Alan Mulally: Behind the Wheel of Ford

photo by Renato Araujo/ABr

In the wake of the 2008 economic recession, many American automobile companies lost money. Chrysler and General Motors were bailed out by the United States government and had to close many dealerships, and, in the case of General Motors, discontinue some car brands as part of the deal to avoid or recover from bankruptcy. Ford Motor Company, thanks to a generous line of credit it received in 2007, avoided both the bailouts and the bankruptcy due in no small part to the actions of its CEO, Alan Mulally.

Alan Mulally seemed, at first, to be an odd choice for CEO of an automobile company. His previous business experience was with Boeing, and he was named president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1998, with some CEO duties added in 2001. He replaced William Clay Ford, Jr., who joined Ford in 1979 and had served as its CEO since 2001. Mulally was a then-radical choice, but his management style, unweighted by decades of auto company baggage, has left its mark on the industry as well as on Ford itself.

Mulally worked to make Ford a less insular company. When he was appointed, global operating regions were less interested in working together than in retaining whatever market share they possessed on their home turf; and that transferred to the corporate culture – hardly anyone below the upper levels of Ford management knew just how close the company was to dying when Mulally signed on.

Mulally refocused the company away from luxery car brands like Jaguar and Aston Martin, and to the Ford brand proper. In doing so, he trimmed away part of the fat that was sinking the company. Mulally also refocused the company on a management level, giving the whole operation a singular purpose: to make Ford profitable again.

Recent reports show he has done just that, with Ford posting $33.1 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2011.

The Bad Boy of Music and Fashion: Sean Combs

Sean Combs is one of the lucky few to live a charmed life. As one of the most popular hip-hop performers of all time, Combs has earned a fortune selling more records than any other artist in the same genre. In addition to his wealth, Combs solidified his status as the “King of Rap” by winning three Grammy Awards and several MTV Music Awards. 

But aside from being one of the most sought-after performers of this generation, Combs is also busy with several business ventures. In fact, for his multiple entrepreneurial endeavors, he was named one of the top ten celebrity entrepreneurs. It all started when he created his own record label, Bad Boy Records. He took what he learned as an intern at Uptown Records to build a successful company, a home to many of the greatest hip-hop and rhythm and blues stars today. As Bad Boy became one of the hottest labels in rap, Combs’s journey as an entrepreneur took off. 

While his business looked promising, Combs’s personal life started to fall apart. Notorious B.I.G., a Bad Boy artist and one of Combs’s best friends, was murdered at the peak of his career. Combs himself was arrested soon after for weapons violations and assault charges. He made a comeback by establishing a clothing line, Sean John, in 1998. Hip-hop fashion brought him a great deal of success, even winning the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2004. 

Combs’s entrepreneurial skills are fueled by innovation. He made revolutionary changes in the music and fashion industry. He entered the food business and now owns a number of restaurants as well. Described by his peers as a shrewd businessman, he is known for striking while the iron is hot and making the most of his success as and when it comes. 

From Puffy to P Diddy, entrepreneur, rapper and actor, Combs has successfully transcended multiple industries and managed to come out on top.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield’s Sweet Road to Success

What would life be without ice cream? Thanks to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, this won’t be a reality. As the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, they are responsible for bringing the  young-at-heart funky ice cream flavors like Chunky Monkey and Vermont Vibe.

Cohen and Greenfield were childhood friends who grew up in Brooklyn, New York. With ice cream running in their veins – Cohen drove an ice cream truck in high school, while Greenfield worked as an ice cream scooper in college – the best friends decided to go into the food business together after pursuing individual careers.

The pair first considered making bagels, but decided that the cost of production equipment was just too much. Instead, they settled for ice cream. Armed only with knowledge learned from a $5 course on ice-cream making, they opened their first scoop shop in Burlington, Vermont in 1978 – a college town with no existing competition.

The original Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop became a community favorite, thanks to its rich ice cream flavor and creative mix. They also had effective campaigns and gimmicks, such as hosting a free film festival and giving away free scoops during their anniversary.

The ice cream kings opened their first non-Vermont store in 1983. Maine got a taste of their signature flavors that year, which included New York Super Fudge Chunk and Cherry Garcia. Cohen and Greenfield then expanded their business by making pints to sell to grocers. In 1987, their sales reached $32 million.

However, their sweet road to success also had moments of bitterness. One of the most infamous challenges the duo faced included a lawsuit with another ice cream giant, Häagen-Dazs. The challenges posed by a growing company also left the co-founders no choice but to hire a person with more business acumen.

Despite these challenges, Cohen and Greenfield continue to be prime movers of Ben & Jerry’s, an all-time American favorite.

David Arrick’s Cupcakes for Men

A cupcake business is usually thought of as the domain of female entrepreneurs. David Arrick is an exception. When the forty-two-year-old former commercial real estate lawyer lost his job at a Wall Street firm, he got caught in the same downward spiral many Americans faced during the economic crisis. But just when he thought everything was over, an opportunity came along.

He was stuck in rut for several months and was forced to sell his condo, cash out his 401(k), and collect unemployment benefits as often as he could. At the same time, he tried to come up with a plan that could save him from despair. Inspiration struck when he saw a line of women in front of a bakery. He thought men should be represented in the pastries scene, too.

Arrick craved to create cupcakes that are more “aesthetically masculine,” for male consumers. He didn’t take the idea seriously at first, but decided to pursue it when nothing else seemed to work. With ten thousand dollars, he hired a website developer to create Butch Bakery and bought a commercial space in Queens to make the macho treats.

Arrick asked for the help of his friends and relatives to create manly recipes. Early recipes included beer, peanut butter, Coca-Cola, and the all-time favorite, bacon. Orders were steady for the first few months, but a feature on Daily Candy, a women’s newsletter, made business skyrocket. Their website reached five million hits and other media outlets wanted a piece of their cupcake, too.

Arrick’s cupcakes for guys became so popular that even fishermen in Alaska and soldiers in Iraq wanted a taste as well. But at present, Butch Bakery can only cater to and deliver goods to New York-based customers. With commercial success, it won't take long before Arrick can distribute manly cupcakes to men from different parts of the world.

How Gail Dosik’s Life Took a Sweet Turn

Not many people will try a career change at the age of 50. Gail Dosik, however, felt that it was the perfect time for her to start something new.  In 2005, she took a leap of faith and decided to quit her high-paying job in the fashion industry to enroll in a culinary class.

Six years later, the founder of One Tough Cookie can proudly say that quitting her day job was probably one of the best decisions of her life.

One Tough Cookie is the product of Dosik’s venture into the unknown. This designer cookie company is based in New York, where the proud entrepreneur bakes and decorates whimsical cookies herself. Although she claims that she’s never taken an art class, Dosik’s cookies are a sight to behold – and a flavorful experience as well. Aside from cookies, she also makes cookie-covered birthday cakes, making her a popular figure in the Manhattan kiddie party scene.

Since launching her company, Dosik has enjoyed the taste of a good life. She compares the process of developing her company to planning a party, where she has to prepare the venue, send out invitations and wait to see if anyone arrives. Luckily, the success of the One Tough Cookie gave her a lot to celebrate.

Dosik considers herself a tough cookie for achieving so many things at this point in her life. A few years ago, she would never have believed that she would have her own company, given her age and stability. But then again, everything you know can change; you just have to make it happen – like Dosik did.

In an interview, Gail was asked to pinpoint her life’s biggest accomplishment. Surprisingly, she did not mention her company. According to her, she is proudest when people complement her work and refer to her as an artist.

This statement proves that Dosik is an entrepreneur driven by passion and a zest for craft.

The Different Faces of Donald Trump

photo by Gage Skidmore

Most businessmen shy away from the cameras to protect their careers and preserve their professional image. Donald Trump, however, is the exact opposite. Only few knew of the business mogul and real estate developer until he decided to have his own televised show, The Apprentice. In this reality series, the world saw a rather controversial competition between aspiring business people. What made the show even more remarkable was Trump himself, who has given color to each episode with his shocking statements about politics and other public matters of concern.

But despite his image in the media, Trump remains to be one of the most successful entrepreneurs in America today. His name is a brand in itself; everything that has “Trump” in it is equivalent to luxury and wealth.

His career as a real estate mogul is largely influenced by his father, Frederick Trump, who was a builder and real estate developer of middle-class residences in Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn. Trump also considered other career options; for a period in military school, he flirted with the idea of studying film. In the end, his natural instinct for business won. He studied Economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

His last day in college marked the beginning of his career in real estate. He now owns over $1.4 billion of assets in New York, including some of its most famous landmarks such as the Trump Tower. He briefly had America on the edge of their seats when news of him running for office during the 2012 Republican nomination broke– but he soon opted out of taking a presidential run. Business was his greatest passion, he said, so leaving the private sector is not an appealing option as of yet.

For the meantime, Trump is focused on taking over Manhattan with his ambitious and exciting plans for real estate development.

All It Took Was a Simple Tie: The Story of Ralph Lauren’s Success

From being a salesman for Brooks Brothers in New York, a young Ralph Lauren decided to jump head first into a business he knew very little about – fashion. A fish out of water, Lauren’s success did not come overnight. He was discouraged by many people, but he embodied persistence and focus. In a few years, Lauren was able to take the fashion world by storm.

Looking back at Lauren’s early years, his success and fortune was far from what he had to begin with. Lauren’s family was your average middle class Jewish family. As the youngest of four children, Lauren always strived to make himself stand out. He thought that the best way to do this was to work and earn money for himself. He always had a penchant for nice things and with the money he earned as a stock boy and salesman at Alexandra, Lauren saved enough money to buy himself stylish suits.

Lauren's talent showed at a young age. He sold top-quality ties to his classmates for a ridiculous price, and was quite successful at it. He gained reputation in his neighborhood for being a great salesman, but Lauren secretly harbored a desire to design his own ties. He quit his job and worked for Beau Brummell Neckwear as a designer. When his designs became the talk of the town, Lauren decided it was time to take hold of his career and launch his own brand.

The rest, as they say, is history. Today, the brand Ralph Lauren is a multi-billion dollar business, managed by direct descendants of the founder himself. Recently, Lauren made a $13 billion bet to turn his empire into a digital leader, shaking up the fashion industry.

Lauren’s solid background as a salesman and his passion for beauty made him a formidable business mogul. His life story is proof that anything is possible, and others can reach their dreams, too.

The College Dropout’s Oracle for Success

As a boy, founder and CEO of Oracle, Larry Ellison was described to be independent and rebellious. His aggressive behavior was coupled with a strong aptitude for math and science – and this combination made him one of the richest men in the world.

photo by Oracle Corporate Communications

Born in the Bronx, New York, Ellison’s early years was ironically marked with frailty and ignorance. His unmarried 19-year old mother gave him up for adoption when he contracted pneumonia at nine months. He grew up unaware that he was adopted until he was twelve years old. From then on, the young Ellison turned over a new leaf and started recognizing his strengths.

He was named science student of the year at the University of Illinois, where he attended college; however, he dropped out soon after his adoptive mother died. Ellison then decided to learn the rudiments of computer programming but never received his college diploma. He made a living out of this knowledge for almost eight years, bouncing from job to job as a technician and programmer.

In 1977, Ellison and a couple of partners founded their own company, Software Development Labs. Under his leadership as the CEO, the company won a two-year contract to build a database management system for the CIA. The project was called Oracle. Ellison’s small team was able to finish the system a year ahead of schedule, giving them more time to develop the system for commercial applications. This is where they made it big.

Oracle’s sales doubled and became a billion dollar company in just seven years. Ellison then renamed the company Oracle Corporation after their best-selling product.

The wealth he accumulated throughout his entire career made him the 3rd richest man in America, according to Forbes.  With his success in the field of information technology, Ellison has been named as the prophet of software.

The Empire of Calvin Klein

Behind every runway show, product launching, or clothing line of the fashion industry giant, Calvin Klein, there is one man tirelessly working to achieve success. Calvin Klein, the designer, fashion mogul and businessman, has built an empire during his entire 40-year career in the industry. But before his name became an international brand, Klein’s life story started when he was just a young dreamer who pursued his dreams with relentless passion.

Born in 1942 in the Bronx, Klein was raised by parents of Hungarian descent. He knew what he wanted at an early age and honed his creative genius by attending the High School of Industrial Art. Later on, he studied fashion as an art at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Klein was only a fresh college graduate when he first entered the world of fashion as an apprentice at a cloaks and suits manufacturer. During his formative years, the budding designer created clothing for a number of boutiques located in New York.

Klein’s name began circulating in the local scene when he became Baron de Gunzburg’s protégé, who was, at that time, a powerful editor of high-profile magazines Town & Country, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. With the connections he gained through de Gunzburg, Klein was able to create a name for himself years before the launch of his initial line.

In 1968, Klein saw that the timing was perfect. He launched his company, Calvin Klein Inc., which first designed, manufactured and sold women’s clothing. Increased patronage to the brand led Klein to expand his business into other areas of clothing. Today, Calvin Klein is best known for turning two formerly mundane products – underwear and jeans – into an international category of fashion.

As a businessman, Klein is known to be a marketing genius. He made his company a household name with an ad of Brooke Shields talking about her “Calvins,” and solidified its stature in the industry with images of supermodel Kate Moss reclining on a sofa in the Obsession ads. No other fashion mogul has used advertising as effectively as Klein did.

The first American fashion designer and businessman to ever break into the international scene, Calvin Klein is surely one of the most admired people across all industries.

Financial Services in Los Angeles

For more than 15 years, executive and entrepreneur Steven Wolt has been immersed in the financial services and insurance industries, amassing a number of notable accomplishments in the process. As an Executive at ParqAdvisors in Beverly Hills, Steven Wolt holds oversight for a wide range of activities in the insurance and estate planning arenas, delivering the highest-quality products and services to clients in California and beyond. An integral member of the team at ParqAdvisors since January 2011, Steven Wolt invests his work with an outstanding record in the insurance sector and an intimate understanding of the distinct needs of businesses, families, and individuals. To this end, Steven Wolt and his colleagues at ParqAdvisors train their attention on a broad range of financial strategies, customized to meet the needs of clients of high net worth, including attorneys, CPAs, business executives, and publicly traded firms. In addition, Steven Wolt and ParqAdvisors maintain a strong specialization in the areas of estate planning, tax strategy, risk management, and planned charitable giving, all designed to manage personal and corporate finances in an attractive, cost-effective manner. Aside from his work at ParqAdvisors, Steven Wolt maintains affiliation with ProVisors, the International Circle of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, and the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle, through which he networks with some of Los Angeles’ prominent executives and rising stars.

Prior to ParqAdvisors, Steven Wolt spent over 12 years in insurance sales at the Weiss Group in New York City, where he provided corporate and individual clients alike with the full range of life insurance and related products. With a primary focus on life insurance policies from MetLife, Steven Wolt consistently performed as one of the top MetLife producers in the United States while employed by the Weiss Group, helping his firm remain a leader in the insurance industry. A graduate of Fordham University, Steven Wolt earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and Biology in 1996. At present, Steven Wolt is pursuing continuing education through the American College, from which he will receive a Chartered Life Underwriter designation in the near future.

Peter Lawrence Malkin

photo by djwerdna

His building may be one of the best-known in New York City but he remains surprisingly low-profile for a man of his stature. Peter Lawrence Malkin is a general partner for the Empire State Building. He has significantly changed the Manhattan skyline and much of the public doesn’t even know his name. Malkin has done a lot to improve the ambience of New York for businessmen by helping rid the streets of petty criminals, graffiti, taxi hustlers, and the homeless.

Malkin got into real estate with his father-in-law, Lawrence Wien, back in 1958. Wien was a pioneer in real estate syndications. Upon his death in 1988, he held stakes in over two billion dollars worth of property. One project that left no one in doubt about Malkin’s ability even after Wien’s death was his decision to stick with a large, vacant building. It now houses the City University Graduate Center and the Oxford University Press among others.

With regards to his dealings, Nicholas Fish, the chairman of the Community Board 5, said that “no one knows who this guy is, but scratch the surface and he’s everywhere.” Some might even say that Malkin is a bit of an eccentric, preferring to blend with suburban commuters because he doesn’t live in the city itself. Occasionally, you might see him pick up litter on the street because it offends his vision.

While he certainly doesn’t crave the spotlight, he recently has been thrust into a fray with Donald Trump. It started when Trump acquired a stake in the Empire State Building and criticized its management. Malkin deflected these accusations and said that the building was in great condition because of a recent $65 million investment for its improvement.

Herbert Kelleher

Herbert Kelleher is renowned throughout the aviation industry. He cofounded Southwest Airlines and remained as its chairman for over thirty years. Although he opted to step down from the board in 2008, his leadership has shaped the way Southwest operates its business today.

Leadership Abilities

Herbert Kelleher showed leadership abilities at an early age. He captained a basketball team and even served as student council president. His experience as a leader was also honed when he worked part-time at the Campbell Soup Company. He finished a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature at Wesleyan University and went on to study law at New York University.

Starting Southwest Airlines

One big step he took was to turn down an offer from a law firm in New York and open his own practice in Texas instead. There he met Rollin King, one of his clients and a would-be partner in Southwest Airlines. The business’s idea was to offer passengers a hassle-free flight  service at the lowest price possible. Kelleher liked the idea and helped it become reality.

Any article on Kelleher has to talk about his unique way of managing people. He inspired employees to provide the best customer service. In turn, customer satisfaction remained high and the reputation of the airline continued to grow. Success also came from his expertise in airline management including cost control. Southwest has become legendary for its ability to reduce overhead cost.

Southwest Airlines started with three Boeing 737 planes in 1971. It had less than seventy employees in the beginning. Thirty years later, it is one of America’s largest airlines and the firm continues to rake in billions of dollars in annual sales.

Business and Growth

Entrepreneur and avid business developer, Danny Shabat owns and operates a number of highly diverse businesses primarily in and around the Chicago area where he has lived since 1977. After spending time working in a Chicago nursing home and learning the business from the ground up, Danny Shabat bought his first nursing home facility. Subsequently, he became the owner of two additional health care companies focusing his business acumen on this rapidly growing industry.

Daniel Shabat’s purchases include Royal Gardens Nursing Home. Under his leadership, this facility became The Waterford, a nursing and rehabilitation center located near Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Far North Side. Operated as a family-owned establishment for the last 25 years, The Waterford provides exceptional delivery of nursing home services. Shabat also bought and transformed Senn Park Nursing Home into Heritage Nursing Home Inc., a facility offering nursing care to senior citizens needing extended care for various levels of disabilities. His current holdings also included a third facility, the Diplomat Nursing Home.

Danny Shabat also enjoys the success of other entrepreneurial and investment ventures. He recently brokered the sale of a mobile health care business, LifeCare Ambulances, Inc. Another of his businesses, LifeScan Laboratory, Inc., a northern Illinois business opened in 1996, provides comprehensive, professional laboratory services to doctors, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and other health care agencies.  Other companies Shabat holds ownership in include Shabat Investments, LLC, PharMore Drugs, LLC, DSFA, Inc., and SFMA, Inc. Additionally, Danny Shabat invested in the Edison, New Jersey-based Micro Innovations Corp. This company, founded in Illinois in 1992, manufactures and distributes computer accessories to large retailers at value prices. Digital Innovations, LLC, acquired the business in 2009.

An international business traveler, Daniel Shabat grew up in Washington, D.C., but spent his late teens and early adulthood years in New York. During this time, he earned a diploma from Mirrer Yeshiva in Brooklyn, and pursued advanced-level studies at Brooklyn College, a senior college of the City University of New York. During his early career, he gained business experience in the food and catering industry. He also spent two years employed by New York Telephone Company before relocating to Chicago.

Fred Smith

Today, a lot of people take overnight delivery and express service for granted; but it was not always the case. When Frederick Wallace first thought of delivering packages overnight, the idea was revolutionary. It spawned the Federal Express Corporation, commonly shortened to FedEx. Smith provided an alternative way to deliver mail, products, checks, and other packages quickly. Almost single-handedly, he changed the way people did business.

The idea first came to Fred Smith while he was studying at Yale University. He submitted a paper for an economics class outlining his idea of providing overnight delivery for time-sensitive goods such as medical replacement parts and automotive components to major US cities. Looking back, it seems obvious that there is a market for it. However, Smith’s professor was not impressed and gave the paper a “C” grade.

Fortunately, the idea stayed with him and he bought a controlling interest in Ark Aviation Sales to turn it into reality. During the first two years of FedEx’s operation, the company made losses that would have turned anyone else from the venture. Smith persevered and in less than a decade, the company was stable enough to sell shares in the New York Stock Exchange.

It also became the first American company to earn ten billion dollars. The firm now operates in more than two hundred countries and uses six hundred aircrafts and 46,000 vehicles. Over the years, competitors like DHL were born but FedEx remains different. It is set apart by its philosophy of people, service, and profit (in that order). The vision of one man has definitely made a lot of difference in the lives of millions.

Not Enough

Shirley Wang took the usual path of getting a college degree then an MBA degree. She worked in well-known companies like Citicorp and J. Walter Thompson Advertising. Then she took the road less traveled and became an entrepreneur.

She founded Plastpro, Inc. in 1994. This company manufactures fiberglass entry doors as an alternative to traditional wooden doors. Being made of fiberglass allows the company to produce doors in different varieties and with different features. Using fiberglass and other man-made materials to make the doors requires the use of technology. New technological advancements have to be constantly taken into consideration.

Ms. Wang has not only focused on technology, but on customer service as well. As a result the products produced by Plastpro have a lot customer input. In 2005 Plastpro opened a fully automated door manufacturing plant in Ashtabula, Ohio, taking advantage of the manufacturing environment in the area. This istate-of-the-art plant has increased the company’s quality and production capabilities.

Plastpro, Inc. is one of the leading manufacturers of fiberglass doors in America. Helps that Ms. Wang belongs to the family that controls Formosa Plastics Group in Taiwan. Don’t let this company’s austere website fool you, its financials shows that it employed over 99,000 individuals and had income before tax of $ 8.46 billion in 2010.

Ms. Wang’s work goes beyond business. Below is a list of endeavors she has been involved in outside of profit making:
1. Board member of Outward Bound-helped build Center for inner-city kids in New York.
2. Mentor for Non-Profit Board Leadership Program at Columbia Business School.
3. Active supporter of the China Aids Initiative.
4. Board member Facing History and Ourselves, an international education organization.
5. Board of Trustees Harvard-Westlake School.
6. Board member UCLA Foundation.
7. A supporter of Doctors Without Borders.
8. Supports the Asian Pacific American Legal Center which provides legal services to survivors of domestic violence involving immigrants.
9. With her husband, funded a chair in the UCLA Asian Studies Center focused on United States-China relations.
10. A lead supporter of the Drug Enforcement Agency Foundation in Los Angeles.
11. Through Plastpro, has supported activities of Habitat for Humanity.

Due to her socio-civic endeavors Shirley and her husband Walter Wang were awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 2011. This award is given to “important community leaders from diverse ethnic origins in their outstanding contributions to their nation and to the world”.

For Shirley Wang, just being average is not enough.

Building a Media Empire

photo by Rubenstein

Boston-born Michael Bloomberg is the current mayor of New York City as well as the founder of Bloomberg L.P. The company got its start in financial software development but has bloomed into an international media conglomerate. Bloomberg has a net worth of nearly $20 million (Forbes.com) although his beginning was far more humble. His father was a real estate agent and a Jewish Russian immigrant. Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and paid for his tuition by working as a parking lot attendant.

After earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Bloomberg earned his MBA from Harvard. He also holds three honorary doctorates awarded in the last decade by Tufts, George Washington and Fordham universities. In addition, he worked as a general partner with Salomon Brothers for nine years starting in the 1970sbut was fired in 1981 and was given a $10 million severance. Bloomberg used his severance as seed money to launch Bloomberg L.P.

In 2001, Bloomberg ran for mayor of New York City and won, succeeding Mayor Rudi Guiliani and spending an unheard of amount of his own money in his mayoral campaign. Bloomberg served as a republican mayor for two terms before switching to an independent and winning a third term. Bloomberg receives $1 each year as compensation for serving as mayor. He chooses to live in his own residence located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan rather than at the mayor’s mansion and he often rides the subway.

Along with being a media mogul, Bloomberg is one of the most philanthropic Americans, giving more than $200 million to charity each year. His charities include Johns Hopkins University, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the World Health Organization, and the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. Bloomberg has been quoted saying, “I am a big believer in giving it all away…” (Wall Street Journal). Indeed, he definitely lives up to this statement with his charitable contributions.

Melanie Notkin: The Original Savvy Auntie

 “Own[ing] a niche” is one of the keys to marketing yourself as a lifestyle expert says Melanie Notkin, the founder of Savvy Auntie.  She would know, as she basically created her own niche in providing information, resources, and a community for aunts and godmothers.  Melanie recognized that there was a need for a lifestyle brand for aunts, including both ABRs (Aunts By Relation) and ABCs (Aunts By Choice).  The Savvy Aunt brand includes a website (www.savvyauntie.com), which features activities, gift ideas, and support for aunts, as well as a book.  The brand has been successful, being nominated for a Webby award in its first year and being named one of Forbes Top 100 Sites for Women in 2011.  Melanie herself has also been successful by pioneering an annual Auntie’s Day and appearing as a spokesperson and expert on well-known television stations such as CNN, ABC, and NBC.

Melanie was a successful career woman even before she created Savvy Auntie.  She graduated from McGill University and worked as an interactive marketing and communications executive for such well-known companies as American Express, New York Times Digital, and L’Oreal.  Notkin had also been nominated for a Webby award for the work she did in design and color for LorealUSA.com.  Shortly after this, Melanie’s first nephew was born, at which time that she recognized there were no resources or communities available for aunts or childless women who love children.  She created Savvy Auntie from the ground up, diving into her brand head-first, and using social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to help her site gain support.  Stationed in New York City, Melanie used her previous network connections to help her get noticed.  She even did most of her PR herself, confident that media outlets would be eager to talk directly to the founder of a brand.  Melanie was right in saying this, and soon had companies approaching her with interest in buying advertisement on her site.  She was confident that there was an audience for Savvy Auntie and that “savvy aunties” all over would come to her site.  Notkin is a true entrepreneur, taking risks and working hard to create something she believes in.

As well as being a successful entrepreneur, Melanie has changed the parenting niche. The belief used to be that a woman who wasn’t a mother didn’t know anything about taking care of children.  Notkin’s website and book oppose this point, and acknowledge the role that non-parents play in raising children.  Melanie has even had featured posts in parenting columns, a huge feat for someone who does not have kids of her own. Her idea of the role aunts play in raising children has spread to such publications as More Magazine, Marie Claire Magazine, and Psychology Today.  Along with being the entrepreneur to create and develop the Savvy Auntie brand, Melanie Notkin has become both a pioneer and expert in her field.