I'll have a piece. Oh my God. I love this guy. Can't say enough good things about him. So that's what he does. That's his thing. So the dessert comes out. The second it comes out, I dive bomb the dessert and I want to eat as much as I can. And then he goes, oh, and he grabs the piece. I'm like, okay. Oh yeah, good, good, good, good. And that's the last I have of it and I just, oh, okay. I start talking and I just let it, do you know, I'm fine. I got my couple of pieces in first. I'm good. My client was happy. He went to my plate, okay. Hilary - You're you're terrific. And you just one of those people that just keep making me laugh. Thank you. I want, I just want to find out how people can get in touch with you and learn more about Healy success solutions and also listen to the Profit Express. Tim Healy - Well, thank you. Uh, it's healysolutions.com you know, for and anything from anything and everything. Sales management, reach out to me. healysolutions.com and the show of course, you can follow me on Instagram at The Profit Express, at the profit express page on Facebook, that'd be great. Hilary - Terrific. All right. Well, thank you again for being on the show. And I want to thank our sponsors, the Russo law group, The Profit Express, Pop international galleries, Gold Benes LLP and the Pegalis law group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in each week. If you want to know more about this show or any other show, visit us at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, apple podcast, Amazon Alexa, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week. And we'll see you next time.

After a year of shutdown and no racing, it looks like racing is happening again with some variation. Today's guest is familiar with all the new protocols, especially, in triathlon racing. I’m Hilary Topper, and this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today I have the great pleasure of speaking with Tim Delss of CBMultiSport. Tim is also the head coach of WeREndurance. Tim, Welcome to the show. Let's talk about the return to triathlon racing. Tim - Thanks for having me, Hilary. Hilary - So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Tim - Sure, I am the owner and coach at CBMultiSport, which is a company that I operate here in Maryland focusing on coaching age group triathletes of all ages. My specialty is people like you and me, that work normal jobs and have lives and families and things to schedule work around. In addition to that, I am the head coach for you guys over, WeREndurance. I'm also a business partner with AJ Baucco coaching. And then I also helped the first time Ironman athletes at iron man Maryland, and do the secrets to success clinic and help with race staff there as well. Hilary - So, can you talk to our listeners about what to expect from Iron man and other long courses, this racing season 2021? Tim - Yeah. First of all, it's great that we're seeing transitioned back to racing. The return to triathlon racing is very exciting. Last weekend I was actually down at a race in Virginia, the kinetic triathlon festival that had sprint Olympic at 70.3 distance. So, it was fun to be back at a race and see what was going on. There's a lot of variables and what's happening because, obviously, CDC guidelines are changing, each state they're managing their guidelines and their standards all individually. And then, below that, it funnels down to counties and local jurisdiction. So there's no real, set protocol. It depends on where your races are, but, the most important thing is racing is coming back. And from what I've seen, what I've heard, as races are taking off is that the race organizations, the race directors and the staffs are they're putting a lot of time and effort into making things as safe and reasonable as possible. I know, and this may change since the guidelines were just changed by the CDC. But, prior to this weekend, races were requiring you to wear masks, to pack and pick up their space and people out to maintain social distancing. I know for Eagle man, 70.3, which is our first Ironman branded race. Now this season here in Maryland, we are going to be having people call or schedule their packet pickups. So that'll be coming soon. For those athletes, and their return to triathlon racing, they will be getting an email to schedule when they actually want to pick their pack up to try to minimize crowding. And will be doing the same for bike racking. We'll see how that progresses into the year with other races like Maryland or things like that, but that's just one of the things that Angie and the staff is doing, for Eagle man to make it as efficient, as easy as possible, but, I'm sure you noticed that so many things are in flux right now, especially with the new revisions by the CDC. So, pretty much everything I thought we were going to talk about when we set this up last week, it is about to change. I find it's changing. So, being an awesome podcast, I'm going to give you a lot of “I think” as opposed to “I know”. Hilary - Yeah, yeah. I know. It's just, it's crazy. Every day something comes out that's completely different than two days before. And, in that vein, what do you think about triathletes? I mean, should we all get vaccinated? Let's take politics out of this and just what do you think in terms of these long races and that type of thing? Should we protect each other and ourselves in order to return to triathlon racing? Tim - Sure now there's a lot of things to consider there. Some people have cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, their own opinions. Right, and I'm never going to tell someone what they should or shouldn't think. And, unfortunately, in the climate we have here, almost everything is being politicized and the vaccine is… Those are waters that nobody really wants to wait into and rightfully so. But, from a pure triathlon standpoint, if you have access to the vaccine, if you can go get it, like I know here in Maryland, mass vaccination sites are walk up now and we bet we're actually getting to the point where in a lot of places we have more vaccines and we have appointments being filled. Because the initial rush kind of over, everybody can get one versus you have to be a certain age or have a certain predetermined health issue or things like that. If you have access to it, unless you have a very specific reason not to get it, then I don't really see why you shouldn't. I can't tell you not to, but from an endurance sports standpoint, triathlon, especially a long course, it's very hard on the body with the training and the racing, it wears you down, it makes you more susceptible to illness and injury and things like that, and so yes, we are that small percentage, generally of the most healthy people in the country, right? Because we're incredibly active and most people are pretty decent about their eating in some form. And we generally take care of ourselves, which, on the surface, makes us less predisposed to get an illness than someone who smokes two packs a day and doesn't take care of themselves or whatever. When you're going out there and training hard and racing hard and doing all that stuff, you compromise your immune system, that's why recovery is so important. You know, and that's why triathletes and during south fleets come up sick within, oftentimes, a couple of weeks of a race cause their immune system's down or they're immunocompromised at that point. So to return to triathlon racing, the vaccine can be a tool to help in that regard. I personally got my second shot, last Thursday. So, after my two weeks lapse, I was fully vaccinated and I was never worried about myself. I'm 36 years old. I'm a healthy guy. I don't have, I wasn't worried about me getting COVID, but what I was more worried about is me giving it to someone else or, you know, something like that. So, that for me was an easy personal step. So it's, unfortunately, it's something that everybody has to decide for themselves most Americans have at least one shot at this point, the majority of people that are eligible, right? Not, it's not accounting for children who aren't yet eligible or things like that. And I think that's why we're starting to see things open up and seeing more racing coming back. And, you know, we're getting towards that level of herd immunity that people have been talking about for so long. And, but we're doing it more by vaccine than we are by you catching it and me catching it and everybody else catching it. So that's why things are starting to open back up. I know that's why the CDC relaxed their guidelines because we hit some percentage that they wanted to see. So things are on the up and, hopefully, within a year or two, it's going to be kind of like the flu. In that, they understand more about it. And every year they have a shot that people can get if they want to get it, based on what the strands are doing and the evolution and all that stuff. And it'll just become a small, but normal part of our culture, like the flu. Hilary - Do you think, sorry to interrupt for a minute, but I just, I'm curious to know your thoughts about whether or not race directors should require either negative test or proof that you got the vaccine in order to return to triathlon racing, is that happening? Tim - Not that I know of, I know some people in the industry, not necessarily race directors, but bike fitters like chops, stuff like that that are requiring things like that for like bike fittings and stuff like that. As a small race team, if you're a local race director or anything like that, you run a private business and as private business, you're allowed to allow to require those things and request those things. There's been debates on whether or not someone asking you if you're vaccinated to violation of HIPAA laws or whatever, and I'm not a lawyer, I don't study medical law. But I was like, well, I mean, you have to provide proof of vaccination that your kids have had a their measles, mumps, and rubella if they're going to go to school, and that's not a violation or, you know, at the same time, I've read a couple of things that were like, well, there's a, if you're a business owner, race director, whatever, you have an obligation to keep your employees and volunteers safe, that's kind of a counter argument, so to speak. But I don't know of any race directors doing that to return to triathlon racing. The couple of running races that I've done during COVID time has been, you have to wear a mask until the race starts, they're spacing out, starting times. The race I was at this past weekend, they did the same thing. Everybody had to wear their masks in the corral. And then they did like time trial start. And as you were going up to the edge of the beach, they had a trashcan there for you to throw masks. And they also provided two masks to the athletes, and then once you finish, before you lead the finisher shoot, you had to have a mass back on, so I think that race directors are in a really sticky spot because it's, it's a business. Everyone has personal opinions there, but they're also trying to be as safe and welcoming as possible. They're really in kind of a situation that they can't win, so they're kind of trying to balance everything to allow us to get back to racing. And I certainly don't envy the position that they're in with having to make their decisions. But the few that are the ones I know that I've talked to in a couple of races, I've seen, they seem to be doing a pretty good job of doing the best they can. Hilary - Before we move on, I have to say that I am so appreciative of our sponsors and must take the time out to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo law group, the Profit Express with Tim Healey, Pop international galleries, Gold Benes L L P and the Pegalis law group. Now back to you, Tim. So we're talking about racing and triathlons and the return to triathlon racing. Can you tell me if you think this year is a good year for a newbie to race? Why or why not? Tim - Every year is a good year to try something new. In my local tri club here in Maryland, I actually run a beginners program, where I provide a group focus training plan, they're not individual fully customized, like I do my normal day to day work, but, kind of a group focused plan that leads towards a race that our tri club. And it's a way to welcome the men, give them a little guidance. It allows me to be there to answer their questions and, and kind of help them on their journey. Like someone helped me when I got into this sport. It's never a bad time to try something new and to get in. I don't know how long you've been in the sport, but you know, if we go back 10 years ago, when the triathlon exploded, there were always new people coming in. There was always a rush of excitement. Like there was an atmosphere in the sport that was pretty amazing. And everything kind of settled in the sport retracted a little bit, like most things do after they boom, to what it has been the last few years, which is good, has been steady. Races are still selling out and things like that. So that’s great. It's not like it's just falling off a cliff, but there is something that new athletes bring to the sport that the anticipation, the anxiousness, the nervousness, the excitement that they bring that really kind of excites all athletes, even people that have been doing this a long time. And so I love seeing new people in, the other thing that's happening is with COVID, with the pandemic, the race directors have had to get very creative in trying to figure out ways to bring race and back last summer, fall, and now for 2021. And so, the new athletes can actually use that as an advantage. There are more races popping up. There are different formats popping up, they're now spreading races, instead of having one big race on one day, they're spreading it out over two days. So there are things that are happening that kind of take a little bit of that entry pressure off. Cause like when I got into this sport, you had to sign, you had to commit to something a year in advance, sign up right away, know everything sold out fast. You had to jump in the deep end just to guarantee that you could get to a starting line. Then you had to work your way back, no matter what distance you were racing. But now there's so much more variety and variability and option that an athlete can really kind of way into the water instead of jumping in or immersing ourselves at kind of their own speed. And after a year off of racing, the seasoned athletes and experienced athletes, they're all really just kind of happy to be getting back to racing. And so the dynamic it's reminding me more of when I first got into it, the atmosphere in the sports, a little different. So, it's more inclusive and it's less, the pressure is less intense. Like people are just happy to be back racing. And so I think that's a great atmosphere for beginners to come into. Hilary - Absolutely. Now let's just, I just have a question about the pandemic. How should triathletes be careful during racing? I mean, you know, is there anything that you think, advice that you would give a triathlete or an athlete when they are racing with hundreds of other people? Tim - Well, the biggest thing is, and this we're talking about the pandemic, but this is always going to apply in or out a pandemic is don't do something that you're uncomfortable doing. There's a certain level of discomfort in triathlon. Whether it's tackling a new distance or your legs are tired or lungs are burning, right? There is a saying in triathlon that you get comfortable being uncomfortable and that's very true. What I mean is don't do something that you fear, don't put yourself in a situation that you're worried would be harmful to you. So it's one of those people who has an underlying medical condition or has older family that you're really worried about while everything's still happening with COVID or whatever, then wait a few more months and see how things progress, right? Like there's no reason that you have to just rush into something that you're unprepared for. As far as the racing standpoint goes, the truth is like, I could tell you, make sure you're staying away from people, make sure you're legally not drafting, right. That's more than six feet, right. That don't run close to people when they're sweating and breathing and all that stuff. And I can say all those things, but I think for most of us, once we get into a race, you're not really thinking about a lot of those things. You're kind of you're in the race. So it's like, you're thinking about making sure you get your water and you get your nutrition and you're staying on your pacing and there's so many you just kind of do when you're racing, and for the most part, like being in the water is not really that concerning of an issue right. On the swim portion, on the bike portion, you're not actually supposed to be close enough to really have any issues. So, the biggest sticking point would be the run from a safety standpoint. And, in that case, it's like, well, don't grout around an aid station. You know, things like that. I haven't raced yet this year, so I can't say personally, but like when I've done running races during COVID we've been required to carry a mask in case we needed to stop at an aid station for the safety of volunteers. I don't know if that's some race directors are requiring that for triathlon aid stations or if they're going self-serve and you know, some of them are doing self-surveyed stations. You know, where someone pours the water and puts it on the table, and then they stay out of the way so you can just run through and grab it, but it's pretty, for the most part, it's pretty easy and triathlon to maintain a reasonable distance. There's been very few times that I've ever been shoulder to shoulder with someone on a run or something like that. Like most things, common sense serves you best, you just have to, you just have to think about it. And unfortunately, it doesn't really seem so common anymore, but, just practical, common sense will serve people well. Hilary - Absolutely good, good advice. Could you talk a little bit about how you personally help triathletes grow and develop? Tim - Sure. Triathlon is a sport that rewards two things: time and consistency, and by consistency, I mean, whatever your distance, whether you're a sprint athlete or an iron distance at one 40.6 athlete, or the more consistently you can train over a longer portion of time, the better you will be. It takes years to reach an aerobic peak and things like that. It’s a sport that rewards consistency. So, whether, if I'm coaching an athlete, then obviously I'm managing their day to day training schedules and things like that. So we're shooting, my job is to make sure that they're consistently training, hitting their progressions in their training plans, things like that. If I'm not, if we're just having a conversation and I'm talking to some new athlete at a race venue or something, then usually the advice I give is to find a training schedule that fits your life. You know, it has to fit within your life. I could build the best training plan on earth for you. For example, you know that they'd be like, oh man, we're going to blow some things out of the water and, in a year, you're going to be awesome. But if the schedule doesn't fit into your daily life, it's really helpful to you at all, cause you're not going to do it as it was intended, so you're not going to see the improvement. So there would need to be revisions made, so they need to pick a schedule that fits. The second thing is don't be afraid to take your time. There's been kind of a rush of athletes that come into triathlon and they jump in and they want to get right up to do an iron man because they saw on TV in December when NBC aired it. And you know, it becomes a bucket list item. So they jump in and they want to do it. That's fine and good. And that's a great goal and a great ambition. There's also an extremely high likelihood of injury. If you come from not doing this to try to jump in and do 140 mile race. So don't be afraid to take your time. It should take a few years for you to get to the point of doing an Ironman and then the last thing is don't take it too seriously. Like generally we're kind of type a people, right? We care about data. We care about the numbers. If you use training peaks, you want your work out to be green at the end of the day you don't want to miss stuff, we want to improve. We want to get better. And, and all those things are good traits and there, it can be good and positive. But you still have to remember that this is supposed to be fun for 99.9% of the people. This is a hobby and so while it is good to want to be better and to focus on getting better, don't beat yourself up if you have a bad race, they happen. Or if things don't go the way you want, or, there's always going to be another race on the horizon and it's still supposed to be fun. So enjoy the fact that you're able to do it and take in the experience because if you pay attention to the experience around you while it's happening, it, it really is. Triathlon is an amazing world to live in. Hilary - Totally. I totally agree. And coach Tim, can you tell our listeners how to get in touch with you to learn more about your services? Tim - Sure, guys can reach me just about anywhere, you can find me on Facebook, my coaching pages CBMultiSport, or you can look me up by my name. Tim Delss, you can find me at www.cbmultisport.com or www.ajbcoaching.com . For my partnership with A.J. Baucco Coaching, you can also find me roaming the grounds at most triathlons in the Mid-Atlantic area, you can join the WeREndurance team. You can find me there and you can find me on Instagram at CB multi-sport or you can if you don't remember any of that stuff, you can contact Hilary and she can get you to. Hilary - Absolutely. And I just want to thank you, Tim. This was a great show as always talking about the return to triathlon racing. You're always an amazing guest. I also want to thank our sponsors, the Russo law group, the Profit express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes, LLP, and the Pegalis law group. And last but not least, I want to thank you our listeners for tuning in. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can find us at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us also at Spotify, iTunes, apple podcasts, Google play, even Amazon Alexa, have a great week and we'll see you next time...

Marketing to consumers isn't new, but the way in which we reach our target audiences evolves every day. With everyone doing things virtually due to the pandemic, savvy marketers know how to digitally impact consumers and elevate their brands. So how do you best market to today's consumers? I'm Hilary Topper. And this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Farissa Knox, CEO of RLM media and integrated marketing and communications advertising agency, skilled in understanding how platforms like digital and video solutions, search engine, social media, lifestyle, music, and news platforms integrate into consumers 24-hour cycles. So Farissa, welcome to the show. Farissa - Thank you. Thanks so much for having me. Hilary - So can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background? Farissa - Absolutely. So, uh, yes, as we mentioned, I am a business owner. I am from New York originally, now, living in Chicago. And, really from a young age, loved and authentically understood that this art of communication, like legitimately the art of finding the right words and putting in, putting them in the best order possible in order to communicate a message or a desire or a call to action or even a poem, you know, for that matter, when I was a child is something that I've gravitated towards and loved my entire life. So the fact that I am now in this seat owning and running my own ad firm and really working to integrate all of those things into what we call really uniquely, ingredients served, marketing proposals, and solutions for our clients. It's no surprise to me at all that I'm here now. Hilary - Very cool. So tell us a little bit about RLM Media and how it helps brands market to today's consumers. Farissa - We started about 12 years ago now, really in the paid media space. So when you think about my world, it's very vast and one of the things that has to happen once you create the media and the messaging, it has to be placed in the right location for your target consumer to see it, and then engage with the message. And that's how our alum got its start mainly because my background is in advertising sales. So I started selling ads. Space for local and then ultimately national radio stations out of New York, and then here in Chicago and was able to pivot my professional experience into what was the first phase of RLM back in 2008. So we started with that, just placing the media for our clients, but as we grew and as our client base grew and our client's needs expanded, they started to ask us for more. So they started to ask for not just the space on the billboard, but can you make the ad, and then it's can you bring any insights to who our consumers are and what their needs are and what they desire? They wanted to know how to market to today's consumers. As competition started to rise in the marketplace. So seeing that, allowed me to be very comfortable with expanding our services and building out departments within the agency. That now how we help our customers reach their consumers. It starts with insights and research, right? So really understanding who your customer is, what is it that drives them to even want, or need your product? Where are they spending their time finding out more information about you before they even start talking to you? From their whatever insights we can pull from the actual data. Utilizing those insights and our experience to cultivate what is going to ultimately be the brand message. So, what you want your customer to know about you, how you want them to engage with you and, ultimately, what action you want them to take. Whether it's click here, sign up here, buy this, vote for me, whatever it might be. And then beyond creating those creative concepts, we can then produce them into the actual assets that go into the marketplace. So if we're buying a digital campaign then making sure that there's video or audio or graphics to go along with that or radio ad or TV ad or billboard. And then from there, my media team, executing that and placing that in the marketplace and tracking it and making sure that the results that we said we wanted at the upfront are what we're actually getting in the backend. And if not, how do we pivot? How do we change and how do we make sure that we adjust accordingly? So high level, that's basically how we're helping our customers market to today's consumers by talking to their clients, understanding their clients, and learning as much as they can so that the next time they do it, hopefully with us, um, there are better results. You know, each time we do this. Hilary - Definitely. Now, with everybody virtual, right, these days, you know, I mean, a lot of people haven't gone back to the office. I mean, in New York, they're saying January to go back. I mean, so it's, it's a long time that people are at home at work. You know, how do you feel like consumers have changed this past year and how do you reflect that with your business? I mean, cause it's like a totally different thing, right? Farissa - Yeah. I mean, so yes and no, to be honest. So yes, we, as consumers, as people have completely changed our way of living these last year and a half. So with that, there comes changes to how we do a lot of other things, how we consume media really hasn't changed that much if you think about it. So on a regular day and a regular workday before COVID, people were waking up, getting ready for work. They were at home listening to their local radio station or streaming something online or watching the local news, then they would go on their commute, depending on where you live in the country. That commute could be like in New York, you know, public transportation. And then you're probably in earbuds listening to something digital, but in a lot of the places, the rest of the United States, folks are still getting in their cars, driving to work. So that's like regular radio or satellite radio, and then the work they continue, right. Where a lot of folks are either, you know, glued to a computer and so you're consuming media, whether it's social or digital, that have you, then you go home and you have like your evening routine and that could be streaming TV, broadcast TV, cable, you know, digital. The thing that has been removed from our lives because of COVID is that commute, and nothing else, really. So with the commute gone, now that does bring some value of some media down a little bit. So for example, I think out of home, outdoor has really suffered the most because we're not, we're literally not outside, right? Like we haven't gone outside. So how we've helped our clients, really understand this dynamic and shift is instead of buying transit like trains and bus ads and bus shelters and that stuff, when it made sense for their strategy instead if outdoor still makes sense for your strategy. Now, when people are outside, especially during the height of the pandemic, what were we doing? We were going to the grocery store. We were going to the pharmacy, we were going to the essential places. Right. And so those essential places became the new train, the new bus, the new commute to work. And then, our increase of media happened where digital skyrocketed TV, in some cases skyrocketed. So we're still consuming ads on a regular, almost 24-hour basis. Our time spent with different mediums has changed, from a percentage perspective. And we're just helping our clients continue to navigate how to market to today's consumers because to your point, it's still changing, right? Depending on where you live, your office is either talking about six months from now going back, some places this summer. But in a lot of places, it's more about what is the future, right? What's this hybrid model. And so yeah, there's going to be a lot of movement in the next year, even more, but I think, for strategic, smart, thoughtful people, we'll just keep watching and then, helping our clients, adjust accordingly while we're paying attention to what the consumers are doing. Hilary - That's awesome. So before we move on, I just want to do a shout-out to our sponsors. I really have to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes, and The Pegalis Law Group. So Farissa back to you,  we were talking about digital marketing strategies and how to reach consumers online and we're also talking about some of the challenges that companies are facing today, in particular, that awareness and visibility. Could you also talk about some of the solutions to these problems? Like how do you recommend brands cut through the clutter of all these different places that they can have ads. Farissa - I separate clients into two buckets when we talk about this. So there is like the mass reach bucket where you have, the resources and the funds to spend money like McDonald's and Coca-Cola and those folks, or really everybody else, right. Everyone else. And so I'll answer the everyone else because that's really more important here. So for everyone else, who isn't McDonald's and Procter and gamble and these folks. You really have to start with understanding who are all of your different consumer groups, right? Because you can't afford to just blast your messaging 24 hours a day to anyone who's willing to listen. So the idea of being hyper strategic becomes more and more important and not just from a media perspective, it really needs to start with understanding who your customer is because with digital and being so hyper-focused, we have the ability today to say, okay, my customer, for example, if your customers are moms, so you understand your customer is a mother. Now, is it a mom who has one kid or a mom who has three kids? Is it a mom who works out of the house or is it a mom who works at home? And really keep asking those deeper level questions because when you're specifically with digital, you can get that precise now from a planning perspective, when you're talking about your paid digital strategy and the more things you know about your customer if you can know her down to literally an individual and, and create a profile, a persona of who she is, then you can go find all of the people who match that and meet that online. And then you're spending every dollar really strategic, instead of hoping that it's reaching your customer or praying that it's reaching your customer. Now you will know that it is. Hilary - Absolutely. There are so many different outlets today and a lot of people will say, oh, I want a television ad or I want to be on cable or I want to do a Facebook or Instagram and a campaign. How do you narrow people down, especially a small business owner with a tight budget. Maybe you have some case studies that you'd like to share with us. Farissa - In reference to how I helped people narrowed down, there's no one answer. So, unfortunately, there isn't any particular case study that I would point your audience in the direction of. But I would say, not every medium is for everyone, right? If you are, let's say a local restaurant owner, and you're now opening back up because CDC and state laws are allowing us to now eat safely, buying a TV ad is not going to be your best bet, again, understanding where are you located? How many locations do you have? Who were the folks coming to eat on a regular basis at your restaurant before COVID and how do you get back in contact with those folks? Is it through social media? Have you stayed in contact with them in spite of the pandemic, in spite of them being able to come to your restaurants to eat. Where is your customer spending time on media? So there isn't one, there is no like one size fits all for this. It's really just understanding. And if you don't have it, internally from a marketing perspective in-house someone who works for you, then really taking that extra time to understand your customer will be super helpful. And I've had clients, especially when we were first getting started and we were working with smaller groups. Just ask your current customers. If you have nowhere else to start, it's starting there. It's saying, you know, how did you originally find out about us? What do you tell your friends when they ask you? Would you recommend us to your friends? And just collecting that data because it's with that, that the strategy is developed and it's with that strategy that tells you what you should do with your dollars from there. So if you wind up learning that, the majority of the folks who were utilizing your space to come eat before, did it after let's say Sunday when they went to church, I'm literally making all this up, but if after church, everyone came to your restaurant to eat, utilizing that information, not only to get them in after church but coming up with creative, fun ways to reach them during other days of the week that matters to them or other occasions throughout the year that matters to them. That's a family event that they would do with the family. So it's a combination of rich data collecting and being creative and combining those two aspects to stay in constant communication with your customers, whether it's 50 or 5 million. Hilary - Awesome. And now. Can you share with us some success stories that you've had during the past year? Farissa - Yes, I'll start high level for just my business in general and then maybe for a client of ours. But for me personally, as a business owner and an entrepreneur, I looked at COVID and what it did to our day-to-day lives as an opportunity to just sit down and take a seat for a second. Cause you know, we were all running a legitimate rat race, but to just sit down and take a seat and pay attention and look at what I had built already. Right. What was, ultimately, in my mind, what did I think COVID was going to do to my business? Or what was it doing to my business? And when I sat back and looked at that, I saw that, in reference to my counterparts, who might've been bleeding out and losing business and having to close their doors, we just had a scrape on the knee. And I was like, well, beyond my gratefulness wanted to know, well, why is that the case? And really it boiled down to the types of clients that we were servicing and understanding that these categories were almost pandemic groove. In my agency, we deal a lot with healthcare and higher ed and financial services, employment, and recruitment. So all of these areas became hyper-focus importance to almost everyone during COVID. So understanding that, I decided to do a brand refresh of my agency, and make sure that we were communicating that these were the types of clients that we service. We've been doing this, and this is how we did. These are the lessons that we've learned, and this is how we present ourselves to the world where we had never done that on purpose before. And quite frankly, we never really had the time until the start of COVID to really do that and present that to the world. So that for me is my success story, RLM success story, coming out of this past year, really understanding my business on a deeper level than I have before. And then, with that understanding, using it as the communication to our current clients, but more importantly, using it as a way to go get new business, because now that the world is coming back to life, we've been spending this past year sharing that. Collecting new potential clients, sharing our story, sharing our experience and using it to grow and expand. So that's RLM success story. One of our newer clients. Also has a very similar story. We work with an organization called  Ruby and what they do is help small business owners with all of the things that entrepreneurs have small businesses need and, before COVID, they were focused on, let's say helping the plumber who has a day books of appointments, answering his phone for him while he's out on appointments and scheduling new ones, right? Because you can't be in two places at once, but when COVID hit, they understood that their small business clients, their needs changed, it went from answer my phone to how do I navigate PPP loans and getting that access to that money. And so what they did was pivot to a model that allow them to expand their services to their clients where now it's everything that you need as a small business owner, you can go to them and figure out how do I insert blank here and they will be a resource for that. So they really grew through the pandemic as well. And we're proud of that and now we're working with them to do the same thing we did. How do you take all that and build it into your brand, build it into your communication and let people know that this is what you are now, so that you can attract new customers that need you on all of those levels. Hilary - Well, I just have to say first for starters, congratulations to you. I mean, for number one, being in business for 12 years and number two, just really reinventing yourself during this pandemic and for this case study that sounds amazing. So thank you for that and sharing that with us. Farissa - No problem.Thank you for the kind words. Hilary - So tell us just quickly, if you have three best practices that you would offer my listeners on marketing in today's digital world. Farissa - So three best practices. I've stated this already, but it really has to be said again, number one, know your customer in and out, number two, know that you might not be the customer, right? A lot of my clients, not so much now, but when I was getting started, we would recommend something for them and they would go, oh, I don't do that. And it's like, wait, but are you the customer or are you trying to attract new people? So really keeping that marketer's hat on and understanding that people are different and have different habits and consume media and do things in a different way. And then that third piece is allowing for flexibility across all ways to be flexible, because not every person, even if they are your unique customer, is going to respond to the same type of messaging. So being okay with being flexible and having multiple messages out there, being flexible for language, right? Because some folks are more comfortable speaking English as a second language. Just flexibility I think, more so now than ever, is going to be super, super important for business owners to manage. Hilary - A hundred percent agree. That's awesome. Thank you so much. And finally, how can people get in touch with you and learn more about your business, about you, and how to market to today's consumers? Farissa - I have a website it's for farissaknox.com. So folks can find me there. If you're a social media person, same handle on all the platforms, just add Farissa Knox and RLM, specifically, you can find out more information about RLM at rlm-media.net. Hilary - Perfect. Well, thank you for Farissa so much for being on the show. This was so informative and I'll be following you on social. So thank you. I also want to thank our sponsors, The Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes and the Pegalis Law group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can visit our website at hilarytopperonair.com. Or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Apple podcasts, even Amazon Alexa, where out there you can find us have a great week and we'll see you next time.

We have a packed show today, and we're going to talk about everything endurance sports. We're going to be specifically talking about a new magazine for swim bike run, called Run•Tri•Bike. I'm Hilary Topper. And this is Hilary Topper on air. Today, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Jason Bahamundi president and CEO and Angela Nath, senior vice-president of Run•Tri•Bike, a multimedia platform designed to help beginner athletes navigate the world of endurance sports, which includes running, cycling and swimming. Welcome guys to the show. First you, Jason, can you tell us a little bit about Run•Tri•Bike Magazine, why you decided to launch the magazine and who is the intended audience is? Jason - Sure. Hilary, thank you very much for having me on. So Run•Tri•Bike Magazine was started by Angela and me because, during conversations amongst friends and acquaintances and people involved in the sports world, we found that there was a need for tips and tricks and stories and inspiration and motivation for beginners. And we're just coming off or still involved in the pandemic. Right. And people are working from home and deciding to buy running shoes for the first time or buying a bike for the first time and not really knowing where to turn and where to go for those ideas and tips. And so we started the business with that as our focus, it's focused on beginners. And then I would say a second-tier level, underneath that beginner athlete demographic would be looking to help women looking to help people of color, looking to help physically challenged, disabled and LGBTQ plus athletes have a platform to talk about their stories and to inspire others, representation matters to us. And so if you see somebody that looks like you or is from your part of the world, you might get inspired and motivated to get out there and participate in the sports that we love as well. And so that's the premise for starting this business when you say multimedia platform, you're a hundred percent correct. We print a magazine on a bimonthly basis and we run our website and social media platforms which get updated daily. And then just so listeners understand the content that your consuming online is different than the content that is in the magazine and we want to bring stories in all forms to different people because people process information differently and that's kind of why we're doing it that way. Hilary - So, Jason, um, just give me a brief overview of your background. Jason - Sure. I've been involved in endurance sports for about 14 years. I got into it similar to the way other people do, which is, this sounds like fun, let's try it out. Um, and in those 14 years I've been able to, been fortunate enough to cross the finish line of eight iron man races, there’s an eight hundred-mile race coming up in about three weeks as I was notified yesterday that I will be taking on the Cocodona 250, which is a 250-mile foot race from black Canyon city in Arizona to Flagstaff, Arizona. Thank you very much for that enthusiasm. I'm kind of really nervous right now about it. I need all the hype I can get from others. Hilary - That's really cool. Really, really cool. So how did you and Angela meet? Jason - I have been, um, I guess I would say a supporter of women's sports for a very long time. And I was a Patreon member of I race like a girl. And one day at the start of run tri bike, social media I saw that I race like a girl platform liked three of my own personal stories on Instagram. So I quickly flipped over being an entrepreneur and said, you know what, we're going to reach out to Angela directly, tell our story and see what happens. My goal at the time was to get IRAs, like a girl involved in run tri bike as an advertiser and as a content provider, one conversation led to the next and, before I knew it, Angela was a partner in the business, which is endurance sports investment group, under which RTB operates. And it's been fantastic, the ability to have a partner who obviously is female, and be able to provide you with insight into how women are thinking about these sports and just things of that nature has been great. But yeah, I've been a fan of hers for years, the year she won Iron man Chattanooga, I participated in the race too. So I don't know. Maybe the stars were aligned since way back in 2018. Hilary - That's awesome. All right. Well, before we move on, I just have to say I'm so appreciative of our sponsors and I must take the time out to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary topper on air special thanks to The Pegalis Law Group, The Profit Express, The Russo Law Group, Pop International Galleries and Gold Benes LLP. So Angela, tell me a little bit about yourself and your professional background as a triathlete. Angela - Yeah, I started competing in triathlon shortly after college, it was something that I just wanted to stay active in. I was a track and field runner for college and just really loved all sports. And so I wanted to stay active. And so I jumped into a local pool triathlon and fell in love with it. And from there forward, I was just all about triathlon, and about a year later, I was actually, I qualified for my professional card in Canada and, it's been a good decade about training and racing and traveling the world. So it's, it's been really, really fun. Hilary - That's so awesome. So tell me, what was your favorite race? Angela - My favorite race is probably St. Croix they do a race there and it's just such a beautiful Island. The whole Island basically jumps in into the race for spectators and, just the vibe there is nice, It’s a very challenging course and I'm someone who loves hot weather. So of course, St. Croix is going to be up on the list. Hilary - I was there too, that there was some, some Hills up there, huh?  So, um, so talk to me a little bit about, so I heard that you got Lyme disease. Can you talk a little bit about how that happened and, what you actually did about that? Angela - Yeah, it's a, it's kind of an ongoing process. So in 2018, I was finally diagnosed with Lyme. It was very difficult to really diagnose itself because I went to a number of doctors, world-renowned doctors at Boston Children's no one could figure it out because the CDC guidelines for Lyme are not necessarily accurate in terms of actually having it. So finally I found a doctor and did some other testing, and we found that I had Lyme and Bartonella, which is the co-infection of bacteria, and how you treat it is pretty, it's been a learning curve because you, I kinda treated it with antibiotics. Got better, got off the antibiotics relapsed. And you do that a couple of times and you continue trying to like, get there. Get the layers of the onion away, basically. So during COVID actually, I did a lot of treatment for it. And so I'm just kind of rebounding from that right now because I mean, any type of medication you take really does fall to the body, so you have to kind of process that as well. So it's something that very difficult to go through quite honestly. It's kind of changed my life a little bit in that sense. But really I've learned so much and the education I have for it I try to help as many people as I can that may have unusual symptoms or just a current diagnosis. Anything that I can do to return the favor of the support I've received from others? Hilary - Well, it seems like that's something that a lot of triathletes get because we go into areas that are sometimes, lots of, lots of grass and trees and, and that type of thing. And, so it's, it's something that I think is pretty unfortunately common among triathletes. So I heard that one of the things that you've been doing is you've been using hydro mag, which is a Moxie life product. Can you tell me about that experience? Angela - Yeah, I've been with MOXiLIFE for a couple of years now. Theresa, the founder and CEO is just a fantastic lady. Love her to death. I met her at a race in California and she was providing samples of her hydro Mag and hydro Mag is basically a magnesium supplement drink. That is really, really easy to digest. And It tastes great. And so magnesium is something that I lose a lot of, especially even with a Lyme or Bartonella diagnosis as well. It's, it's kind of a common known fact that the magnesium you lose is even more so, and as athletes, you'd be surprised how much magnesium we actually need. And so I've been using her product for two years and I swear by it, it's something I drank two or three times a day. I sometimes add it to my sports drink for training, and it's really helped me in the process throughout this whole timeframe and really be able to train consistently and just try to get the best I can out of my body. So I really do love the product. Hilary - A lot of triathletes also, and runners find that they cramp up a lot. Is this something that you would tell your athletes to try, as to, take magnesium or to try to… Angela - Oh, definitely. Yeah. Like, there's, I mean, you obviously want to make sure that your electrolytes in terms of your sodium content is really well done in your sports drink and also your fueling and race nutrition. But another whole process of that is the magnesium. And so sometimes when I have athletes that I coach come to me and say, they're cramping, we kind of do an overhaul of exactly what they're doing in nutrition. So I really like to make sure that they have the sodium content, because I definitely need that throughout training and racing. And then I always add and let them try the magnesium supplement because I really find that it does so much for the body. Like if you were to do a Google search of what magnesium does for the body, I mean, it's something that's used in basically every cell of the body and every process of the body. So we really do go through a lot as athletes as we push ourselves. And so part of that is cramping. And, I've noticed actually I teach a master's group and we had a guy that would continually cramp in his calves. And so I suggested Moxie life. He bought some and, he's been taking it religiously for the last two weeks and we have not had cramps, so I'm actually glad you brought that up. Hilary - Wow. That's awesome. That's awesome. And lastly, could you just, talk a little bit about the new magazine, Run•Tri•Bike, and your hopes and ambitions for it? Angela - Yeah. I started with Jason. He actually reached out to me, kind of in the light of seeing if there was some type of relationship that we could create with run tri bike and right away when he explained his goal with it, the aim of really just providing insights of swim bike, run, triathlon, and bringing stories about athletes from all walks of life and, and that they were all female. I mean, everything I do is really about bringing females into the spotlight of triathlon. And so that's why I have my team. I race like a girl I have my own sites for a lot of educational components. So the run tri bike was just a fantastic opportunity. And so I just asked him, I'm like, well, how can I be more involved? Because this is something that is right up my alley. I'm inspired by people's stories and really trying to share it and make triathlon a little bit less intimidating, all of it just came together. And so we kind of talked a little bit and,  I partnered with him and it's just been fantastic. We're really just starting from grassroots and building it up as we go. And I think it's a niche in the sport because there's not a lot for beginner triathlons and I mean, triathletes, for magazine wise and really getting some education out there and like being able to support with a lot of different types of sponsors that come on board, it's just a platform that I'm really excited to continue to grow. And the stories behind it that we've already had this far are just... Just so fun to read. And the educational component is fantastic. I mean, for anyone that starting triathlon, whether you are a female or male, if you're looking for clubs, if you're looking to kind of be in triathlon where you find it a little bit intimidating and want to learn more, it's a fantastic platform. I mean, I'm biased. I love it. Hilary - Jason, could you tell us a little bit about the first issue of Run•Tri•Bike Magazine and what was your favorite story so far? Jason - Oh, those are great questions. Thank you very much. Um, there's nothing like I like talking about more than the product we put out. So our first issue covers swimming, biking, and running from, tips for beginners, such as how to pick the right shoe for running, gear you might need for swimming and then how to pick the right bike because it's not just rode bikes you've got triathlon bikes, cross bikes, things like that. In there also we have coaches tips. One is from Angela and one is from Maria Simone of no limits, endurance coaching. We've got health tips in there. We've got nutrition tips in there as well. And so to answer the second question, which was my favorite article, that's like picking your favorite child, right? It's very difficult to do, but for me being a quasi foodie, the article written by Stevie Smith about seven posts, nutrition foods for recovery was fascinating to me and phenomenal, to help give you that reminder of what you need to do post-race or post-workout. But then we have a couple of features in there called how it all started.  and it's, again, it goes back to the representation matters in there. So we have athletes telling their stories of how they got started and they don't look like they were models clipped out of another magazine. They're your everyday Jane's participating in our endurance sports. And I just love reading those stories. Hilary - That's awesome. Any sneak peeks of Run•Tri•Bike Magazine that you'd like to share with us? Something that our listeners should keep an eye out for. Jason - Of course. I will tell you that there are two, three actual, um, components of the upcoming issue that we're excited about. Um, one is most endurance athletes don't think about going to the gym and, and doing strength training. We've got some great tips in that. About that coming up. But, um, bigger than that is how it all started feature and our club's spotlight feature are going to be circling around the same person. And her name is Melissa Stockwell. She is a war veteran who is an above-the-knee amputee who participates in triathlons. She has been to the Paralympic games twice and won a bronze medal. And part of her story is that she founded dare to try, which is a triathlon club nationally to help physically challenge disabled athletes. navigate, like we like to use that phrase, swim, bike, run triathlon. So I'm really excited about those three pieces that'll be coming out in our next issue of Run•Tri•Bike Magazine. Hilary - So as you know the listeners of this podcast are mostly CEOs who may be into a swim bike, run triathlons, and so forth. Any words of advice that you would like to share with our listeners? Just thinking about getting into the sport. Jason - I'd hate to steal from Nike, but a Phil Knight listens to your podcast, I would say, just do it. I mean, we all started somewhere, and a lot of times we were there at, into this, or we found a story that inspired us and we probably spent days, weeks, months thinking about doing it instead of just doing it, but go out there, find a club that is welcoming to beginners because again, we've all been there. You're going to show up in a cotton t-shirt and a Nike's air Jordans instead of LAN, spandex and Lycra it's okay. Just go out there. These people will support you and put their arms around you and show you the way you don't have to be perfect on day one, just go, just get out there and get active. Even if it's walking, even if it's, um, sitting on a spin bike in a gym, get active, it's as simple as that, you'll figure your way out after that. Hilary - That's awesome. Thank you for that advice. I love that. Talk to us a little bit about how people can buy Run•Tri•Bike Magazine or subscribe, or, what have you like, how does that work? Jason - Oh, I love... anytime I can talk about and market our business. I'm happy to do that. So if you go to, for all your listeners, if you go to Run•Tri•Bike Magazine, we have a store on the site that you can click and go to subscriptions to purchase a one or a two-year subscription. If you happen to be in a club and you want to get the club highlighted in our clubs spotlight feature, whether in print or online, nominate your club, we will send you a discount code for 20% off of your club members for all the subscriptions, all of our social profiles have links to the subscriptions. If you are, near a running store, a cycling shop, ask them for a copy. We have distributed about 1500 copies nationwide to endurance specialty stores. And then another way to get your hands on a copy is we are working with races all across the country to have our magazine in the swag bags that you get. So if you show up to a race and you don't have it, ask the race director for it and that'll help us with the distribution side of it all. But yeah, Run•Tri•Bike on all social media platforms, as well as www.trisportmag.com. and you'll be pointed in the right direction for getting your hands on the magazine. Hilary - Awesome. That's great. I love that. Thank you so much, Jason and Angela for being on the show. I also want to thank our sponsors, the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop international galleries, gold Benes, and The Pegalis law group. And last but not least, I want to thank you our listeners for tuning in each week. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can visit us at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Play. Have a great week, and we'll see you next time.

The sun is shining again. And everyone from outdoor enthusiasts to endurance athletes is getting outside and enjoying this wonderful weather. Curious about the latest body and hair products for endurance athletes? I am so excited about today's guest because she's with Zealios, a company whose products I absolutely love from protecting my skin from the sun. To protect my hair from the pool, the chlorine in the pool, and the salt in the open water to protecting my skin with her cream. I'm Hilary Topper. And this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today, I have the great pleasure of speaking with Stacey Kiefer, director of sales at Zealios, body and hair products for endurance athletes. The company's product offerings are designed to endure the intense physical demands that athletes experience in training and in competition. Welcome to the show, Stacey. Stacey - Thank you. I'm super excited to be here. I'm overwhelmed with joy that summer is on the way and races are starting again. And our company has just been super crazy busy with everybody waking up and being able to get outside and do activities again. So it's great to be here. Hilary - So tell us a little bit about your background because you have a really cool background. And, also, tell us about Zealios and what you guys do and the products that you offer. Stacey - Sure. So I just happened to start my career. I started as a swimmer, I was a young swimmer competitive started when I was five years old, swam through age-group swimming, high school swimming, went on to swimming college, and I decided I'm going to set myself up for a really fun life. I'm going to pick a job that really relates to something I like to do, which is swimming. And I just happened to be located very close to the Kiefer swim company and actually started working there in college and just happen to meet my future, now husband, at the time who was, or is the grandson of Adolf Kiefer, the 1936 Olympic gold medalist in the hundred backstroke in Berlin. So we became the employees and family of the Kiefer's swim company. So I spent about 16, 17 years at Kiefer. And it was great. I worked with my mother-in-law and my grandmother-in-law and my grandfather-in-law and my husband. And we had a lot of nepotism. We had lots of other family members who would intern and took in people who were married and we broke all the rules and it was great fun and we loved it. And we were always trained to come up with new products, whether it was for pool swimming, or learn to swim or open water or water safety and rescue lifeguards. It was great. Unfortunately, when my husband Robin's grandparents got into their nineties, they decided to sell the company. And so we kind of parted ways from the company and went different places. And I ended up working at Speedo for a few years which brought my family from the Midwest out to the West coast. And we ended up in the amazing, beautiful town of Bend, Oregon, which is becoming very populated because so many people want to live here, but it really is beautiful. I parted ways with Speedo but found this great company called Zealios. And it's a very small company. Right now, we have four and a half employees and we're in our sixth year. But it's amazing. I love it. Everybody at the company is very happy. We make these great relationships with triathlon teams and swim teams and running teams and cycling teams and we go out to Ironman events and sell products and we're hustlers, but we love it, and it has come to a point just this year where things have just exploded, you know, like all small companies, we were really worried about making it through COVID and we did okay. But we never expected to be as busy as we are now with things just reopening and everyone being so excited to get back to swimming and doing triathlons and cycling teams reuniting, and, finally, getting out to race. And so it's been great, but we are just running in circles trying to keep up that's for sure. So, yeah. So we're, right now, we have our sun barrier, which is an 8% zinc oxide, sunscreen that doesn't burn your eyes. You can put it above your eye line and you're still going to sweat because it doesn't clog your pores, but you don't turn pasty white, you don't get the stinging of the eyes. It'll actually stay on for a Half Ironman. We usually tell people, apply it at least once if they’re doing a fall, but it's a tough puppy. That's for sure. And the best part is it feels like a light face lotion, but it's for your whole body. So that's kind of our main body and hair product for endurance athletes that most people know us for. But Hilary you’re a big fan of our, Betwixt, which is our, silky, vegan, anti-chafing cream. And I have come to use Betwixt for like everything. It's just part of my daily lotions and potions. So some people just use it for cycling in, on their, their pad and their cycling shorts, which you can use for swimming. You can use it with your wetsuit. It's not going to hurt your wetsuit. I actually use it for razor burn. That's my newest thing, it has organic aloe in it. And so, if you're already chafed or you have some skin irritation, it'll actually help that while it's preventing more chafing. So it's like this miracle cream, you know, Hilary - It's funny that you say this Stacey, because, last year, I was getting so many burns from the water. I mean, crazy and I come home with like blotches of red under my arm or on my neck. And I went right for the, Betwixt and put it all over myself. And I didn't even realize that you could do that. I was just like, Oh, let me just try this, I think this is gonna work. And it was amazing. Stacey - Yeah, it's such a clean ingredient list too, that you can pretty much put it anywhere on your body. Like, I‘ll put it on my face. I'll put it on my neck. If I have, um, rubbing from my swimsuit or my wetsuit. And it's, it's great, you know, razor burn for women, men, whoever it is. It is seriously the miracle lotion. So, I used to think that shower products were my favorite product. I think it's now Zealios Betwixt just because I use it for everything. So then we do have our shower line, which is shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and we got rid of our lotion and brought it back because so many people were on us. Like we got on the naughty list of a lot of people because we just decided, Oh, we don't quite sell as much of it. We'll drop it. Oh, man. When we brought it back, people were buying six and eight bottles at a time and we're like, it's okay. We're going to keep it. Don't worry. This shower line is great because it's, sulfate-free, it's also safe if you color treat your hair, but it is super strong in the fact that it takes out chlorine, salt, sweat, and stink. And it, as long as you're using the shampoo, along with the conditioner, just leaves your hair silky smooth. It's my go-to anytime I swam. So I just make sure that is what I use to take out all the stink and keep my hair from getting really dry and the body wash. So I’m pretty sure we have more men who use our body wash than we do women. And I'm pretty sure they're using it head to toe. It's so funny when I go on work events and men will walk away with like 332 lawns pumps of body wash because they're just like drinking it in the shower. So if you are someone who gets really itchy or really dry after swimming, the body wash just is a true savior. It will keep you from being itchy all day long. So I swim a lot. I swim in several different pools as well as the Deschutes River. And I have to use the body wash. I can't just use bar soap. So it's great. And then our newest product that we came out with right before COVID hit and gave it a wrong name, considering the time that it was launched, just called race relief. And it just happened to come out right when all the races stopped, which was a really hard sell for a brand new product. It has really picked up momentum this year. Now that races are coming back, and it's basically a 4% menthol blend of natural herbal extracts that deliver a cooling effect. So it's a cooling gel for pre-imposed workouts and races. So it doesn't, it's not like super-strong stinky, like some of the cooling gels, so you can actually put it on and go to the office and not worry that you're going to smell really bad. But it's wonderful. So if you're someone who has a nagging, strain, when you run, like I get hamstring issues and sometimes piriformis issues, I can put it on and I will not feel my pain at all. It just cools the area and just calms it down. So I'll put it on before I go for a run and then I'll get home, do my stretching and rolling. Take a shower and then put it on again and, and then work for the rest of the day and, honestly, if you're good about putting it on. And especially when I get like, very consistent with using it, it's almost like all my pain issues go away. So again, I like to say it's like a magical gel kind of like the betwixt and magical lotion. So, yeah, so that's our lineup now and we do have two new products that will be coming out within the next couple of months and I’m not going to say what they are, but they are new products that we have been getting asked for at least the last two years. At every event I work, multiple people come up and ask for these two products. One is very small and the other is a normal size, but, definitely becoming, a product that you will need if you do some tropical traveling. So there's a little hint, but I think a lot of people will really like both new products and we're really excited to launch them because COVID set us back a little bit. And so now it's just like, all right, let's get it out there. Hilary - Yep. Yep, yep. Yep. It's exactly. It just, it definitely took us all by storm. So, hopefully, things are, you know, really, on the up and up now I'm getting excited that there's a lot of races happening, so it's, it's all good stuff. So before we move on, I just have to say that I am so appreciative of our sponsors and must take this time to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you’ve heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Pegalis Law Group, The Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, and Gold Benes LLP. So Stacey back to you, we’re talking about Zealios - a company that produces body and hair products for endurance athletes.  The products that you guys offer to athletes and non-athletes alike from sunscreen to recovery this year has been full of so much stress. What do you think making hair and body care a priority is particularly important this year. Stacey - Well, I think a lot of people spent a lot of time inside and not going to the gym and not getting outside. And you kind of stop purchasing those products when you just stay inside and you kind of forget about how important it is to keep your body healthy so that you can train and race at your top potential. It's funny you think shampoo's not gonna help me, but it does make you feel better. And having that really good feeling and mentally, you feel fresh and you feel recovered. It does a lot for your training and your racing. So I think a lot of Zealios products really help you with maintaining just a very healthy, good feeling. And honestly, some of our products are just like a special treat, like if you're a swimmer, getting to go into the shower and get that chlorine out of your hair and feel fresh and smell good. And have your hair feel, be your hair clean. It's a treat after a really hard workout. So, the other thing is, especially with sunscreen, it's a necessity. You have to wear sunscreen. I grew up in the Midwest. My family didn't even have sunscreen on hand and it's not because we couldn't, we just didn't, like it's cloudy we don't need sunscreen or it's overcast, or I'm only out in the sun for a little bit, but what we have learned, especially what I've learned working at a company that specializes in sunscreen is that it's no longer just Oh 11:00 am to 1:00 pm is when the sun is bad and that's the only time you need to wear sunscreen. It's not, it's now, it's 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and it doesn't matter where you live. If you're high elevation, it's even worse. If you're swimming a lot, it's worse. If you're out riding your bike and you're on the blacktop, it's reflecting up and you're getting a double whammy of the UV rays. So I think most people are coming to the reality that you truly have to wear sunscreen. And it doesn't matter if you're out on the slopes skiing or you're swimming or running or whatever, you need to wear it. And we have a lot of dermatologists who help us and they have said, even if you think you're going to spend the day inside, you should still put sunscreen on because you walk to your car to drive somewhere and then the sun shines through the window of your car. And then you go get your mail and Oh, you decide to mess around in your garden and fix your flowers. And before you know it, you're outside for an hour or you take your dog for a walk, and then you stop and talk to the neighbor and people don't realize how much exposure they actually have to the sun. So, it's becoming imperative that you use sunscreen like you would a body lotion, you get ready in the morning and you put your sunscreen on because you are going to have sun exposure. Hilary - So yeah, I need to be more diligent, I think, with the sunscreen too. And I totally agree with you. Stacey - Yeah. And, honestly, one out of five Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer. So if you wear sunscreen, whether it's Zealios or anything, you have the ability to cut down your skin damage by 24%, which is amazing. Americans can actually control how likely they are to get skin cancer just by being very preventative, wearing clothing that covers your skin, wearing sunscreen on any skin that's exposed, wear a hat, put a light long sleeve on whatever it takes to black out the sun. It's just, it's crazy. Like I never knew any of this when I was little and I would sit outside with tanning oil on and I would, for three months out of the year, the sunniest months, I would put tanning oil on and I was so dark. And I can't even imagine I look at pictures from that and I'm like, How many years did I take off of my skin and the health of my skin from doing that. So it's. It's pretty crazy. Hilary - Back to your shampoo, I just want to say that I think the first time I used it was several years ago, I remember trying it out and I was in the shower at the aquatic center. And I was thinking, um, I feel like I'm in the Caribbean, the smell was just amazing. Like it's just like that tropical type of fragrance that you smell when you're there and I'm just, I'm in this disgusting shower, but yet I was so happy. Stacey - It’s so funny when I use it at the gym, people could smell it. It's a light citrus scent. And each one, the shampoo, the conditioner in the body wash is just a little different, but they all work really well together. And both men and women like it because it's not overpowering, but people are always like, what is that that you're using? Oh, it’s Zealios! And it’s so funny. Hilary - Zealios sponsors teams. We are triathletes. I mean, well, we just changed the name to, we are endurance. So you are a sponsor of, we are endurance. Can you tell us about that? And you know, just so that other teams may be interested in jumping on board? Stacey - Absolutely. So we've really changed our business. When I was hired, my job was to get Zealios into retail stores. And what we realized is that retail stores can sell the products. They just have it on the shelf and they sell it. But teams and team members are really the people who are using our products and very interested in promoting them. So Zealios changed our focus as a company and decided we're going to be as good as we could for teams. And so my job, essentially, became just working with teams. And so what we do is we offer an ongoing discount. It's 25% that we give teams all year. So, anytime, a member of a team that works with us wants to order, they get a discount. And, then, we run a couple of big, really good discounts throughout the year for the teams that we work with. And we do little incentives with them to really promote it out to their members. And we don't ask for much. Our big thing is, Hey, take us on social media, like show that your members are using the product and promote it a little bit. And that's it. And we're here when teams are having like little parties or challenges or their own little races, we can provide products for prizes and we can provide samples of our products. So we want to be there for athletes and teams and we want to make it really easy. And so, pretty much, my job is just to take care of teams and make sure everybody has what they need and you have your discount. And if you're having any issues, you can just contact me and I'll take care of it. And it's great, it's worked so well. We're working with close to 400 teams now, it's crazy. It’s great little teams, big teams, any sport, any sport at all. We're starting to work with adventure teams who are out climbing mountains and doing crazy things. And so if you are on a team and you are familiar with Zealios products, or even if you're not, feel free to reach out to me, and I certainly will set you up with our information and we can get you set up as a team. Hilary - Awesome. So finally, how can people get in touch with you and learn more about Zealios and purchase the products? Stacey - So, you can either contact Zealios at info@teamzealios.com or Stacey, stacey@teamzealios.com or go to our website, which is www.teamzealios.com. And, on our website, there actually is a little spot that you can click and you can just fill out a little form if you're interested in working with us. And then I'll email you back right away with our team info. So, um, teamzealios.com is the best way to shop around and read about our products and see what they're all about and keep up with us. And we do lots of posting on Facebook and Instagram, and we'd love to work with all the triathletes and in any sport athlete that's out there. So even the children's teams, right. Yeah, absolutely. We have a couple of youth running teams, a few swim teams that we work with. Absolutely. Yeah. And it's, I mean, it's really. It's no work. You get the code, you get to purchase from our website with a discount and that's that, easy. Hilary - Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Stacey. This was so informative. I think the world of you and of Zealios so I appreciate you being here. I also want to thank our sponsors, The Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries. Gold Benes LLP and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners, for tuning in each week. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can visit us at www.hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Apple podcasts, Amazon Alexa, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.

Do you have a start-up that launched during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you in need of help taking your business to the next level? Should a start-up join an accelerator? What is an accelerator and how can one help your start-up succeed? I’m Hilary Topper and this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today I’m speaking with Laurie Cercone, Director of Investor Relations of the Newchip Accelerator portfolio, a subsidiary of ASTRALABS. Laurie, welcome to the show. Laurie - Thanks, Hilary. Glad to be here. Hilary - So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Laurie - I have a background that stems for many, many years, working for companies of all sizes from startups, where I helped them scale and had a successful exit to larger companies. My first company was acquired by a Fortune 50 company, so stayed on for five years and helped with simulating the company into a much larger organization. And I have a real passion for startups though. So I have mentored startups in several different accelerators before joining New chip. And I'm also an investor. I belong to one of the largest angel networks in central Texas. And so, for the past five years, I've worked on several committees including the investor committee where we screen and we help companies that want to apply for funding, kind of get through the process and I'm on the board as well. So, I really have a passion for helping companies and especially, helping them gain funding. Hilary - So that's awesome. So talk to us a little bit about Newchip and how it starts and helps startups. Laurie - Sure. So Newchip as mentioned we're an accelerator. We are industry agnostic. So we work with companies in every single industry and we're also geography agnostic. So we work with companies in the US, and also companies abroad. I'd say about 25% of our companies are now from outside the country and about 75% inside the company, but are inside the country. But we, again, work with companies of all different stages from pre-seed seed and series a. What we do is we really kind of help them. It's a six-month program and we help them scale. And we've got a network of both mentors that they are paired with a large staff that helps them from the time that they are admitted throughout the course, we have people from our success team that stay with them throughout the entire six months to make sure that they're on track. We have an investor relations team, so I'll get into that a little bit more as we go, but that is pretty much what we do. Hilary - Very cool. And why is it that accelerators, what makes them different and what makes Newchip so unique? Laurie - Yeah. So, all, accelerators are very, I mean, what makes us unique is that, well, first of all, we don't take equity in the companies and that is pretty uncommon. Most accelerators take anywhere from 5% to 10% equity. And so, for a company, equity, I think is the most precious thing you have and you can't get equity back, you could always get money back but equity is one of those things once you give it away, it's, you know, so you have to be very careful. I think that's one of the main considerations companies should have, but we are just a fee-based program and that fee is, basically, just a flat fee and we don't charge for any extra services that we provide. It covers all mentoring, all of our workshops, all of our masterminds, all of our connections to all of our investor network. So it's very inclusive and we partner with a lot of services upfront with other people in the ecosystem. So it's quite a valuable program, all on one all around. The other thing is that we don't require companies to attend in person even prior to COVID we were online and the benefit of that is companies can actually go through the six-month course, but they can go through what their own pace and for a busy CEO or busy founder tying up or having to relocate to a city or being tied up in classes all day can be pretty disruptive to your business. So really kind of having the flexibility to go through the course at your own speed. Whether those be in the evenings or on the weekend, that's a big plus. And even the mentoring. And I mentioned that we pair our companies up with mentors. Our mentors are world-class. We have over a hundred mentors in every single vertical and many of our mentors, most of our mentors have been founders and co-founders themselves. So even those mentoring sessions, which are several hours of mentoring per month, can be customized to best fit the schedules of the mentors and the companies that they're mentoring. And so it is pretty flexible and that's a big benefit. And then we really put a focus on teaching our startups, how to fundraise. A lot of the course is just about how to build the network out. We give them tools to reach investors. We teach them how to build their funnel. And then we actually make those intros to them. We have a lot of different ways to do this. Every other month we have a virtual demo week and this is a week-long online conference that our companies can attend. Usually, they attend their first one about halfway through the program and then they can attend a second one usually about the time they graduate. But that can be pretty flexible. We've had companies that have graduated and attend as well. And so then, in addition to that, and we have over a thousand investors watch the online demo days and connect and request to be connected to companies that they see present during that demo week. So it's really a great way. We do hundreds and hundreds of intros that way, but in addition to that, I mentioned we have a whole team in investor relations. And so our team works to build our network out. So every day we're reaching out to, and we're building relationships to invest with investors and those range anywhere from a VC, a corporate, a corporate fund or a family office, or an angel investor or an angel group. And we understand and we learn about the investors’ thesis. And so then we curate companies that meet those requirements, meet from an industry perspective, a vertical perspective, and even a stage perspective. So we're sending our investors. Deal full that really meets their criteria. And so that's another way that we connect your companies in the final way is we have office hours, which take place every week. And through these office hours, we are our investors’ book. These are an hour to two-hour-long sessions. And then we invite companies to that meeting. And it's a virtual meeting and the companies rotate in spend about 20 minutes with the investor to give them an overview, and really kind of get feedback and see if they're a fit and then they move on to the next step if there's interest, but we've gotten huge recession because of that. So, again, kind of wrap it up, we just offer a lot more and really kind of put a focus on our companies, getting investments and connecting them to both investors to help them get funded, but, also, strategic investors as well, which could be very critical to getting to the next stage in their growth. Hilary - So when you are a group you need entrepreneurs to apply to this or do they go through an application process and then… Laurie - Yeah, they actually do. So they come in, they apply with our admissions team and we actually, as I mentioned, they do apply. They do have an interview with our admissions team and we're really looking. We want to make sure at the minimum that there's a product-market fit. And we do this by, we have three different tracks of pre-seed tracks. So we've been at the pre-seed Trek or pre-revenue track. We really want to make sure that the company's done their homework. And they've either sold a little or they've got some, a little bit of investment already from outside of their own family. So, they've raised a little bit, or are they at least gotten not letters of intent from customers or they have established a product market fit, but we do have, like I said, three different segments that we put the companies in and the segments vary a little bit from the pre-seed all the way up to the series A and so we help each one with customized content and really customized coaching based on where they are in their process. Of course, series A companies, a lot of times, you know, they're onto raising their second round. And so there, how we help them is more on scaling and growth. And maybe, you know, some companies that we have are post series A. So, we work with some investors that are more growth-oriented and we just kind of target more what we're doing just based on where they stage is. Hilary - That's awesome. This sounds like a great, great program now. Um, You focus a lot on helping women in business, I was reading. So why are diversity and capital inclusion for women so key during this time and how does your company help? Laurie - Yeah, so we have a lot of women-led companies who are within our portfolio. We have a lot of minority companies as well. And I really think that, if a woman-led company is, is critical and is greatly important to success. I mean, women are selling to women who are purchasers, whether they're purchasers in a B2B context, or the women are purchasers in a B to C context, women can relate to them. Minorities can relate to them. So it really depends on what is critically important for companies, to be well-diversified and to really have very diversified management. Well, how we can help that process is because we work with so many investors. When a company comes into our network, we have network investors that we've worked with and when we make those introductions, the first thing is that, because our investors understand our process, they know that by the time we were making those introductions, the companies are ready. They've been through our program. Usually, we don't make introductions until we know that the company has an investment strategy, which we work with them on, they have a pitch deck, which we work with them on. Do they have all their deal documents in order? And so our investors really understand that by the time we're making these introductions, the companies are ready. They've been worked with, they've got a clear strategy. And in addition to that, because we've worked with them over a period of time, they're more receptive once we make the intro. Then if companies in general just went to them and sent them an email, a cold email. And so a lot of times we're getting many introductions to founders or leaders that may typically struggle because maybe they're not in that inner network. Maybe they don't have that connection. So we provide that connection for them. And then we also have many in our network. That really liked to and have a focus to invest in women-led companies. So a lot of times what we look for is, you know, besides the company's industry, what other criteria do they have that we can kind of hone in on? So, besides it being a SAS, B2B company, or a consumer product company where we have investors is there any other thing that would allow us to connect them. So, you know, is there a woman leader where we might have investors that are specifically looking to invest in women-led companies? Is there a social impact component because we have a lot of investors that want companies that have a social impact, is there a health and wellness, is there an environmental impact? Is it sustainable? So there's all these different things and we really kind of drill down to really kind of make the best. A fit, not only for the industry but all these other factors, which really helped women-led companies. Hilary - Hmm. So interesting. Well, before we move on, I just want to take a minute out to thank our sponsors. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Pegalis Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, The Russo Law Group and Gold Benes LLP. So back to you, Laurie, we're talking about accelerators and how they can help startups get to the next level. I'd like to talk to you a little bit about COVID-19 recession and how businesses are really struggling, how can Newchip help? And can you tell our listeners what's really going on with new funding initiatives and why that's so important? Laurie - Yeah. Definitely, this past year has been very challenging for businesses and there's been a number of programs out there to help businesses and I fully support businesses getting the help that is offered if they can apply and they can get that help, but we're accelerators and specifically, Newchip helps, which is different. Or in addition to all of that help is that we really have a whole team that really kind of helps a company take a look at their business and really determine what and how the business can expand, how they can pivot. And so, in any context and it's even more important during what we've just gone through is to really kind of look at, are you targeting the right market? Has the market changed? Is there anything that you can do differently than what you're currently doing? And we have a staff, we have workshops where our staff will take the companies through different workshops. What's really kind of interesting is our masterminds, because honor masterminds. We take the companies and we put them in groups of similar stage companies where the CEOs will actually collaborate with each other. And so, that network effect, I can tell you, in my experience, we've had one company collaborate with another company and together, the two companies kind of solve each other's problems in terms of maybe one can have a service that will help another company. This has happened more than, you know, so colaborate and actually start doing business together because they're a downstream partner. We have mentors, as I mentioned that work with the companies several hours every month and really kind of hone in expansion, should the company look to expand in other markets, which markets, maybe the company hasn't thought about expanding to another market. And that really makes sense, really kind of drilling down to different things that the company may have not thought of different products, different services. And the other thing I think is when, um, just cash is very limited. Maybe the sales have been down to really kind of critically help a company look at how they can lengthen their runway in terms of their cash that may be pulling back on some of their marketing expenditures, how to better optimize their workforce. So there's just a lot of things where if a founder is struggling, going to somewhere like new chip and accelerator, where they're surrounded by a team of people from the mentors to the network effects of the other companies. That's the staff. The content that helps them really kind of take a look at and they go through many exercises of determining, what KPIs they should be measuring really helps the company reevaluate where they are and make decisions about where they need to be to get to the next level and, and survive in these challenging times Hilary - So the PPP loan was very popular among business owners, but I heard that you guys have your own PPP. Can you talk a little bit about that? Laurie - Sure. So, our PPP are the three P’s I should say the first is to pursue capital options outside of PPP loan. So what does that mean? That means that most entrepreneurs don't really understand what a venture studio or a startup, a factory can do. Really be open to that and look to those solutions. I mean, we have many, as I mentioned before, investors in our network who will both invest strategically as a strategic partner, as well as a cash infusion. We have some debt options as investors as well. And so again, just pursue some different options outside of PPP loans. The second P is to pivot and re-engineer your entire operation. And again, as I mentioned, it's really to take a step back, to look at different ideas that we can offer both with the content and touring and all of the other companies that are going through our accelerator that we give exposure to re-engineer your operations and take it to the next level and then planning. Prudent planning is the third P and it really is to look at your burn, right. Beef up your runway. So, I think just these days, you can't be too certain what sales are going to do or how much longer things are going to be shut down. So I think you have to have a very conservative approach. Try to curtail your burn, right. Try to extend your runway. And, again, we can help accelerators and New chip can help with that. So these are the ways that we, our three P our PPP, how we can help startups. Hilary - That's great. Well, this is so informative, really. Thank you. Can you tell our listeners how they can get in touch with you and potentially become one of the entrepreneurs in your program? Laurie - Yes, definitely. They could go to our website at launch.newchip.com and learn all about us. If any would like to reach out to me, I'm not on the admin team, but I could, definitely, refer you to our admin team. I am lcercone@newchip.com, but, if you do go to our website https://launch.newchip.com/, you can get information there. You can apply there and we'd really love to meet you. We love for you to apply and join our network. It would be great and we really look forward to being able to help more companies. One of Newchip’s main objectives is to eliminate barriers. We take on 80-100+ companies a month in our program. Hilary - This was so amazing. Great interview. Thank you so much. This was really good information. And again, you guys, if you're entrepreneurs or your startups, um, and you need that extra help go to Newchip. That's launch.newchip.com or go to Laurie's email lcercone@newchip.com. Thank you again, Laurie. I really appreciate you being on the show. This was really fantastic. And I'd also like to thank our sponsors, the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in. If you'd like more information on this show or any other show, visit us at www.hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Amazon Alexa, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.

At the peak of COVID-19 and even though today, as we still battle the disease, companies across the nation have been challenged to pivot their businesses, to meet the emergency needs of the pandemic. I'm Hilary Topper and this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today, I'm speaking with Kara Cannon, chief commercial officer for Enzo Biochem Inc., a pioneer in molecular diagnostics. Kara, welcome to the show. Kara - Thank you. I'm happy to be here, Hilary. Hilary - So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background? Kara - Sure I'd love to. I'm involved in diagnostics and I'm the chief commercial officer of a Long Island company called Enzo Biochem Inc. The way that I got here is, I have a background in science. I have a biology degree from Franklin and Marshall College, and I have been working within what I would call the life sciences commercial industry for about 30 years. I've spent 10 of those years here at Enzo. And when I say I'm involved in diagnostics or that Enzo's involved in diagnostics, we do a couple of different things. We run tests for doctors. So when you need to have clinical tests done, you go to your doctor. You might have blood work drawn and you need to get work upon that blood. Those samples would come to a company like Enzo's. We have this clinical testing lab here on-site, where we run the tests and results back to the doctor who then goes through the results with the patient. And we also sell the products that are used by those same labs that are doing the testing. So that really tells you a little bit about myself and Enzo. Hilary - And now, Enzo Biochem Inc is a global company, is that correct? Kara - That's correct. We are. So we are selling our products and services across the globe. We do that through our own employees. There are 500 of us globally, and we also have a network of partners that we deal with as well. Hilary - Wow. That's huge. So now COVID-19 comes in at the beginning of 2020, and it really changed everything. How did the pandemic impact Enzo Biochem and how did you guys pivot to meet the needs and demands of today's world? Kara - Yeah. So that's a great question. And it's an understatement, right? To say that COVID-19 changed everything. For us, it was a surprise. When we heard everything that was happening, going all the way back to let's say November, December of 2019; we started to hear some things in the industry about what was happening. But, at that time, we were really focused. Again, Enzo is a diagnostic company, we were focused on making diagnostic tests, the tests that we were looking to build were in the area of what we would term women's health and also general testing. We were developing a system for testing STDs, which often uses a molecular test to look for things like, herpes, HPV, things like this. This is where we were focused. And then, when the world started to get turned upside down, we looked at what was happening and we said, well, okay, this COVID-19, this virus it's going to be picked up through a molecular test. The global scientists were already starting to speak to this. So we were able to thankfully very quickly pivot our scientists and pivot our business during COVID-19. And we said, okay, put aside all of the targets you're looking at right now, but use that concept and come up with a way that we can use that technology to start testing for COVID and, within a few weeks, we were able to get those initial tests worked up. We submitted them to the FDA. We got EUA approval, which again is a term that I feel like nobody knew 18 months ago. And now it's like on the common vernacular and we did get our EUA approval in the spring of 2020. And we've been running that test in our own lab ever since. So we've been running thousands of COVID-19 tests every day, since April using the Enzo molecular tests. So, we were really lucky that our team was able to switch their mind and get focused on this problem. And again, now I can go on and on, but there were so many challenges that I'm so thankful that our team was willing to get involved. It starts with the world literally shutting down and people sequestering in their homes. And as a fellow New Yorker, I'm sure you remember the Governor saying everybody had to stay home. And we had to talk to our staff and say we're essential workers. We need you all to come onsite. We need to get this test up and running. We need to keep our lab running. These are the ways that we're going to figure out how to get ahead of this pandemic. And again, we were so lucky because all of our staff was on board with it. Everybody was willing to come on-site every day to try to first figure out how to make the test then to get the test running on our clinical production floor. And then we started setting up pop-up collection sites in our parking lot. And have people drive up, you've seen them on the TV where, before there were the vaccine pop-ups, we had the collection pop-ups so we had some of those running essentially in our backyard and it really just became like one challenge after the next. But we were able to dive into these challenges, get people to buy-in, and then come up with a solution. Hilary - Well, congratulations to you and to Enzo and the entire staff for just being able to do that, because that must have been really, really rough. Just switching gears, getting people to come to work, there was just so many issues and you guys are real godsends to everybody in this community. So thank you for that. Let's talk about how this whole shift hurt or helped your business. I mean, do you think that you're going to be going back to where you were before the pandemic? Or where do you see this going? Kara - Yeah, so, we are already trying to shift our attention back to the projects we had started pre-pandemic. So, where we are now, what we're hoping is there some parts of COVID testing that will for, we believe will forever be part of our business. So the volumes of COVID testing might go down over time. We expect them to go down over time, but we think it's something that will always be around and will always be offering the test to say whether you have been exposed or not to the virus. But I think it's been, I hate to use the word positive because there's just so much that has been backward, but I think it pushed us and not just us. I think it just pushed the nation to think about how we've done things and if there were better ways to do them. And so, just as an example, most people, if you talked about getting some sort of a diagnostic test, you would immediately think I have to phone my doctor and I have to go to a doctor's office. And because of everything that happened over this past year, there has been more of an acceptance of things like telemedicine ordering lab tests online. Enzo has embraced some of these concepts and we hope that part will stick around because it makes patient care more accessible. It's better for healthcare if you can get to the tests you need more quickly and more conveniently. So one of the things that we had done during the pandemic was we had set up a web portal so that people could go online and request a COVID test. So again, instead of having to go into the doctor's office, they could now go on this online portal to request the test. We've partnered with a network of doctors who have viewed the test and then order the test for the patient. The patient gets an email, goes to one of our pop-up collection sites has the sample drawn, and then the results are accessible back through that web portal. So now that we have this, and if you think about it, we were interested in offering an expanded portfolio of testing for things like sexually transmitted diseases. We can use that same portal now. To offer up other kinds of testing, like for STDs or maybe for general wellness. So those sorts of things, or, at least, new ways that we've started thinking that we shouldn't forget as we come out of the pandemic. Hilary - Absolutely. That's awesome. So before we move on, I just want to say that I am so appreciative of our sponsors and must take this time to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. Now back to you, Kara. So we're talking about Enzo Biochem and how the company pivoted the business during COVID-19 and shifted its focus to address the urgent need of COVID-19 testing and the beginning of the pandemic and, today, how has this shift in the business affected Enzo biochem as a whole, besides what you told me before, and if are you planning to continue in your current space? Kara - So, yes, we are going to continue in our current space. The effects on our business have been both positive and negative if I just talk generally. I say positive and negative because, just like any other business, we've had to deal with a lot of business questions that we wouldn't have been thinking about under normal conditions, right? The one most people talk about is remote work. And again, it was even more complex for us because we had people that just had to be on-site. And then we had some people that we looked at ways to allow them to do remote working. That wasn't something that was common at Enzo, we were a small company. Sometimes it sounds big to say 500 people, but we worked pretty closely in our operations. Most people are located on-site and so to sort of move through how to change our daily business, where we had some people on-site and some people zooming in from home was one of the many challenges that we had to deal with. But again, you know, there are benefits in that we were able to use the presence we already had in our community and really drive that closer connection with people in our community to be able to offer the testing that was needed at the time. And we're hoping that, as we get back to normal business, that people will remember “Oh, if they were that useful for COVID testing, I'm going to use Enzo for my blood work, or I'm going to ask my doctor to send my samples to, and so when I need my general wellness check.” Hilary - So let's talk for a moment about these new variants of COVID. So they're just talking about them every single day, a new variant is coming out. Will we need a booster for the COVID vaccine, you know, do you think the need for accurate and effective PCR testing will continue? Kara - I do. A little bit of science before I fully answer the question is, as we've all heard now, COVID is a virus, and viruses are known to mutate. So if you think about the flu as the best comparison, every season there's a new variation of flu that's coming around. And that's why the flu vaccines are always, um, some years they're really accurate and some years they're less accurate because those mutations are being taken into consideration long before the vaccine is fully developed. And so, similarly, it's not a surprise to scientists that the COVID virus is mutating, but some of the things that we see are that the virus is not mutating that quickly. And the variants that are known right now, there's enough similarity between them that most of the tests that are available the absence or presence testing essentially to say do you carry the virus or not? They will pick up the known variants that we see today. And so I think that we're always going to have to be watching to see what happens and to see how this virus continues to mutate. But I think it's something that we'll find is more and more controllable as time goes forward because we learn more, we know more we're ahead of it. People will be vaccinated. So won’t transmit as, as quickly. So we have lots of positives that we're building on, but I think we're always going to have some form of testing and we're going to have to be mindful and diligent of the fact that the COVID-19 virus is out there. Hilary - Before the intermission, we talked a little bit about the pop-ups and how you had them all over the place. Were they specifically on Long Island or were they across the country? Kara - That's a great question. We were focused regionally. So the majority of our collection sites were in the New York area. And then we had some also in New Jersey. So we really were focused on the tri-state area. Hilary - Awesome. And finally, how could people get in touch with you to learn more about Enzo Biochem? Kara - So the best place is our website, which is www.enzo.com. I'm also happy for people to go to my LinkedIn, Kara Cannon. And, similarly, we have some social media presence for Enzo on LinkedIn, on Facebook, and on Instagram. And it's under the Enzo Biochem exchange and also under Enzo Life Sciences. Hilary - Wow. That's great. Thank you. This was really informative. I really appreciate you being on the show. I appreciate what Enzo Biochem Inc has done for our community. So again, thank you very much. And I'd also like to thank our sponsors, The Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes L L P, and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in. If you want more information on this show or any other show, visit our website at www.hilarytopperonair.com, or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Alexa, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.

Sports enthusiasts - we're always thinking about the latest and greatest gear from bikes to sneakers, to smartwatches, all designed to help increase our sports performance. But oftentimes we overlook something that's really important...I'm Hilary Topper and this is Hilary Topper on Air. Today I'm really excited to be speaking with Soj Jibowu, who is the founder and chief officer of Varlo, a company producing best-in-class garment products for triathletes, cyclists, and athletes. This sports apparel company launched during COVID-19. So Soj, welcome to the show Soj - Hilary, what's going on. Thanks for having me. Hilary - So I read about Soj in Philadelphia magazine. It's so random because I live on Long Island and I don't even know how this magazine popped in my inbox, but I read about his company, Varlo. And I was so intrigued that I reached out to him and asked him if I could interview him for this podcast. So tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. Soj - Yeah, absolutely. Um, so I, like anyone growing up, I was always into sports, being outdoors. I was born overseas, in Nigeria, moved to the States and I was fairly young and just always loved being outdoors, being active. Fortunate enough to have an athletic scholarship and track and field at Central Michigan University. And I studied biomedical science and chemistry, which does not mean that I'm a brainiac. It does not mean that I know anything. All it means is that I'm very curious about science and how things worked. And that was that but post-collegiate, I've always been intrigued in business handle a fair share of jobs as market development managers, launching products in the biopharma and medical device space. And went on to pursue some things with real estate. I love numbers, Excel spreadsheets, and always been a fan of sports. And so people that know me really well are like, it makes all the sense in the world that now this is what he's doing. And it's been great. It's been a great journey. Hilary - Let's talk a little bit about how you launched your business during COVID-19. I mean, talk about timing. So tell us how this impacted you and your business. Soj - Yeah. You know, I was talking to a good friend of mine today and we were talking about, um, just things that happen in life and she lost a family member. She lost her sister. And I was mentioning how, in life, everyone goes through these just horrible things, just very traumatic things. And I go to the common denominator for, I think almost everyone on the planet was that COVID was that thing. And it caused a lot of people to not just reset, whether it be spiritual, whether it be physical, mental, whatever space they're in. It just did cause a reset for a lot of people. And for me, I think it allowed me to kind of view things, uh, in a way that said, Hey, really, really think about this and how you would do it, but then the time it allowed me to pursue it. On the business side, I think it was kind of luck. Luck is, um, having a desire, a passion, and when the timing is right for you. So, we were fortunate enough to have pursued Varlo, sourcing out manufacturers. We work with a number of suppliers and, at the time, we were looking for some manufacturer partners to kind of do business with. And fortunately for us COVID did just that, because it really kind of opened the playing field. We were not here in 2019. We're not here in 2018. We didn't do any business then. So being this fresh new company, we just had kind of a fresh playing field is okay. Well, Hey, it's all upside from here. A lot of manufacturers were looking for that. They were looking for fresh new faces that wanted to do something unique in a time where a lot of brands and maybe our counterparts may have been retracting a little bit. So I think it made sense for us on the business side, for sure. Hilary - So let's talk a little bit about Varlo. What exactly do you sell there and how is your brand different than other athletic apparel companies out there on the market? Soj - So, we are in the space to provide, as you mentioned, just best-in-class products, garments for triathletes, multi-sport athletes, whether they are pro athletes, whether they are individuals that are in all three disciplines independently, that is swim bike or run, and also cyclists. So the cycling enthusiasts that are out there it's, it's massive. I mean, if you look at what happened in 2020, relative to 2019, there's like a 85% boom in performance bike sales globally. For us, we see this huge attraction to bring value to individuals that want to be outdoors. They want to be active. I think the thing that really sets us apart is having this multi-facet where everyone that's involved in, in the handlebar look, cause it's just not me. But, um, we all come from an athletic background. Jake, my business partner, was in the NFL, I was a D one athlete in track and field. We have a number of pro athletes with the brand that are our current ProTrack fleets. And so we have this huge flux of individuals that pour insight into the brand, making our products great, making them better. But then also I think the ethos of the brand and our mission to not just kind of have products that we can just provide for people or sell to people. I think our underlying mission is how can we make multi-sport better and attract more people to it. So how do we get more people into the sport? What do we have to do to be that hand that is guiding individuals into the sport? Because when you think of triathlon or multi-sport it can have like an intimidating factor. I don't know if you would agree with that or not. Hilary - No, it certainly does. I got into the sport when I was 53, so I already back of the packer, but you know what, it's something that I absolutely love. And I've been trying to share that, it's not always about those super athletes. Anybody could do it. I mean, want to do it, you could do it. Soj - Exactly, exactly. Right. We have a number of initiatives in line to do just that, which is to welcome people into the sport, no matter your gender, no matter your athletic level, no matter where you're at in your journey in life, whether you're young, middle-aged or no matter where you're at to bring them into the sport. One of the things for me that multi-sport … was back in like 2015 or 2016. I remember seeing the first race and being like, Oh my God, this is amazing. I got to do this. I got to do it, it's so cool. And the empowerment that not just multi-sport, but like athletics, my whole life has kind of fed into me has to be shared with as many people as possible. And one of the first initiatives that we did is, on our website, I don't know if you've been to it or not, it's called your journey your story where we have our ambassadors sharing real life stories of how they got into the sport and encoding this entry for new participants to come into the sport as well. So we really want to focus on that. Hilary - Very cool! Now, talk to me about custom apparel. Do you guys do any of that kind of stuff? Soj - Yes, we do. We definitely do. And I think our custom concierge service, I would argue it as like, one of the best in the marketplace, hands down. We provide this like kind of white-glove service with our concierge service that I believe is like, it's rare to find in the marketplace wherefrom the design element, from, initial contact with our sales reps and our sales team, working with our designers, going back and forth, making sure that everything from, you know, if you're, if you're a clubber team you're trying to rebrand yourself, you're looking for a fresh facelift of colors to use Pantone selection to really tell the story of the brand. We do that and I think beyond just that, we also find creative ways to like showcase those clubs and teams, what we call their partners, to showcase them and, kind of like put them on a stage of light as well. So, our custom apparel processes it's awesome. I would argue it is awesome. Hilary - That's great. That's great to know. Thank you for sharing that. Before we move on, I have to say that I'm so appreciative of our sponsors and must take this time to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes L L P, and the Pegalis Law Group. Now back to you Soj, we're talking about your business Varlo, an athletic apparel company. What goals have you set for the brand in the coming year? Soj - Our goals are kind of like, I would say that they not just are rooted from our initial principles, which were, stay sustainable, scale appropriately as need be, don't get too far ahead of your skis. Our goals are more so to make sure that we are tapping into customers that are looking for that extra detail. And so that's everything from being at shows, conventions that are everywhere from outreach to community groups, being published where we can, we work with a number of like sources thus far who are interested in the story of uplifting athletes towards goals of tomorrow. And so I think you're going to find us in a couple of places. Obviously, you're going to find our retail store at varlosports.com. You may hear of us through the food chain of custom apparel needs, but you can also start to look for us with a few distribution wholesale partners that you'll be seeing, if not by the end of this year, also in early to spring of 2022. Hilary - So let's talk about your location. So, you guys are located in Philly, right? On the East coast. What's been unique about this decision to base the company in that particular area? Soj - Philadelphia and the East coast in general are just been… personally to myself, I have a lot of love and appreciation to Philadelphia. I think the East coast and all, it's a very, very rich, vibrant, I would say coastal area, with diversity and just loving people, right? It's the city of brotherly love. And I think also when it comes to training and having resources for swim bike or run, we have a ton of that. And I think that it's very, very important to highlight that not just regionally I am not just domestically here in the States, but then also internationally. So, currently, we have customers in the UK, Switzerland, Honduras as well as Canada and also domestically here. And it's cool to kind of hear this buzz of like, Oh, Philadelphia, this Company of Philadelphia, kind of put it on the map. But then also it kind of leads the path for what we can do in the future to potentially have some, whether it be regional or national, events here with collaborative partners. I know we have like, Domo sports is a massive, massive race organization in New Jersey. There's a number of them that range from DC up to New York as well. And I just think there's a lot of room for collaboration right here at home, on the East coast. Hilary - Totally. And lastly, can you talk a little bit about, something that you're most excited about, like giving us a sneak peek into some new launches you're preparing... Soj - Yeah, absolutely. That's kind of in the buzz right now. April first we're going to be launching our summer collection and very, very excited for it. And it's been, it's only been like seven months. We officially launched in September of 2020. Now, we launched a couple of items and so we're really getting, we're really excited to show more color of the brand more products, bid more designed bibs, more new technology, based layers, cycling vests, a number of jerseys, and some swimwear that is coming athletic leisure stuff that's coming. It's a lot of fun. And as far as a sneak peek, you've heard it here first on Hilary Topper on air, you're getting kind of the first spills of the beans on what's coming… Hilary - That's so cool. I love it. That is so exciting. I'm sure you guys are gonna do really, really well. And I congratulate you for launching your sports apparel company during COVID-19 and persevering through it, so really amazing and kudos to you. So how can people get in touch with you and learn more about your shop? Soj - You can follow us, subscribe directly on the homepage of our website. It is varlosports.com. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, and then, if you are interested in just knowing a little bit more about me, you can follow me on Instagram at @allthingsmovement. And you can always shoot us an email. We're at info@varlosports.com. Definitely shoot us an email. If you have any inquiries or just curious to know more about what's going on behind the brand and that's all the ways to get to us. Hilary - That's so awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time out to be on the show. And I also want to thank our sponsors, The Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in. I very much appreciate you being here. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can visit us at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Apple podcasts, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.

Do you need bicycle insurance? As a triathlete or cyclist, your bicycle is one of the most prized possessions. I bought my QR two years ago. It's a bright blue bike with electronic shifters. And the first thing I thought, I need to search the internet to find a great company to cover me. That's how I found Velosurance and I know it's really hard to find a great company to insure your bike. It gives me great pleasure to have Dave Williams, co-founder of Velosurance, a multi-risk bicycle insurance policy provider on today's show. I'm Hilary Topper. And this is Hilary Topper on air. Welcome, Dave, to the show. Dave: Thanks, Hilary. Happy to be here. Hilary: So can you tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how Velosurance was born? Dave: Well, back in 2008 with a general insurance agency, we had a client who had a bike stolen out of his garage. It was a $2,000 bike, six years old. We put the insurance claim in and he walked into our office holding a $183 check that the insurance company sent him for his $2,000 bike after they depreciated the value of the bike and took away his deductible. So we decided that it had to be a better way and we looked for it. There was nothing better at that time. That's when we started researching how we could put together our own program for bicycles that took away all of the silly restrictions that home insurance puts on bicycles. Hilary: Right. A lot of people think that the bike is covered under the home insurance policy, but do you need separate bicycle insurance? Is that true or not true? Dave: There might be some coverage there, but it often takes a claim to be disappointed and find out how badly your home insurance does cover you. Um, the biggest downfall of a home insurance policy is that they depreciate the value of the bike 10%, the first year, 5% every year after that. So, if you've got a five-year-old bike and it's a $10,000 bike, they're going to give you a $5,000, then take away a $1,000 deductible, if that's all your home insurance deductible is, and give you a check for $4,000 to go out and replace your $10,000 bike. Hilary: That's crazy. So what exactly is covered under bicycle insurance? Dave: All types of accidental damage, including theft at home and away from home, as well as loss and damage in transit by airline or any other type of transport. If you're looking at a broken bike and that damage was caused by an accident, it is covered. It's covered for theft at home and away from home as well as at the event, it's covered for up to 24 hours in the transition area. Hilary: Now we had a conversation a little bit ago about how a lot of people use tri bike transport to ship out their bikes to different events. Do they need to take that extra insurance if they are insured with Velosurance? Dave: No. In fact, if you use tribike transport four times a year, you'd come very close to paying for a 12-month policy with Velosurance. So we cover the bike at all times in transit, whether it's on your car with tribike transport or with one of the airlines. Hilary: So let's talk about the prices of bikes. I mean, when does it make sense to have bike insurance? Does it make sense to have bike insurance for a $500 bike or a $1,000 bike, or does it have to be one of these, you know, really expensive types of TT bikes or road bikes that are out there? Dave: Well, there's a point where it becomes economically unfeasible to purchase bike insurance. Let's say you've got a $500 bike with a $300 deductible and you're paying $100/year to insure it. The best you can see is $100 back if that bike was lost. So, no, at that point, there has to be risk management. You have to bring risk management into it. And the risk management probably makes sense around $1,000 and up to purchase insurance. Hilary: That's what I was going to ask you because most road bikes start at $1,000. I mean, it's very difficult to get a road bike for under that. At that point, I guess it does make sense to get insurance just to cover it in case it's damaged or stolen. Now, what coverage territory is included in your policy? Dave: The basic policy covers the bike anywhere in the US or Canada. And, of course, the US includes Hawaii. It doesn't include Puerto Rico, if you want to take the bike out of the US or Canada, you would apply for worldwide coverage and that's a 10% uptick on the premium to include worldwide coverage. Hilary: That's great to know because a lot of people do travel to these iron man events that are overseas. Let's talk about different scenarios. There was one scenario where a friend of mine, she had just picked up her bike from the bike store, put it on a bike rack, and was on the parkway, she didn't put it on very well, and the bike went flying off the car. And thank God it didn't hit anybody or hit another car, but it went flying into the side and the bike was ruined. Now, is that covered by your auto insurance? Dave: No. Anything on the outside of your car is not covered by your auto insurance and most auto insurance these days don't cover anything inside of your car. Anything that's not part of the car is called a personal effect. And I don't think you can find personal effects on any auto insurance policy today. So now you go back to your homeowner’s insurance and ask them if it fell off your car. The homeowner’s insurance will tell you no it's covered by your car insurance. So, at that point, you're back at the bike shop with your visa card, looking for a new bike. If you had Velosurance, you'd call us and, seven days later, you'd get a reimbursement check, less your chosen deductible. Hilary: So let me ask you this. You buy a $10,000 TT bike. And you get Velosurance and the first year it's $10,000. I mean, do the premiums go down through the years because of the value of the bike, or does the value of the bike stay at $10,000 throughout the term of the insurance? Dave: The value of the bike remained stable. It does not change. We do not depreciate the value of the bike because of age. My bikes, I've got a 2014 bike that is a little dirty, but it's as good as it was when I bought it seven years ago. If that bike was on my homeowners, $8,000 bike they'd give me about $3,000 for it. With Velosurance with a $300 deductible, Velosurance is gonna give me 7,700 for it. If it went away entirely. Most everyone out there takes care of their bikes so that it's always in peak performance condition. Hilary: That's true. That's true. Um, all right. Well, before we move on, I want to give a shout-out to my sponsors because I really do appreciate having them and their support. Please tell them that you heard about them on Hilary topper on air. Special thanks to the Pegalis Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, The Russo Law group, and Gold Benes, L L P. Now back to you, Dave, we're talking about bike insurance, how are bike insurance claims handled? Dave: There's a bike and there's a claim tab on our website. Top right-hand corner. The short story is you take a damaged bike and get an estimate for the repair. Send us pictures of the damage. Send us the estimate subject to your chosen deductible. We’ll send you the bill. Hilary: And then how long does it take for that settlement to come in? Dave: Checks going out within a week. Today, it'll often take longer to get the estimate for the repair than it will for the check to be mailed. Hilary: So what companies financially back Velosurance policy? Dave: We partnered with Markel American insurance company. And the division that we work with is Markel’s specialty. Markel is a rated US insurance company, founded in the 1930s. It's a family-owned company. I wish I bought stock in them five years ago because they've really done well in the last five years. We had 18 companies in our agency when we had the general insurance agency and the one company that always stood out in an effort to pay a claim. A lot of companies look for ways not to pay a claim. Markel insurance was a company that always looked for a way to pay a claim and they were the company that we partnered with to produce a policy that covers bikes for just about any risk that you can take the bike into, it's covered and they continue to be a standout company and look for ways to pay claims. Hilary: So talk to us about this. Why should someone come to you versus going straight to Markel? And is there a price difference? Dave: Same policy, same premium, you can definitely go direct to Markel. When you call us, you're going to be talking to another rider, somebody who understands you and your bike and speaks the same language. Generally, it just comes down to who would you rather talk to. And because of each quote, you can call us and discuss your quote with us. We can look at the quote that you're looking at on your screen, and we can analyze it to make sure that you've qualified for every possible credit. Often we will find credits that have been missed and apply them. So our premium comes in and just significant, well, I shouldn't say significant, somewhat lower than the Markel premium. Hilary: Yeah, I've been a client now of Velosurance for about, I don't know, three, at least three years now. And what I found about you guys was that you were so easy to work with. The forms were easy to fill out. I was able to get the insurance and the certificate right away. And I know that if I had an issue, you guys would work with me and that's what I love about you guys. I just thought that you were just a great company to deal with. And it was funny because after I did the research and found you guys, my insurance guy asked me if I knew of any company because he had other people who needed bike insurance. So of course I gave your name, but, I just want to say that, just for the record, I've been working with these guys for at least three years now, and they are just an absolute pleasure to work with. So I just, I pray that I never need to use your coverage, but at least I have it. It's a peace of mind. So now, Dave, talk to us about some additional or optional coverage, like roadside assistance that Velosurance offers. Dave: Roadside assistance it's not part of the policy. It is a benefit to the policy at cost 12 bucks a year. It can be used up to five times a year, and it is a free 35 mile ride for you and the bike. If you're ever stranded out on the road and need a ride home. You find a safe place to wait, call for assistance and a company similar to AAA. We'll show up in 35 to 45 minutes, you're on your way home. Hilary: That's great. I guess they help you fix the bike or get it working or they just pick you up? Dave: No, Billy Bob drives the truck. That's what he does, he picks the bike up and drives you home. Hilary: Now one more question. Where do you cover? Could somebody from Texas or California? I mean, I'm in New York. Can anybody call you and buy insurance for their bike? Do you need to be in a specific geographical location? Dave: We're licensed in 48 States and Washington DC. We're not licensed in Hawaii, because the cost to be an insurance agent in Hawaii is prohibitive for the number of bikes that we would be insuring in that state. So there's a, I think one out of the state where there's more sheep than there are people where we don't sell. But when we have prospects who call us from those States where we're not licensed, we send them over to Markel and tell them, buy your policy there. And if you've got questions, call us back and we'll be able to answer the questions for you. Even though we can't sell you the policy, we can certainly answer questions. Hilary: So talk to me about your riding. Dave: I'm a mountain biker. My biggest concerns are trees and rocks. Hilary: Well, those are big concerns. Dave: I don't need roadside assistance because they won't go off the blacktop to come and get me. But, I spend five months of the year in Colorado. We have a licensed office in Denver and in Colorado Springs. So, when it gets miserably hot in Florida, I drive out to Colorado and spend the next five months riding out there. My business partner, who started this company with me, is a triathlete and iron man and he's also a mountain biker, but I've given up trying to keep up with him. Hilary: That's awesome. So tell us, Dave, how could people get in touch with you and learn more about Velosurance or even sign up for Velosurance? Dave: All of our contact information is on the velosurance.com site and our 800 numbers are there. That number will most likely ring on my desk if I'm the licensed agent in that state and I'm licensed in 48 States. So it tries to get me first. If it can't get me, it'll get somebody else. But it doesn't matter who you get a hold of, they're going to be able to help you and understand what you're dealing with. We like to talk to clients when they've had a claim because claims are sometimes emotional and it's time to take a breath, sit back and analyze what's going on. Nobody likes insurance claims, but, there is a procedure that we can walk our clients through that makes an insurance claim a very easy and straightforward process. Hilary: Awesome. Awesome. So that's Velosurance.com. And that is spelled Velosurance.com. Thank you so much, Dave, for being on the show. This was so informative. I learned a lot even by you being on the show. So I appreciate that. And I also want to thank our sponsors again, the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes, LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group. And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in each week. If you want more information on this show or any other show, you can visit us at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google play, Apple podcasts, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week and we'll see you next time.

In this episode of Hilary Topper on Air, meet Ron English as he discusses his new virtual exhibit, POPaganda. Known as The Godfather of Street Art, Ron is one of the most prolific and recognizable artists alive. He is credited with graffiti's transition from a sub-cultural form of popular expression, to the decorative, narrative murals seen around the world today. Amongst Ron's innovations is "culture jamming", the act of modifying or hijacking advertising billboards.  Hilary interviews Ron and the owner of Pop International Galleries, Jeff Jaffe, about the virtual exhibit, POPaganda, running now through October 15, 2020. Ron coined the term POPaganda to describe his signature mash-up of high and low cultural touchstones, from superhero mythology to totems of art history, populated with his vast and constantly growing arsenal of original characters.  Pop International Galleries is thrilled to premiere Ron English with brand new original works on paper and select limited editions. The Ron English POPaganda on Paper exhibition will be available online in Pop International’s POP SHOP. During these tenuous times, hear from English as he has continued to inspire and create thought-provoking works while overcoming his own personal bout with COVID-19. Delusionville – Ron’s picturesque utopia, somewhere down a rabbit hole – the town’s motto is “If you believe, it doesn’t have to be true” has never been more of a reality than now! America’s Premier Pop Iconoclast reminds us to take a break while embracing life with a sense of humor and a voice to connect us all. For more information on Ron English, Pop International Galleries, and the virtual exhibit, POPaganda, visit www.popinternational.com or POP in and say hello at Pop International Galleries located at 195 Bowery (at Spring Street) in New York City. The gallery is physically open, albeit with strict adherence to government-mandated guidelines. Watch it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPx7fhlf-uE&t=2s.

In today's episode of Hilary Topper on Air, Hilary talks about past seasons and in particular, Season 11. She also tells stories about her recent trip to Florida during the pandemic. Florida currently has more than 15,000 new cases a day, more than any other state in our nation. Hilary was there during the height of the pandemic. She talks about flying, driving from Orlando to West Palm Beach, and about her experiences with people in Florida. In addition to that, she talks about flying and how it felt. She discusses how she came back, quarantined, and then took the COVID-19 test. Find out what happened during that time and her realization. Further, Hilary discusses why we need to be grateful. She thanks our sponsors, The Russo Law Group, Fortunoff Fine Jewelry, The Donna Drake Show, The Profit Express with Tim Healy, and Pop International Galleries. Listen in to get insight into the new season and her thoughts about what's going on in the US today.

No one should go hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic. With school closures, job disruptions, and health risks, millions of Americans are turning to food banks for much-needed support. They can't do it alone and you can help. About the Interview In this episode of Hilary Topper On Air, Hilary interviews Jeff Jaffe, Founder and Owner of Pop International Galleries, an exciting art gallery on The Bowery at the junction of Spring Street in New York City. Jeff will discuss Collect For Cause – a very special online GROUP CHARITY EXHIBITION that will support and protect those that may go hungry by donating 20% of all sales to FEEDING AMERICA. Participating artists for the “Collect For Cause” exhibition include: Al Diaz Antonio Reonegro Boudro Claw Money Craig Alan Dom Pattinson Fernando “SKI” Romero Gillie & Marc Jenna Morello Mike “2ESAE” Baca Remi Rough Robert Mars Ron English Sean Sullivan SEN2 Solus Jeff will also speak about how Pop has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in NYC. Hear why the gallery is hosting this online charity event and how the pandemic has altered how the gallery is supporting its community and its artists. About Jeff Jaffe Jeff came to the USA in the early 80's after leaving South Africa during the apartheid years. He earned an MFA in sculpture from the Cranbrook Art Academy near Detroit, and eventually set up a studio and settled in New York City, where he has lived and worked in the visual arts ever since. Straddling the art world, both as a gallerist and as an artist, Jeff believes he has developed a keen understanding of what collectors really want and need. Over the years, Jaffe remains struck by a few things that are constant at POP. Through the relationships the gallery forges and the reputation POP continues to build, the collections the gallery helps grow, tend to remain with people for many years...sometimes even generations. He truly believes that what Pop does, adds value and substance to their lives in both subtle and profound ways, and consequently, he remains convinced that as families grow, so should their art collections! As POP is now into its third decade of operation, Jeff Jaffe is humbled and deeply grateful for the unwavering loyalty and continued support of Pop International Galleries collectors and friends the world over. About Pop International Galleries As a New York City gallery, Pop International Galleries recognizes that the heart of our city thrives on its creative community. New York is home to some of the greatest artists, art collectives, museums and galleries in the world; but none of this could exist without all of the unstoppable, generous and resilient people who make up our incredible city. We may be currently socially distant, but make no mistake, we are ONE CITY! To quote the curators: “POP may be a small business, but we always aim to make a big impact. Please spread the word to support the arts and to make a difference for those who so desperately need our help!” Founded in 1997 by Jeff Jaffe, Pop International Galleries - aka "The Pop Gallery" - is an exciting art gallery on The Bowery at the junction of Spring Street in New York City. Pop International specializes in Pop Art, Urban Art and art and photography that is derived from, or influenced by, popular culture. To contact Jeff or learn more about Connect For Cause and Pop International Galleries, visit www.popinternational.com.

New York City is a treasure trove of street art. From professional murals to graffiti, there is something for everyone to enjoy. When you talk about street art in NY, the notorious Tats Cru most certainly comes to mind! In this episode of Hilary Topper On Air, Hilary interviews Jeff Jaffe, Owner and Founder of Pop International Galleries and renown pop artist, Fernando Romero as they discuss, "Here and Now …a TATS CRU Retrospective." About Jeff Jeff came to the USA in the early '80s after leaving South Africa during the apartheid years. He then earned an MFA in sculpture from the Cranbrook Art Academy near Detroit. Jeff eventually set up a studio and settled in New York City where he has lived and worked in the visual arts ever since. Straddling the art world, both as a gallerist and as an artist, Jeff has a keen understanding of what collectors really want and need. Through the relationships Pop forges and the reputation it continues to build, the collections they help grow tend to remain with people for many years...sometimes even generations. What they do adds value and substance to their lives in both subtle and profound ways. And consequently, he is convinced that as families grow, so should their art collections! About Fernando "Ski" Fernando Romero was born and raised in New York. He started his career as an artist after attending the Parsons School of Design and by selling art in SoHo, NYC for almost six years. For the past eight years, he’s been represented by Pop International Galleries, where he has found a place to call home, and where he has had much success with his own artwork. About the Interview Jeff and Fernando will discuss the latest gallery exhibit at Pop, “Here and Now …a TATS CRU Retrospective.” This is not your average art show! This is a very special event that pays homage to the longest-running “Graffiti Crew” from The Bronx. HERE AND NOW will have on display a comprehensive collection of Tats Cru artworks curated by Fernando "SKI" Romero. The exhibit tells the story of these artists’ astonishing and compelling journey. Learn about this one-of-a-kind exhibit, its importance, and more about Pop International Galleries and Fernando Romero’s relationship. About Pop International Galleries Pop International Galleries strives to de-mystify the art buying experience. They aim to facilitate a uniquely fun art buying "event". They bring world-class artists, in an ethically managed, easygoing and accessible environment, to collectors from around the globe. To contact Jeff or learn more about Pop International Galleries, visit www.popinternational.com.

Are you a fan of pop art? Do you love Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Banksy? Want to start your pop art collection, but not sure where to begin? In this episode of Hilary Topper On Air, Hilary interviews Jeff Jaffe, Owner, and Founder of Pop International Galleries. Jeff’s Background Jeff came to the USA in the early ’80s after leaving South Africa during the apartheid years. He then earned an MFA in sculpture from the Cranbrook Art Academy near Detroit, and eventually set up a studio and settled in New York City where he has lived and worked in the visual arts ever since. Straddling the art world, both as a gallerist and as an artist, Jeff has a keen understanding of what collectors want and need. Through the relationships Pop forges and the reputation it continues to build, the collections they help grow to tend to remain with people for many years…sometimes even generations. What they do adds value and substance to their lives in both subtle and profound ways, and consequently, he is convinced that as families grow, so should their art collections! About the Interview Hear from Jeff on how Pop International fills a much-needed niche in New York, as it is the only street-level gallery with this unique, fun, and important focus. Discover the diversity and depth of Pop’s inventory and why it makes it an excellent springboard for younger people to begin collecting. Learn how Pop serves as a dynamic source for more seasoned and experienced collectors. Jeff will discuss collecting – fears and tears. How to buy what you love, but only if you can afford it. When not to buy for investment, especially if you are starting. Learn how to develop a relationship with a reputable art gallery/dealer to build a collection. And, discover how Pop is continually finding new artists to represent and listen as Jeff explains the next art movement. About Pop International Galleries Pop International Galleries strives to de-mystify the art buying experience. They aim to facilitate a uniquely fun art buying “event” that brings world-class artists, in an ethically managed, relaxed and accessible environment, to collectors from around the globe. To contact Jeff or learn more about Pop International Galleries, visit www.popinternational.com.

We’re hearing a lot about immigrants these days and Jeff Jaffe is certainly someone who came to the U.S. in search of a better life. Jeff grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era and was no stranger to the social injustice happening all around him. At that time, all male high school graduates were enlisted into the military to fight against the “communist threat.”  At age 20, he left South Africa after his military service ended with only $100 in his pocket. Fast forward to 1997 when he opened Pop International Galleries on the Bowery in New York City. He remembers selling his first major painting, a Keith Haring, for $150,000. Today that painting would easily get $5 or $6 million.  Jeff earned an MFA in sculpture from the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art near Detroit He has a unique point of view as an artist and a gallery owner. To this day, he has never signed formal written agreements with the artists he represents – everything is done with a handshake.  Jeff talks with Woman Around Town’s Editor Charlene Giannetti about his journey from South Africa to New York and Pop International Galleries.

  Part two of our conversation with Jeff Jaffe the owner of Pop International Galleries in SoHo… scratch that. Jeff since our last episode, after almost 20 years has moved […] The post 2 – Jeff Jaffe (part II) – How to sell art by going to bed with your collectors. appeared first on ART DEALER SHOW - podcast.

Jeff Jaffe owner of Pop International Galleries speaks with Danny Stern about fleeing the apartheid as young man in South Africa, and the journey that set him on before launching […] The post 1 – Art Dealer Show – Jeff Jaffe appeared first on ART DEALER SHOW - podcast.