biz. magazine february 2014

February 2014

DELIVERED TO BUSINESS LEADERS THROUGHOUT SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER

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LUNCH?Page 26

Why Use Gmail?BIZ. Tools App of the Month

Dave Says on BusinessTaking Care of Our Own

Bossier ChamberBusiness Personof the Year& Businessof the Year

The WorldAccordingto Moonbot

Business

Plus... Creative Placemaking 101

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The First Word

Ihave a dock in my office for my iPad andiPhone. Most of the time it is quietly chargingmy “must-have” devices. However, one morn-ing I decided to listen to some music. So Ilaunched the Pandora app, chose “JourneyRadio” and turned up the volume just a little.

My office is located in the center of the building,so every sound I make is often heard by many. Iknew people would hear my choice in music. Ipushed play on Pandora and Steve Perry crooned“Send her my love.” That’s when it happened.

“I know that song!” exclaimed one of my teammembers.

“Can’t go wrong with Journey,” said another.

The next several hours contained moments of people coming by my office doing everythingfrom playing air guitar and drums to lip syncing with the songs Pandora chose. Our newestteam member at the time (here less than 90 days) kept peering into my office, with an almostshocked look on her face. As I would look up, she would smile. “Yes, I am a human,” I thought.

People throughout the office smiled as they went about their duties, all making a trip down theoffice by my doorway. I even felt more productive. I was able to work ahead, and even write thiscolumn. The impromptu experiment help prove the power of not only music, but culture.

Simply put — people who are having fun are more productive. And fun is contagious. While wecannot “blast the music” all day everyday, we can be intentional about creating a culture thatnot only accepts fun, but encourages and fosters it.

This issue of BIZ. focuses on the subject of “Business Culture.” This is an often-overlooked as-pect of the workplace. We think if we hire the “best and brightest” and stick them in a room to-gether, we will win. That is flawed thinking.

The culture of the business, the leadership, the team andthe facility all play a significant role in the success or fail-ure of that business.

Once a company identifies its core values and mission,then its culture should be a natural extension of that.Every effort should be made to assemble the right team,create the right environment, and to foster the culture.

Can you imagine the impact the right culture can have onyour business? Look to the following stories and columnsto learn more.

So, let the music play.

Music to My Ears‘Pandora’ experiment proves the impact ofculture on workplace, team members

David Specht Jr.President of Specht Newspapers, Inc.

Read his blog about leadership atwww.DavidASpecht.com

He may be reached via email [email protected].

February 2014 • Biz. Magazine 3


Contents

Volume 4, Number 9 | ©Copyright 2014 by Specht Newspapers, Inc. All rights reserved. BIZ. is published each month by Specht Newspapers, Inc.at 4250 Viking Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111. Telephone (318) 747-7900. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to bereliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed.

20Good As Gold“Golden Ticket” Promotion Targets Meeting Planners

12Creative Placemaking 101Nationwide trend shows migrationback to urban core

8BIZ ToolsWe share practical tools to help you and yourbusiness succeed.

3 Music to My Ears‘Pandora’ experiment proves the impact of culture on workplace, team members

5 Service...It’s the easy little things that make all the difference to customers/clients

6 The BusWho is driving the bus affects whetheror not you reach your destination.

11 Making ConnectionsGenerational differences, technology preferences are all an integral part of any company’s culture

13 It Shouldn’t Be a SecretSix things your employees won’ttell you about office culture

24 Dave On Small BusinessTaking care of our own

Regulars

On the CoverIn today’s business world, culture is king.Take a look at how one Shreveport-Bossierbusiness is embracing a different kind ofcompany culture.

BIZ. News OnlineThe BIZ. website at www.bizmagsb.com is Shreveport-Bossier’s homefor business news, updated as it happens. In addition, users can signup for a free BIZ. Daily Report to keep up with BIZ. news from the com-fort of their Inbox.

Want to advertise? http://bizmagsb.com/adrates/

4 Biz. Magazine • February 2014 February 2014 • Biz. Magazine 5

Win-Win Powertools

It’s easy to see how businesses are losing business every day because they don’t trainand coach their staff on the little things that can make up GREAT SERVICE. Here’s oneof my recent experiences: A national business supply store advertised a “super value”on sticky-notes. I understood the store’s goal. They hoped to get me in the store on alow price and then hoped I would use the convenience of being there to buy lots ofother office supplies. Good idea because I was planning to look around. It didn’t ex-

actly work out that way.

I found a sticky-notes display but couldn’t locate the aforementioned super value. Isearched for and found a service employee. With an indifferent look, she reported “I thinkwe are sold out.” The salesperson pointed to where she thought the display should beand added “If there are any left, they’ll be over there”. Since she answered my questionand pointed the way, she then walked away.

I made my way across the store. “Hurray” I muttered to myself, as I found the money sav-ing “sticky-notes”.

What next?

As I checked out with my big purchase, the cashier took my two stacks of “sticky-notes”and rang up the purchase. She then (believe it or not) asked if I needed any ink, paper OR“Sticky-Notes”. I don’t remember what I said.

While we chuckle, we need to use my experience of little service things and quickly re-check our service plan. You do have a service plan, don’t you?

Let’s check everywhere and everything from thefront door to the phone. Let’s have a meeting withthe entire staff and examine all the important ac-tions.

Do we all thank customers for buying or reordering?Do we smile? How about thanking them for justchoosing our store? Do we ask our customers ifthere is any other way we can serve them? Are we“tour guides” instead of “travel agents”? Do we allunderstand the “life-time” value of every customeror client? Are we planning, preparing and practicingSERVICE steps of every size and shape, ESPECIALLYTHE LITTLE ONES?

Good Selling!JerryJerry Frentress

Speaker & Coach, Win-Win Power(ful)Tools for Sales, Service and EmployeeInterviewing. Website: www.WinWin-PowerTools.com.

Business Facebook:www.Facebook.com/WinWinPower-Tools . 453-6080 / Bossier City

Tools You Can Use

When it comes to winning in Business, ithelps to have the right “tools” for the job.

Service...It’s the easy little things that make allthe difference to customers/clients

In recent years, modern management hasused transportation terminology as amethod of describing how a team (a salesteam, for example) needs to all be travelingon a common shared vehicle (the bus)...allheaded in the same direction at the same

time.

We have all heard the phrase "Get on the Bus."As a sales manger, getting your sales team onthe bus and in turn, finding out who is on yourbus can tell you instantly and easily who wantsto be an integral part of both your sales teamand your company mission.

As a sales manager, you have to know both whois on the bus and who is not! This is a must! Es-sentially, if you have a sales team member whois consistently missing the bus, you should takea strong look at whether or not this individual isa fit for your sales team.

You must make yourself realize that your salesteam is never going to reach the next destina-tion on your established departmental goals(bus route) as long as all team members are noton the bus.

For sales managers with tenured experience, thisis a process that we have all been through sev-

eral times. And unfortunately, for some, this is arepetitive and seemingly never ending process.

Though the established line of thinking de-scribed above is at the basic ground level of theessential elements necessary to move your teamforward, there is also a key element in the next phase of the process that is mostoften overlooked.

In short, as both a sales manager and leader foryour department/team, you must ask yourself,who is driving your bus? Is it you, is it one ofyour sales team members, is it someone elsefrom within your company (but outside of yourdepartment), or is it an outside force not perti-nent to either you, your sales team or your com-pany?

In short, are you the driver of your bus or just apassenger? Put another way, are you the ham-mer or the nail? Which one would you rather be?As a manager, sales manager or the leader ofyour team, the answer is obvious, right? Ithought so.


Randy BrownAdvertising/Marketing Guru

He is the Advertising Director forBossier Newspaper Publishing Com-pany, Inc., publishers of the BossierPress-Tribune and BIZ. Magazine

Randy may be reached [email protected]

Marketing B-S (Bossier-Shreveport)

The BusWho is driving the bus affects whetheror not you reach your destination


Biz ToolsDo Something

The speed of business is ever increasing. The successful business leaderstays on top of the tools and information to help his company grow.

Books

Company Culture, Marketing & More

Four Books You Should Be Reading

App of the MonthGmail by Google is not new. However, its recent revamp has made it an almost indispensible alternative tothe pre-loaded mail program on any PC or Mac.

While browser-based for the desktop, Gmail sports impresive apps for the iOS and Android operating sys-tems. Its spam filtering is hard to beat, along with full integration with other Google apps such as GoogleCalendar and Google Docs.

BIZ. Magazine publisher David Specht recently reviewed Gmail on his blog. you can read it here:http://www.davidaspecht.com/2014/01/20/why-i-switched-from-apple-mail-to-gmail/

Delivering HappinessTony Hsieh

After debuting as the highest-ranking newcomer inFortune magazine's annual "Best Companies to WorkFor" list in 2009, Zappos was acquired by Amazon in adeal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing.

In DELIVERING HAPPINESS, Zappos CEO Tony Hsiehshares the different lessons he has learned in busi-ness and life, from starting a worm farm to running apizza business, through LinkExchange, Zappos, andmore. Fast-paced and down-to-earth, DELIVERINGHAPPINESS shows how a very different kind of corpo-rate culture is a powerful model for achieving suc-cess-and how by concentrating on the happiness ofthose around you, you can dramatically increaseyour own.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook!Gary Vaynerchuck

New York Times bestselling author and social mediaexpert Gary Vaynerchuk shares hard-won advice onhow to connect with customers and beat the compe-tition. A mash-up of the best elements of Crush It!and The Thank You Economy with a fresh spin, Jab,Jab, Jab, Right Hook is a blueprint to social mediamarketing strategies that really works.

StartJon Acuff

Wall Street Journal best-selling author Jon Acuff re-veals the steps to getting unstuck and back onto thepath of being awesome. Over the last 100 years, theroad to success for most everyone has been dividedinto predictable stages. But three things havechanged the path to success:Boomers are realizing that a lot of the things theywere promised aren’t going to materialize, and theyhave started second and third careers.Technology has given access to an unprecedentednumber of people who are building online empiresand changing their lives in ways that would havebeen impossible years ago.

Getting Things DoneDavid Allen

In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't work.In Getting Things Done, veteran coach and manage-ment consultant David Allen shares the breakthroughmethods for stress-free performance that he has in-troduced to tens of thousands of people across thecountry. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity isdirectly proportional to our ability to relax. Only whenour minds are clear and our thoughts are organizedcan we achieve effective productivity and unleashour creative potential.


Books Listen Up

More Tools

Podcast of the MonthOnline Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield

Amy Porterfield is a social media strategist and co-authorof Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies. She helpsentrepreneurs across industries establish strategies tomaximize the power of social media and increase the suc-cess of their online marketing efforts.

The podcast may be found at www.amyporterfield.com, oron iTunes and other podcast sources.

On the BIZ. Tools Podcast

This Month:Office Culture

Last MonthWhat is Marketing?

Social Media Marketing with Amy Kinnaird

Listen to the BIZ. Tools Podcast at:bizmagsb.com/category/podcasts

#WorthFollowing

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We all want employees who come towork every day, happy to be part ofthe team. It’s your job to cultivatean atmosphere that’s positive andopen. And by being loyal to youremployees, you create employees

that are loyal to you.

You probably have multiple generations ofworkers who think about work and success incompletely different terms.

Whether your office is filled with Matures,Boomers, Gen X’ers, Millennials, or most likely acombination of all, you need to know the basicdifferences of each generation. This helps tofoster an office culture where each person feelsvalued and enjoys coming to work.

For example, some like to work in teams, someindividually. Some want clear directions, somewant to know the end result and get there on

their own. How often do they want feedback,and do they want to hear the good, the bad, orboth? What about rewards? Boomers may pre-fer money or recognition awards, while GenX’ers prefer time off. And do you know if youremployees “live to work” or “work to live?” Aquick Google search on “generational differ-ences” will bring up some basic ideas to helpyou. You might even want to schedule some in-ternal training so that everyone can better un-derstand each other, thereby fostering a morepositive atmosphere.

Let’s not forget the role that technology plays inyour office. Keeping up with the latest comput-ers, laptops, tablets and smart phones goes along way toward employee happiness and pro-ductivity.

Are you still having face-to-face meetings or doyou FaceTime or Skype? Everyone has commu-nication preferences, and you might find that

some employees want you to text them, whileothers would prefer an email.

Social media can be a great tool to use inter-nally (consider a private Facebook group foryour employees). Facebook, Twitter andLinkedIn are also easy ways for your customersto connect with you. Thus, they’ll be a lot hap-pier. And if you have happy customers, you’llhave happier workers.

Finally, people in an office need to know eachother on a personal level. Take time during eachmeeting to let your staff share something goingon in their lives. I call this a “Wow!” Share ineach other’s happiness or support them whenthey need it. Take the time to better understandeach person and help them get what they wantout of their work experience.


Uncommon Sense Marketing

Amy KinnairdSocial Media Evangelist

Amy is a corporate trainer andspeaker on primarily marketing top-ics, but most people locally know heras the Social Media Evangelist. Overthe past 6 years she has spoken todozens of groups, and taught hun-dreds of people how to use SocialMedia for marketing their businesses.She has 35 years experience in mar-keting, and has trained people oncomputers and software forever. She’sat the intersection of Tech and Speak.

Making ConnectionsGenerational differences, technology preferencesare all an integral part of any company’s culture


Business news youcan’t wait to read.Business news is happening all the timein Shreveport-Bossier. And nothing keepsyou in the loop better than the BIZ. Daily Report. Get the latest by email each day.

Sign up for FREE at bizmagsb.com/report.

Downtown Development

Liz SwaineDowntown DevelopmentAuthority Executive Director

To have a workplace culture, you have tofirst have a workplace…and it’s all thebetter when it’s a place people want tobe. Downtowns around the country havebeen fighting with varying degrees ofsuccess to find their way in the age of

malls, exurbs, urban sprawl and de-centraliza-tion, but the pendulum is swinging and the cul-ture of mall and sprawl so popular in the 1970sthrough the 90s is changing again.

The trend nationwide is a return to the urbancore. The center city is once again the place tobe---to shop, to eat, to play and to live. It’s alifestyle change that is attaining the status ofmega-trend as young singles, double-income-no-kids and retirees who no longer need the 3,000square foot house (and high maintenance lawn)make the move to an urban loft or apartment.

One of the ways downtowns are becoming at-

tractive again is by partnering with the arts tojumpstart something called Creative Placemak-ing. By strategically shaping the physical and so-cial character of a neighborhood around arts andcultural activities, cities can create areas thatpeople want to come live, work, play. Such hasbeen the goal of the West Edge in downtownShreveport, several blocks near First UnitedMethodist Church.

The West Edge has seen the rise of the Tipitina’sMusic Co-op, Robinson Film Center, artspace andsoon, the Rainforest Art Foundation. There hasbeen a flurry of building rehabilitation and newbusinesses in the six and seven hundred blocksof Texas with residential and more retail on thenear horizon.

Shreveport Common, an adjacent 9-block art andculture district, has been touted by the Massa-chusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as one of

13 ‘standout’ communities creating positive,transformative change.

The recently-released MIT Places in the Makingreport said the Shreveport Common revitaliza-tion process has ‘laid the foundation to becomeone of the leading examples of creative place-making in the country.

Creative placemaking goes hand-in-hand withanother reality. Unlike their parents, young peo-ple--- the so-called Millennials--- aren’t movingstrictly for jobs, they’re moving to places theywant to be and they’re creating jobs once there.As downtown works to reposition itself as aplace where those young people want to be, artand creative placemaking will play key roles.

Learn more about downtown Shreveport atwww.downwtownshreveport.com

Creative Placemaking 101Nationwide trend shows migration back to urban core

Anyone who’s had a job they loved, or hated, can understand the effect company cul-

ture has on performance. Dale Carnegie Training polled workers on employee engage-

ment in 2012, and found “three key drivers [to happiness on the job]: relationship

with immediate supervisor, belief in senior leadership, pride in working for the com-

pany.” So, to help culture your company culture, I’m offering advice from an em-

ployee’s perspective; things I wish I could have said to a few of my supervisors over

the years… without getting fired.

What am I doing here?Make sure I know the mission statement and the vision of the company. I won’t model the com-

pany’s values if I don’t know what they are. I won’t prioritize my assignments efficiently if I

don’t know which are most important to the organization.

Be specific.Did I do something wrong? Please, tell me. But also tell me what I should be doing instead. Did

I do something right? Please, say thank you.

Be fair.Hold employees accountable for a job done poorly. One employee’s sloppy work never affects

only that person. Don’t play favorites; it bums me out. And if I’m not a good fit for the company

anymore, get rid of me! Don’t compound the misery of my job until I quit.

Listen.If my unsolicited feedback seems thoughtful, don’t dismiss it. Help me figure out how to take

action, and let my co-workers know I have your blessing, so I don’t seem like the workplace vig-

ilante.

Respect my boundaries.If I’m coming in early, working hard, and staying late, don’t assume I’m available anytime. If you

call me when I’m at home, at a doctor’s appointment, on vacation, and it’s not an emergency, I’ll

question why I work so hard at the office if it doesn’t last when I’m gone. A healthy company

culture doesn’t revolve around one, or even a few, strong

workers. If pressing issues are going to come up around

the clock, staff accordingly.

Example is the only way to lead.I may learn from the things you say, but I’ll learn more from

the way you act. And the only time I’m not watching is

when you’re not in the office.

Coming soon! Join the Business Development Connection in celebrating

the achievements of our nominees and recipients at the

2014 Minority Business Opportunity Awards Gala, hosted

by the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Business

Development Connection. April 2014. Sponsorship oppor-

tunities available; call (318) 677-2500.


Business Development

Jill MacchiavernaJill is Publicity Chair, Business Devel-opment Connection for the GreaterShreveport Chamber of Commerce.

It Shouldn’tBe a SecretSix things your employees won’ttell you about office culture



Cover Story

The world of Shreveport’s Moonbot Studioshas an air of mystery about it. The imagi-nation runs away with what goes on in thehigh tech offices. Depending on who youask, it ranges from a north LouisianaGoogle to the thought behind labeling

dark spots on old maps “Here be monsters.” Theinsides of the entertainment media productionstudio are definitely unusual. However, thestrange thing is not the studio, itself, or its everyday is casual Friday dress code.

No, the weird thing is that its culture of open-ness is highly successful.

Its roughly 50 staff members, composed ofsome of the best and brightest computer artistsand generators from all over the country, will havepop-up meetings anywhere and everywhere. Theychange and rotate like social butterflies through-out their colorful spaces filled with handcraftedfurniture and personalized “pods” (specially de-signed open cubicles).

“With people moving to different stations allthe time, we’re constantly changing. People areout in the open, we have very few offices. Havingthat open office culture has helped them feel likethey can voice their opinion and be a part of theculture,” said Liz Maw-Naing, HR and recruiting forMoonbot Studios.

“We are always trying something different with

the space as an experiment to see how peoplework the best,” said Sara Hebert, marketing direc-tor for Moonbot Studios.

To expect an office culture that is different, cre-ative, and quirky from a business like Moonbot, isironically enough, not unusual. Their model ofopen space utilized for communication and col-laboration has done much more than just boost

their employees’ creativity. It’s promoted a buy-into the company.

“This is not a place where you’re just given atask, you really get to know why you’re doing itand be a part of the process,” said Liz.

Sara added, “I think our partners listen to any

Behind the MagicShreveport’s Moonbot Studios fosters a culture that maybe foreign to outsiders, but has resulted in much success

OUTSIDE THE BOX: Many Moonbot team members work at unique open air desks, complete with “moonbotstyle” hutches.

Continued on Page 16


Cover StorySTORY & PHPOTOS BYSean Green


Cover Story

new idea and are great about giving feedbackabout why it can or can’t happen.”

“They put a lot of faith in people here tomake the Moonbot magic.”

The culture behind the magic comes downto finding the right person — someone whowill invest in the company — so, in turn, thecompany can invest in him or her.

“It’s essential to hire the right person. Every-one treats each other like family and when youhave one person with a negative vibe, it veryquickly affects everyone else,” said Liz. “Whenwe hire, we strive very hard to find the right fit.We don’t want someone to feel like this is thewrong place for him or her.”

The staff often works long hours to produce

major motion pictures like “Rise of theGuardians” or the Chipotle ad campaign film“The Scarecrow.” The administration accountsfor this with spontaneous events such as lawngames and catered lunches, as well as plannedawards and motivation such as their weeklyaward for sketching, monthly birthday parties,and yearly bowling tournament.

“We like to award people with trophieshere,” laughed Sara pointing out the bowlingtrophy proudly displayed atop a desk.

Even their regular meetings are uncommon— the entire staff gathers in a small theater,seated in plush bean bags, to recap what theyare working on via the big screen. As well aswatching movies and sporting events afterhours.

“Those meetings are a great way to stay con-

Continued From Page 14

‘Quirky’ works wellfor Moonbot Studios


new idea and are great about giving feedbackabout why it can or can’t happen.”

“They put a lot of faith in people here tomake the Moonbot magic.”

The culture behind the magic comes downto finding the right person — someone whowill invest in the company — so, in turn, thecompany can invest in him or her.

“It’s essential to hire the right person. Every-one treats each other like family and when youhave one person with a negative vibe, it veryquickly affects everyone else,” said Liz. “Whenwe hire, we strive very hard to find the right fit.We don’t want someone to feel like this is thewrong place for him or her.”

The staff often works long hours to produce

major motion pictures like “Rise of theGuardians” or the Chipotle ad campaign film“The Scarecrow.” The administration accountsfor this with spontaneous events such as lawngames and catered lunches, as well as plannedawards and motivation such as their weeklyaward for sketching, monthly birthday parties,and yearly bowling tournament.

“We like to award people with trophieshere,” laughed Sara pointing out the bowlingtrophy proudly displayed atop a desk.

Even their regular meetings are uncommon— the entire staff gathers in a small theater,seated in plush bean bags, to recap what theyare working on via the big screen. As well aswatching movies and sporting events afterhours.

“Those meetings are a great way to stay con-

nected. Everyone will be giving feedbackand it’s a way for everyone to be heard,” Liznoted to further underscore their open doorpolicy.

Amidst the untraditional meeting spaces,quiet rooms for gathering thoughts, pingpong table and cereal bar used for breaktimes, there are the glass-walled offices ofthe administration. It’s here that, despitewhat appears to be chaos to the outsider, theculture is groomed and maintained. Howthese offices relate to the world outside arealso a great lesson for other businesses inShreveport-Bossier.

“There have been a lot of places where Iworked that you feel very far from (adminis-tration) and that they’re watching you in nota positive way. Here, you feel that the man-

agers want to encourage you and help you,”said Liz.

She said Moonbot’s relatively flat hierar-chy breaks down walls and allows everyoneto feel like an integral part of the team.

“There’s a time for hierarchy, but thenthere’s a lot of time where you want to makeeveryone feel like they’re part of the team,”she added.

To many, Moonbot’s offices and culturemay be as futuristic as its name. But the suc-cess of its open, creative, collaborative na-ture shows this is one that a lot of localcompanies could embrace. The future is nowand Moonbot Studios is leading the way.

Moonbot Studios has a wide ranging portfolio with the media producersproudly proclaiming “We make books, films, apps, games and whatevertickles our fancy.” Below is some of their most recent and famous work:

Lollipop 3 - Catch and hatch eggs in this egg-citing arcade game. Experi-ence unfathomable JoyJoy as you help the Kitten of Splendor wield theEternal Lollipop of Joy! An onslaught of eggs descends from outer space,unleashing an army of Meanie Men. You must catch and hatch the evileggs, turning them into creatures of happiness and spectacularity. Tapand hold the eggs to hatch them. More eggs are dropping every secondand you will need every finger (and toe) that you have.

The Scarecrow - Created in collaboration with Chipotle Mexican Grill, “TheScarecrow” is an arcade-style adventure game for iPhone, iPad and iPodtouch and a companion animated short film. Both pieces depict a scare-crow’s journey to bring wholesome food back to the people by providingan alternative to the processed food that dominates his world.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - Awarded the Oscar®for Best Animated Short Film in the 84th Academy Awards®, “Morris Less-more” was inspired in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, BusterKeaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books.

The Mischievians - Strange smells. Disappearing remotes. That itch youjust can’t reach. It’s not your fault! It’s the Mischievians, an ancient raceof global mischief-makers who do all the things that embarrass you. Allthe things that bug you. All the things that YOU get blamed for! There is nocause for alarm (sorta). Come meet the Homework Eater, the fiend whosteals your homework! See the Endroller, the villain who uses up ALL thetoilet paper! Discover the Yawn Mower, the creature who makes you yawnat the worst possible time! And many, many more.

David Alvis and Builders Supply werenamed the Bossier Chamber of Com-merce’s 2013 Business Person of theYear and Business of the Year, re-spectively. The winners were an-nounced at the Chamber’s 66th

Annual Gala held Tuesday, Jan. 28 at theCenturyLink Center. The Chamber’s AnnualGala serves as a time to reflect on the yearand reveal the vision for the next 12 months.

Jason Smith, 2013 Chairman of the Board,passed the reigns to the incoming Chairman,Dr. Jim Henderson. The outgoing and incom-ing Board of Directors were recognized, andguests received the 2013 Annual Report withthe 2014 Program of Work.

Each year, the Chamber recognizes thebusiness community and those that excelledin areas of leadership, growth and involve-ment. The honor of Business and BusinessPerson of the Year is reserved for those thatare dedicated not only to their company, butto making an impact here in their own back-yard.

Alvis, owner of Silver Star Smokehouseand Texas Street Tavern, was chosen as Busi-ness Person of the Year from a distinguishedgroup. The other nominees were Lee Davis &BJ Davis, Davis Men’s Store; Macy Flash,

Paragon Press; Fred Moffit, Moffitt Mazda; andLoy Moore, Haysville Mercantile.

The 2013 Business of the Year nomineesincluded winner Builders Supply and CoyleEngineering, Destiny Day Spa, and Tilley Mo-bile Homes.

Jason Smith HonoredAs Outgoing Chairman

On Tuesday, January 21, the BossierChamber honored outgoing Chairman of theBoard, Jason Smith, at the annual Chairman’sDinner. Members of the Bossier Chamberstaff, Executive Committee as well as MayorWalker of Bossier City and ranking officersfrom Barksdale Air Force Base were there tocelebrate the many successes for the organi-zation under Smith’s leadership.

Under Smith’s tenure as Chairman of theBoard during 2013, the Chamber received 4-Star Accreditation and is ranked among thetop three Chambers in the country. TheChamber also celebrated the 20 year an-niversary of the Bossier Youth LeadershipProgram and launched Bossier Innovates, aregional branding initiative as a part of the2013 successes.


Bossier Chamber News

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Bossier BusinessGathers to CelebrateChamber honors Alvis, Builders Supply at Annual Gala

Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker presents an award to Outgoing Bossier Chamber of Com-merce Chairman Jason Smith during a annual Chairman’s dinner. on Jan. 21.


NWLA Tourism

Facing the challenge of lean economictimes and a convention and meetingsindustry that has been slow to recoverfrom the 2008 recession, the conven-tion sales staff of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau

are testing out an idea that first occurred tothem in 2012: incentivizing meeting plannerswith cold, hard cash.

The “Golden Ticket” promotion, running nowthrough June 30, targets organizers ofmedium-to-large conventions and meetingsthat utilize a minimum of 50 hotel rooms pernight and have not hosted an event inShreveport-Bossier within the last year. Meet-ing and convention planners can receive a$1,000 cash reimbursement towards qualify-ing expenses such as facility rental, cateringand transportation. Launched on Jan. 1, thepromotion netted three new convention

leads in its first 15 days, a result that makesRegional Convention Sales Manager DiannaDouglas optimistic about the program’s finaloutcome. The $1,000 incentive must be se-cured by June 30, but can be applied towardsmeetings taking place in the future.

“It’s paying off already,” Douglas said. “Thephones are ringing, and we definitely feel likeit’s a solid platform for future business.”

Douglas said that, while there have alwaysbeen incentive programs in the industry, whatsets the “Golden Ticket” promotion apart isthe relatively low barrier to entry.

“The difference in our program is in the re-quirements and restrictions,” Douglas said.“With the market being so soft, we wanted tomake sure that we didn’t close the door onany piece of business.” Government-related

associations, corporate meetings, educationalgroups, oil and gas, social groups, religiousand multicultural conventions are all beingtargeted through the “Golden Ticket” promo-tion.

Suzanne Manfredi, convention sales managerfor the Shreveport-Bossier Convention andTourist Bureau, believes that smaller, regionalmeetings - such as those held by local chap-ters of organizations or corporations - oftenlead to larger, national meetings.

“Regional organizations are probably going tobe the first to pick up on this promotion andtake advantage of it,” Manfredi said. “That fre-quently leads to opportunities to host larger,national meetings. The ‘Golden Ticket’ getsmeeting planners to notice us, so we can thenearn their business.”

Shreveport-Bossier hosted a total of 377 con-ventions in 2012, the most recent year forwhich complete data is available. 66,842hotel room nights were associated with theseevents, and a total of 102,611 delegateswere reported. Through efforts such as the“Golden Ticket” promotion as well as the up-coming Reunion Planning Workshop, whichwill be held at the Villaggio Lakehouse andEvent Center on Saturday, Feb. 8, the bureau’ssales team aim to grow new and repeat con-vention bookings in Shreveport-Bossier by5% in 2014.

For information on how to take advantage ofthe “Golden Ticket,” or to learn more aboutplanning an upcoming meeting or conventionin Shreveport-Bossier, contact Dianna Dou-glas, regional convention sales manager, at 1-800-551-8682 ext. 108 [email protected]

Good as Gold“Golden Ticket” Promotion Targets Meeting Planners

STORY BYChris Jay


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Pelican General Agency Celebrates 15 YearsGolf Course Vision Turns Into Reality

olf is not merely a leisure sport.It is a buoyant venue where dreams are made and business

gets done in the modern workforce. Over20 years ago Richard Beach reuni�ed afriendship with Walter Kelly that began years before as classmates at Northwood High School Shreveport. As fate would have it this golf course encounter would play a major role in both a personal and businessrelationship. �ough Richard and Walter had separate business careers they maintained a friendship through weekend golf and their wives, who both happened to be teachers in the Caddo Parish School System, all having graduated from Northwood since its opening in 1967. In fact, their lives were intertwined even then as Patti Kelly taught Richard’schildren, Ryan and Nealy and Bab taught Walter and Patti’s daughter Melissa. In 1993 Richard convinced Walter that a career in the insurance business might be worth pursuing plus Richard had a vision that one day they would have their ownagency. With hope for the future, Walter Kelly, entered the Property and Casualty insurance business on the ProgramManagement side. In 1997 Richard Beachdecided the time was right for that “golf course vision” to become a reality and both he and Walter took the �rst step in forming

Pelican General Agency. Even though they faced giant hurdles in the beginning, the business partners stayed focused and kept their “eye on the ball”. �e mission statement for Pelican General Agency in 1998 was to simply provide an underwriting pro�t to their carrier and reinsurance partners by constantly striving to be an underwriting facility rather than a production facility. As Mark Twain once said, “Always do right this will gratify some people and astonish the rest”. �ough ownership and management has changed throughout

the years, Pelican General Agency has not wavered from their original mission. In 2011 Richard Beach decided tosemi-retire and sold his interest in Pelican General to Patrick Kelly, Walter’s son and now business partner. Walter and Patrick are now the sole shareholders of the company. Richard continues as a consultant on apart-time basis while son-in-law, GreyDigilormo, who joined the �rm in 2006, serves as the Property Casualty Underwriting Manager. Grey was a former graduate and football coach at Northwood. Since the inception of Pelican General Agency, and as they celebrate their 15thAnniversary, the principals of Pelican have lived by a disciplined and ingrainedphilosophy. �ey provide hands-onownership and are involved in the dailyoperation of all facets of the business andits operation. Pelican has grown to o�er awell-rounded and diversi�ed portfolio that includes Commercial Auto, unusualBrokerage Risks through Lloyd’s of London, General Liability, Property, Inland Marine and Towing and Recovery throughoutLouisiana and Arkansas. �eir commitment is to place the customer �rst by providing the independent insurance agent with various products through “A” rated carriers and by doing so with a smile.

So, as you see, golf is not merely a leisure sport. For Walter and Richard and their families it turned into a four-hour business meeting that both in�uenced and a�ected their lives forever.

Happy Anniversary, Pelican!

G

Walter Kelly (seated) andRichard Beach (standing)

Grey Digilormo (standing) andPatrick Kelly (seated)

Several years ago, “coworking” and shared workspaces were the hot trend sweeping thenation. By now most of the fly-by-night coworking spaces have closed down and theremaining spaces are those who have had lasting impact in their communities andcontinue to innovate in community and economic development. As an entrepreneur Iwork at one such space, Cohab in Shreveport.

Cohab was founded in 2010 and has developed a vibrant community and networking environ-ment with a coworking space at its core. At Cohab, business as usual can mean hearing a com-puter tech vacuuming out a client’s computer, a web developer working with a client, thedirector (John Grindley) meeting with Cohab’s board, a business coach teaching a client, thenext breakout company “whiteboarding” their new product, or even a church planning theirnext service.

I run a software development com-pany, Juma Labs. We started out as aproduct company, building strictlyeducational software, and have since“pivoted” our business; but at everystep in the process - the communityof Cohab was invaluable to us.Whether it was accepting mentorshipfrom experienced members, gettinginsights from other members, orlearning while helping out new mem-bers - Cohab was always invaluablein one way or another.

One of the coolest recurring programs at Cohab is called Cosolve. Cosolve is a member-to-member “support group”. It occurs once per week and lasts one hour. All of the Cohab mem-bers (who are present at the time) crowd into the biggest conference room. A clockwise circleis made around the table as each member introduces themselves and states the basic facts oftheir business. What happens next is the magic of Cohab. Each business presents a problemor struggle that they are currently facing in their business and how they have tried to solve it.The other members suggest solutions that have worked for them or solutions that they thinkmight work. 10+ members of different business backgrounds, all under one roof present a

wide variety of solutions and often times the environmentof Cosolve fosters new business partnerships, new busi-ness strategies, and sometimes even - entirely new busi-nesses altogether.

Even though Cosolve is one of the lifebloods of Cohab’scommunity, the members are the real “secret sauce”. Co-habitants are intelligent, friendly, and willing to help in anyway they can. This creates an open collaborative environ-ment that fosters innovation and forward-thinking busi-ness strategy. There is a cohabitant active in almost everyfield that you can imagine, from churches to non-profits tosoftware development to graphic design to even culinaryendeavors and more. If you’re looking for a cool space towork in or want to see what coworking is all about, thencome visit Cohab (in Shreveport, under the TexasStreet Bridge).


From the Bossier Chamber

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The workplaceof the futureCoworking provides unique work culture

Justin MartinJustin is the owner of Juma Labs andworks out of Cohab.

We take care of our ownDear Dave,I’m in middle management, and I was wondering what you can do when an employee is worthmore than you’re allowed to pay them.Brian

Dear Brian,That’s a tough situation when you don’t have control over financial compensation. At my com-pany, the human resources handbook comes with one mandate: treat people the way youwould want to be treated. So, I’ll ask you. If you were the employee who deserved moremoney, how would you want to be treated?

Here’s the hard truth. If a member of your team can make significantly more money elsewhere,there’s a good chance they’ll eventually leave. However, if I knew that my leader was fightingand trying to convince the decision makers that I deserved more money, plus doing otherthings to offset the financial issues, it would mean something to me.

There are always other gestures you can make to show someone they’re valued and appreci-ated. You might let them off a little early when their kid has a ballgame. You could even make aspecial award presentation to this person, or strongly recommend them for a promotion.Still, at the end of the day, you either give people what the marketplace will pay, or you runthe risk of losing them. And without control over the purse strings, there’s only so much youcan do in those kinds of situations.—Dave

Give yourself timeDear Dave,I’m thinking about starting an auto detailing business. Do you have any advice on how to startsomething like this, and what to consider first?Justin

Dear Justin,When you’re running your own business, you’ll find out quickly that your boss is a jerk whoworks you like an animal. Working for yourself is one of the toughest things you can do for acareer, and you better make sure you’re doing something you love, because it’ll take years ofblood, sweat and tears to be successful. If you don’t absolutely love auto detailing, and ifyou’re thinking about it simply because it’s plausible or you think you can make money doingit, I’d advise giving up on the idea. If that’s your stance, it’s really more of a side job than a

business.

Think about something you’d want to be doing every dayfive years from now, and have anywhere from 20 to 200people doing it with you. You’ll always do a better job andhave more fun when you’re involved with something youlove. And when it comes to running the business, pay cash,have a written game plan and don’t be afraid to growslowly.

Lay out a smart business plan ahead of time, and knoweverything from your marketing strategies and cost ofstart-up equipment and supplies to what your projectedrevenues are and the per unit charges for all your littlewidgets. Lay this all out like you had to prepare a reportfor a college class, and that’s what a business plan lookslike.I’m excited for you, Justin, because you have lots of entre-preneurial spirit. You might not make $100,000 your firstyear, but who does? Just take your time. Be patient, besmart, and give people a quality product and professionalservice. If you’ll do those things, chances are you’ll be asuccess!—Dave


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Chris JayPublic Relations and Social MediaManager, Shreveport Bossier Conven-tion and Tourist Bureau. He is amonthly contributor to Biz. Magazine.


Chris Jay reviews local food every Tuesday atwww.20x49.com.

Dave Says — On Business

Dave RamseyDave Ramsey is America’s trustedvoice on money and business. He’s au-thored four New York Times best-sell-ing books: Financial Peace, More ThanEnough, The Total Money Makeoverand EntreLeadership. The Dave Ram-sey Show is heard by more than 6 mil-lion listeners each week on more than500 radio stations. Follow Dave onTwitter at @DaveRamsey and on theweb at daveramsey.com.

We take care of our ownDear Dave,I’m in middle management, and I was wondering what you can do when an employee is worthmore than you’re allowed to pay them.Brian

Dear Brian,That’s a tough situation when you don’t have control over financial compensation. At my com-pany, the human resources handbook comes with one mandate: treat people the way youwould want to be treated. So, I’ll ask you. If you were the employee who deserved moremoney, how would you want to be treated?

Here’s the hard truth. If a member of your team can make significantly more money elsewhere,there’s a good chance they’ll eventually leave. However, if I knew that my leader was fightingand trying to convince the decision makers that I deserved more money, plus doing otherthings to offset the financial issues, it would mean something to me.

There are always other gestures you can make to show someone they’re valued and appreci-ated. You might let them off a little early when their kid has a ballgame. You could even make aspecial award presentation to this person, or strongly recommend them for a promotion.Still, at the end of the day, you either give people what the marketplace will pay, or you runthe risk of losing them. And without control over the purse strings, there’s only so much youcan do in those kinds of situations.—Dave

Give yourself timeDear Dave,I’m thinking about starting an auto detailing business. Do you have any advice on how to startsomething like this, and what to consider first?Justin

Dear Justin,When you’re running your own business, you’ll find out quickly that your boss is a jerk whoworks you like an animal. Working for yourself is one of the toughest things you can do for acareer, and you better make sure you’re doing something you love, because it’ll take years ofblood, sweat and tears to be successful. If you don’t absolutely love auto detailing, and ifyou’re thinking about it simply because it’s plausible or you think you can make money doingit, I’d advise giving up on the idea. If that’s your stance, it’s really more of a side job than a

business.

Think about something you’d want to be doing every dayfive years from now, and have anywhere from 20 to 200people doing it with you. You’ll always do a better job andhave more fun when you’re involved with something youlove. And when it comes to running the business, pay cash,have a written game plan and don’t be afraid to growslowly.

Lay out a smart business plan ahead of time, and knoweverything from your marketing strategies and cost ofstart-up equipment and supplies to what your projectedrevenues are and the per unit charges for all your littlewidgets. Lay this all out like you had to prepare a reportfor a college class, and that’s what a business plan lookslike.I’m excited for you, Justin, because you have lots of entre-preneurial spirit. You might not make $100,000 your firstyear, but who does? Just take your time. Be patient, besmart, and give people a quality product and professionalservice. If you’ll do those things, chances are you’ll be asuccess!—Dave


Chris JayPublic Relations and Social MediaManager, Shreveport Bossier Conven-tion and Tourist Bureau. He is amonthly contributor to Biz. Magazine.


Lunch Break

Located on the first floor of the MotorHotel building at 729 Jordan Street inShreveport (in the location briefly occu-pied by Goldenland Superior), Allen’s Grillis a new soul food diner serving truly ex-ceptional plate lunch specials and coun-

try-style sides.

On my recent visit, I had some of the most per-fectly fried fish that I’ve ever eaten in Shreveport-Bossier and a side of collard greens that wererich, smoky and clearly made from scratch. Thediner serves breakfast and lunch, Mondaythrough Friday. Nothing on the menu costs morethan $10, with daily “meat and three” platelunches available for $8.

Owner Theudas Allen is committed to making asmany of the diner’s sides from scratch as possi-ble. “It’s an old style of cooking, it’s country cook-

ing,” Allen told me after I inquired about the visi-ble chunks of salt pork in the restaurant’s greens.That salt pork gives his restaurant’s greens –which are 100% collard greens, cut by hand – arich, savory flavor.

One thing I loved about talking to Mr. Allen: He’lltell you if one of the restaurant’s sides is notmade from scratch. A lot of places will look you inthe eyes and tell you that their sides are “allmade from scratch,” knowing that no diner on theplanet is making their own corn or green beans.

Other sides that I have enjoyed at Allen’s Grill in-clude the outstanding candied yams and a deli-cious broccoli and cheese casserole.

The restaurant’s only downside is the fact thatthere is no décor whatsoever – the walls are bareand the space seems a little impersonal, as a re-

sult. But, if you love soul food or southern cook-ing, what’s on the plate should more than makeup for the lack of atmosphere.

If you’re going to give Allen’s Grill a chance towin you over, I’d recommend Monday (friedchicken, all dark meat), Tuesday (fried pork chops)or Friday (fried fish). For $8, the plate lunches arefantastic.

I keep meaning to try some of the main menuitems – which include healthier options likesoups and salads – but I’m not sure how I everwill. For Facebook users who love a bargain, like“Allen’s Grill” on Facebook for exclusive couponsand freebie offers.

Greens, with EnvyQuick, Friendly Soul Food at Allen’s Grill

Chris Jay reviews local food every Tuesday atwww.20x49.com.


BusinessDictionary.Com defines com-pany culture as “the values and behav-iors that contribute to the unique socialand psychological environment of anorganization.” Great bizspeak sentence,but what does it mean?

Let’s try this. An organization is not some nebu-lous entity. It is comprised of the people in thatorganization. As a group, the overall emotionalclimate and social attitude of those people isthe company culture.

But, what creates the emotional climate and so-cial attitude? The easy answer is the people do.However, that is only part of the answer. Themain creator of corporate culture is top manage-ment. Water flows downhill; so do values, morals,ethics, attitudes, expectations, and respect. As agroup, employees will follow the lead of man-

agement.

Study after study proves that companies withgood ethical values, diverse employees, andhigh levels of respect and value for its staff aremore profitable and enjoy a lower employeeturnover rate. Take care of your employees andyour employees will take care of your cus-tomers.

Can you change your corporate culture? Yes,but it takes hard work, and it is not done in aday, but daily. It can’t be fixed with a marketingcampaign or cash bonuses to employees. It be-gins with a desire by all of the top managementto make a real and lasting positive change intheir thinking and attitudes. Following is a briefand deceptively simple list of some steps in-volved in corporate culture change.Determine what the current culture is, why, andhow it is demonstrated.

Decide what the new culture should be and looklike.Top management changes their attitudes andbehaviors to reflect the new values and expec-tations.Communicate the new attitude via meetings,trainings, and other group events.Review work systems, policies, procedures, andpractices for improvements.

How is your corporate culture? Do the people inyour organization seem to be fairly happy andenjoy their work? Do your employees feel thatthe work they do is meaningful and that they areappreciated? Does your staff treat each otherand the customers in a friendly and respectfulmanner? The answers to these questions willindicate if you are culturing pearls or viruses.

Business Etiquette

Pearls or Viruses?Every company is culturing something, intentionally or not

Teri HaynesOwner of Business Interactions, LLCEmployee trainer and business eti-quette coachwww.BusinessInteractions.Net


On the Economic Development Front

Scott MartinezPresident, NLEP

He is the President of North LouisianaEconomic Partnership (NLEP), a public-private partnership dedicated to pro-moting economic development inNorth Louisiana. Send comments [email protected].

Economic development is a process built onplanning, leadership and investment in a com-mon vision. Progress doesn’t just happen in avacuum. You must envision it, plan for it, work forit and invest in it. Skipping these steps in build-ing for the future often leads to economic stag-nation. In today’s fierce competition forbusinesses and resources, communities who failto plan and invest in their futures are oftenpassed up in the race for economic development.

As a nonprofit, public-private regional economicdevelopment organization, North Louisiana Eco-nomic Partnership (NLEP), its Board of Directors,its stakeholders and nearly 200 investors are en-visioning for the future.

NLEP engaged top economic development ana-lysts with TIP Strategies based in Austin, Texas todevelop a multi-year strategic plan for NorthLouisiana. TIP Strategies travelled to Shreveportin December 2013 and will return to the regionto finish interviewing stakeholders, economic de-velopers, and political and business leaders. TIP

Strategies will compile the research, analyze theinformation, and develop a comprehensivestrategic plan which will serve as the blueprintfor our economic growth. The plan will also in-clude actionable strategies that will help moveour region forward.

However, the vision set out in the strategic planmust be embraced by our communities. Here’swhere leadership and investment come into play.Leaders must come together to work toward acommon vision. Communities must invest re-sources into building the infrastructure, organiza-tions, culture and systems that allow a vision totake shape. Without either component, a strate-gic plan- no matter how brilliant - will fail.

The NLEP Board of Directors, who consists of cor-porate leaders, elected officials, and communityleaders from across the 14 parishes, recognizedthat in order to promote economic developmentthey had to become active and involved. Ournearly 200 investors financially support NLEP be-cause they believe in creating economic oppor-

tunities for their friends, neighbors and futuregenerations.

“Building for the Future” will be the theme forNLEP’s 2014 Annual Meeting on February 6th at5:30 p.m. at the Monroe Civic Center, 401 LeaJoyner Memorial Expressway in Monroe, La.

The dinner and program aims to rally our busi-ness and political leadership around a commonvision for our future. Dr. Rick Rigsby, a highlysought-after leadership coach and author, willspeak about his leadership principles. Majorcompanies and organizations like Dell, GeneralMotors, Hyundai, Pfizer, the PGA and the NFL useRigsby to empower and motivate their leaders todo great things.

We invite you to attend an evening that will re-shape how you see our collective future. Fortickets, call (318) 771-1768 or email [email protected]. You can also register on-line at https://nlep.eventbrite.com.

Building for the Future


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