Marcy Clark, Founder of the Women's Mafia

People like Marcy Clark make me want to move back to New York.  Originally from Northern California, Marcy now enjoys what I imagine to be a fabulous, Carrie Bradshaw existence, but with even more friends.

As Director of Publicity at Yellow Sky Agency, and Founder of the “Women’s Mafia”, Marcy has her finger on the pulse of all things social in NYC.  Started just four years ago, the “Women’s Mafia” social club has caught on quickly, and it is easy to understand why.  Social connections, ever important in New York, can be a hard acquisition, and even more so for newcomers to the city.  The Women’s Mafia offers the perfect solution, facilitating social connections between groups of successful women through the organization of fun, upscale events (Champagne, Shoes, and Chocolate, anyone?).

Thank you Marcy.  For showing me that the real Carrie Bradshaws of New York do exist.  You just have to join the mafia to find them.

1. The “Women’s Mafia” is such an intriguing concept.  What is it all about, and how can others become a part of it?

The Women’s Mafia is a social club that I started nearly four years ago based on the simple premise that gathering a large group of women could be a powerful thing in itself.  Fortunately, I have been right!  Restaurants, stores, clubs and other new venues all want us to be in their space.  We recently had a fashion show that was attended by over 600 people.  The select men that are invited to our events never want to leave – I had one guy friend recently tell me after a party “I want to be kidnapped by the Women’s Mafia every night!”

Most importantly, the women at our events are meeting lifelong friends.  I think the fact that they are social events, with a party atmosphere, rather than networking events, makes the connections our members make much more meaningful.  I have had members meet at one of my events and later be in each other’s weddings, start a business together or get a job through their connection.

We started in New York but we do have members in the UK, San Francisco, LA and other destination cities where we plan to grow.  Women, and men who are intrigued, can join the Women’s Mafia by visiting our website and online news and events site womensmafia.com.

2.  You describe yourself as a “very social person”.  Was this part of the reason you started the group, to help more women develop social ties in the city?

That is exactly the reason.  When I first moved to New York I knew two people, and those people already had a life and a network of friends.  It wasn’t especially difficult for me as I had moved to new cities by myself before, but I did have to make some effort to make new friends and that was a strange experience for me.  New Yorker’s are very friendly, but they can be insular once they have established a core group of friends.  To this day, when I meet someone new to New York I always invite them to join the Women’s Mafia and I make sure to introduce them to people in their field or with similar interests at our events.

3. To what degree do you feel being well connected in New York matters?

It makes a HUGE difference – both for your career and personal goals, but also for enriching your life with shared experiences.  And not just being connected to very powerful or successful people.  People at all levels of their careers can help you get a meeting with a television production company to pitch your idea, or get you a killer deal in a Hampton’s share, or even recommend you for a hair straightening commercial (thanks Elisha – that was strange, but fun).

4. What has helped to bring the WM from being just another great idea to becoming a successful business?

Two main things have set us apart.  The name, which was actually given to us by a bartender at Minetta Tavern in 2005, because it completely encapsulates what we are about – power and fun in numbers, and the fact that a lot of our events are more covert and only open to members.

The other key component is our members.  I am very fortunate to have amazing women in the Women’s Mafia who truly take on ownership with the club.  They let me know about new venues, they bring their friends in, they write articles for womensmafia.com and they recommend designers or individuals we should profile.  Our members are our best ambassadors of our brand and they know that I will always be receptive to their ideas.

5. As a PR professional, you must attend events many nights a week.  Do you ever just want to stay home?

Yes!  And I do make sure to stay home at least one or two nights a week.  It’s important to cook yourself a nice meal and catch up on LOST, right?

6.  Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Someone who knows how to go at two speeds.  I love being out at several events, dressed-up and socializing one night and then staying in all day on Sunday with movies and brunch delivered.  I don’t need to be with someone as outgoing as me, but a gentleman who enjoys the odd social event could be quite nice.

Also, I love open-minded people.  I’m quite involved in non-profits that protect civil liberties.

7.  Has being a single entrepreneur helped you or hurt you in business and why?

It definitely can help.  I think that single people can sometimes seem more approachable, and we have freer schedules.  Being in a relationship can also be quite motivating.  I’ve put in a lot of hours when I had a boyfriend in the UK and I wanted to buy plane tickets!

8.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I can see the Women’s Mafia helping launch several designers’ careers, being a retail and branding force in the fashion and art worlds, having a presence in politics and, most importantly, staying true to our mission of connecting great women.

Personally, I’d love to have a beautiful home with an ocean view.  I’m also an actress and a television presenter on the side of everything else that I do, so I would love to have a lot more television and film experiences under my belt.

Oh, and balancing all of these things while spending time with my family – that would be a nice trick!

Soooo… anyone want to go in on a beach house?!

Marcy’s Bio:

In addition to running the Women’s Mafia, Marcy is also a partner in Yellow Sky Agency, a boutique PR and Branding firm run out of the West Village of Manhattan.  Her areas of expertise include publicizing fashion and jewelry designers, artists, interior designers and luxury products and services.  She has secured placements in top outlets such as The New York Times, Reuters, CBS Sunday Morning, ABC News, Business Talk Radio, Lucky, Glamour and more.  Marcy serves as a chair on various non-profit event councils and committees, including being the co-chair for GLAAD’s Annual Art Auction and the Young Professionals Council for Choice.

Want to connect with Marcy?  Follow her on Facebook!

original publish date Jun 25, 2009

Jason Sadler, Founder of I Wear Your Shirt

For most of us, our whole lives are spent hearing the way to get ahead is by capitalizing on our greatest strength. Apparently, Jason Sadler’s is getting dressed.

Started less than two years ago,  Sadler’s start-up (aptly named “I Wear Your Shirt“) offers PR exposure on a calendar basis with January 1st going for $1 and December 31st going for $365. For the price paid, advertisers get their company’s t-shirt on Jason’s body for the entire day.

OK, so paying someone to wear your shirt might seem like a waste of marketing cash, until you consider this: Jason has acquired a substantial online following and spends hours posting photos, videos, and even playing online games like Pictionary (in front of a strangely voyeuristic following), all while throwing in important company info and random plugs.

With a business on the rise, Jason is increasing his exposure next year, and may soon be on the lookout for even more t-shirt-wearing talent. Start practicing.

1.  What kind of return on investment do your offer advertisers?

I make a solemn promise that I will put their shirt on correctly in the morning and continue to wear it without messing it up for the day. But seriously, most of the customers see traffic growth, an increase in Twitter followers, sales increases and their logos/name are seen by 1,000’s of people! Some companies have seen record traffic days, record sales days and buildabrand.com saw a 4500% increase in user signups on their day!

2.  What about shirt-wearing copycats? How will you deal with them when them inevitably start popping up?

Must mean I’m doing something right huh? Copycats are copycats… It makes me work harder to stay ahead of them and I’ve built an amazing community that supports me and the company’s t-shirts I wear on a daily basis. My previous customers always email me when a copycat pops up and it’s an great feeling to know they’re that loyal to not use someone else.

3.  Your business is essentially doubling next year. What do you hope Evan will bring to the table in terms of social media/personality?

I want a whole new audience to watch Evan’s daily shenanigans. He’s way crazier than I am and I asked him to wear shirts with me because we aren’t the same person. If iwearyourshirt.com can “franchise” and grow, finding good people is key. I think Evan is going to be a fantastic addition and has been a huge help in making 2009 a success. Evan is also going to skydive 1 Saturday each month and will probably end up in Las Vegas quite often.

4.  Of all the social media outlets you touch daily, which delivers the most followers/page views for your time? Which brings your best quality visitors?

On the hour long daily LIVE video show on Ustream.tv. I chat with friends all over the world on the web while wearing a company’s t-shirt. These streams see anywhere from 500 to 85,000 daily viewers. Most days it’s between 2-3,000 views and it’s probably the easiest/most fun part of my day. As far as quality is concerned, I think the YouTube videos are a unique piece of content that will live on forever and always tell a company’s story in a fun and engaging way. I particularly love the video we made for Webs.com on segways.

5.  So much of your work is done from home. Even though much of it is social, do you ever get sick of being online?

Honestly… I don’t. Blah blah blah “it’s not work if you love what you’re doing” – but I really do love what I do. I’ve built a ton of friendships online and genuinely enjoy putting on a t-shirt every morning and getting paid for it. I took my first day off on December 19 and while it was relaxing it felt really weird. I missed talking with everyone and I feel like they missed me too. May sound weird to some people, but that’s what my business thrives on.

6.  How has your business affected your social life, for better or worse?

I think it’s affected my social life for better and for worse. I know I don’t hang out with my local friends as much as I used to, but they also realize I’m trying to build a business, I’m trying to create something unique and I’m a very dedicated person. That would probably be the worse of it. The better is that I’ve met a ton of great new people and companies that will open doors for many opportunities down the road. I’m a firm believer in it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Oh, and I don’t have to stand in front of my closet and try and decide what shirt to wear anymore… that’s definitely a plus for me. And I don’t have to buy shirts, so I’m saving money!

7.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Living on the beach and not having to put a shirt on

Jason’s Bio:

Jason Sadler hasn’t always been wearing t-shirts for a living, but has always been creative. From drawing on walls with crayons, possibly doing a small amount of graffiti and eventually graduating college with a degree in Graphic Design. Jason has worked with professional sports organizations, advertising agencies, online retailers and most recently co-owned his own web design company. Jason loves playing Scrabble, watching terrible movies (sometimes for 24 hours at a time), has been known to shoot a hoop of basketball or two and is an avid automotive enthusiast. Living at the beach in Jacksonville, Florida gives Jason the freedom to prance around in t-shirts 365 days out of the year with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Plaxico.

Want to connect with Jason? Follow him on Twitter and Facebook!

Nina Beckhardt, Founder of The Naming Group

What can you do with a fine arts degree, a minor in psychology and some time spent in Martha’s craft corner? Twenty-something Nina Beckhardt spun that background into founding The Naming Group, a NYC-based startup focused on branding and the art of corporate name choice. OK, so there was that Abercrombie manager training in between…

A Boston native, Nina went to college in DC, always knowing her final destination would be New York City. After graduating from George Washington University, a dream internship in the crafts department at Martha Stewart failed to result in a permanent position and Nina found herself in search of Plan B. Abercrombie’s retail management training program wasn’t exactly what the doctor ordered, but the next opportunity was. Applying her combination of art, psychology and language skills, Nina came on as a creative contributor to naming/branding group Namebase, where she left as President and Creative Director to form her own group in 2009.

Now heading a team of her own, Nina is thankful to the winding, and sometimes bumpy road that led her towards the business she has today. She even learned a little decoupage along the way.

Thanks, Martha.

1.  Is the psychological effect from a product/tagline measurable? How do you quantify client results?

I think the beauty of developing names is that there really isn’t a formula. While we have a consistent and time-tested naming methodology, we apply a custom-fit approach to each project. My background in psychology plays a big role in name development and analysis because I have to be aware of “baggage.” All words, even coined ones, have baggage, that is, the associations and reactions they elicit. While market research can help identify baggage, at the end of day, client results are measured in marketing dollars saved. With a great name that is memorable, communicates key benefits and forms an emotional connection with consumers, you don’t need to spend as much on marketing and advertising. A strong name does all the heavy lifting for your brand.

2. Do your clients know how young you are? How does your age/appearance affect your credibility?

I think in this day in age it is becoming more and more common to see young people in positions of power. Thanks to great parenting and education, I was raised to believe that my thoughts and opinions matter. I feel that my talents and aspirations have little to do with my chronological age. I am a woman of words; I find numbers too limiting.

Cultural and age diversity are crucial elements of The Naming Group’s creative team. Naming and branding are about creating timeless appeal across multiple demographics.

3. Is there a turning point where the importance of maintaining brand recognition supersedes that of fixing a poor naming choice?

In some instances, the brand name is so strong that it would simply be imprudent to change it. Pizza Hut learned that earlier this year when they sliced off the most important part of their name in an attempt to perhaps sound a bit hipper, more edgy? Bad decision. They quickly backpedaled away from “The Hut” to their original name. Good decision. In other instances, however, a name change can be very fruitful – if done correctly. At The Naming Group, we have developed a concept called Brandsition®. This is our proprietary, three-part process of transforming, reviving and/or expanding an already established brand. Brandsition® breaks down the typical idea of “re-branding” and “re-naming” which, we believe, are outdated and inflexible terms. We make sure to create a new name that draws from the original name or brand in some way. Perhaps the new name will have the same first letter or sound or evoke a similar image as the old name. Bottom line: If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. But, if there is room for improvement, then there is room for Brandsition®.

4. Living in NYC was a non-negotiable for you after college. Why?

After growing up in the Boston area, going to college in Washington, DC and studying in London there still is no city that arouses me the way that New York City does. Even when in a quiet restaurant or tucked away in my office, I can feel the energy of the city. It fuels my creativity. It wakes me up in the morning. I drink less coffee when I’m here.

My favorite part of leaving the city is knowing I get to come back. It’s that feeling I get when I see the skyline on my way home from the airport. Sometimes I can’t believe I live here. There is a quote I’ve come across that says “You have to be crazy to live in New York, but you’d have to be nuts to live anywhere else.”

5. As a former Fine Arts major and Martha Stewart intern, how do you keep up with your creative side while building up your business?

Given my all-or-nothing approach, keeping up with my creative extra-curriculars has been a significant challenge during these nascent stages of my business. The nature of my work taps my creativity in a number of ways. For me, rather than clay, paint or yarn as my medium, I am now creating art with words, syllables and morphemes. However, after a long day at the office, I can’t tell you how good it feels to dig your fingers into clay, craft a pair of earrings or make a simple greeting card.

6. Do you miss Martha? (or is she as crazy as we all think?)

Y’know, I never formally met Martha. I did pass her in the hall a couple of times. She is alarmingly tall and her aura even taller! Seriously. She emits a vibe that is all at once terrifying and awe-inspiring. I learned so much about business, corporate bureaucracy and brand control. There were certain words you couldn’t say and colors she didn’t like and you just had to know them. Crazy? Arguably, yes. However, she knows exactly what she wants, how she wants it and who her audience is. It is that borderline obsessive, uber-regimented brand control that has differentiated her from the Betty Homemakers of the world.

What I don’t miss about Martha Stewart is the corporate culture. While working there, it became clear to me that I was simply a cog in a very big wheel. It didn’t matter how hard I worked or how meticulously I applied gold leaf to a vintage Christmas ornament, if my boss didn’t love me or some editor above me didn’t switch departments, I wasn’t going to be promoted. I believe in hard work being recognized. As soon as I entered the small creative agency environment I finally felt the reigns in my hands. I worked hard and moved up. I worked harder and moved up higher. I’ve come a long way from applying gold leaf in a back room studio. I’m on the front lines now and I couldn’t be happier.

7. Describe the person who would best complement both your life and your business.

I joke with people that I am dating my business right now but it’s pretty much a reality. So, if I were to meet that special someone in the next year or so, they’d have to be patient and totally willing to go on dates with me in my office. This is a hard question to answer because while I have a preconceived notion of what kind of person I think would compliment me, I believe in keeping an open mind when it comes to meeting people. I think the kind of person who would jive with me is someone who is creative, hard-working, affectionate and opinionated. They would need to respect my ATDD (Attention To Detail Disorder) and work ethic. As far as what that person does professionally, I have no requirements. A love of food, dogs and the ability to make me loose my breath laughing are my only major requirements.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Wow. Over the past two years my life has evolved to a point that takes years, sometimes decades for most people. Given this, I almost feel I can’t predict. If you asked me two years ago what I would be doing in ten years, I could never, in my wildest dreams, tell you that I would own my own naming company. Strangely enough, I can’t imagine anything more perfect for me right now. In ten years, I see The Naming Group continuing on to become a top authority in the branding industry. While many companies are proud to drop the names of prestigious advertising agencies with whom they’ve contracted, they often don’t like to admit that they’ve engaged a naming company to name their products. By 2019, I plan on changing that. I am discovering that the realm beyond my comfort zone is where my ultimate potential lies. I definitely plan on continuing to exceed my own expectations.

Nina’s Bio:

Nina Beckhardt founded The Naming Group upon the philosophy that the right brand name catalyzes brand evolution. She is obsessed with three things: words, brands and people. These healthy obsessions pair beautifully with a strong academic background in visual art, design and psychology. A self-described creative solutionist, Nina infuses every project with her passion for creative marketing and extensive knowledge of Latin, Spanish and sound symbolism. Her razor-sharp Scrabble skills don’t hurt either.

Before founding The Naming Group, Nina was President / Creative Director of Namebase where she led naming and brand development for Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Target, Southwest Airlines, EPSON, and Dow Jones, ConAgra and Mercedes Benz. A recognized authority on brand naming, Nina has been published nationally and has appeared in a feature segment of the Emmy Award-winning television show, Autoline Detroit.

Want to connect with Nina? Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and her blog “Nomenculture”!

]]> http://singlestartups.com/2010/01/nina-beckhardt/feed/ 9 http://singlestartups.com/2009/10/joy-donnell/ http://singlestartups.com/2009/10/joy-donnell/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:55:35 +0000 admin http://singlestartups.com/?p=723

Joy Donnell, Founder of 720PR

If you see this face aimlessly wandering through Southern California, you know Joy Donnell is having a good day. The East Coast transplant and Beverly Hills based PR professional who spends most of her week working to keep her corporate clients happy, describes just that as her ideal day.

While studying for an English degree at William and Mary (with a minor in Japanese cultural studies), Joy imagined a career in international law was in her future. When a friend suggested PR instead, Joy couldn’t think of anything worse. Eventually coming to the realization that with her combination of verbal aptitude and social finesse a career in public relations was the perfect fit, Joy went on to join a large PR firm after college, then out on her own.

A year and a half of freelancing in Atlanta, and one too many humid Summers later, Joy moved to Southern California where she started the boutique branding and public relations firm 720PR. Using her experience working with corporate clients, she teamed up with a partner specializing in celebrity branding, and the pair formed the strong (and all-female) team that runs the firm today.

So, if you see this woman wandering the streets with no map and a carefree smile, don’t worry.  Joy is anything but lost.

1.  Dealing with celebrities and PR, how much of your social life is intertwined with business?

My social life overlaps with my business on a daily basis yet, I don’t mind. A large part of PR is social capital, so I vigorously maintain as well as expand my network. After work cocktails and red carpet events often blur that work/life line, but I love what I do and I love the people in my life. There’s no monotony.

2.  How does your “fundamental interest” in people translate into running a great PR firm?

I like digging into mindsets, seeing how different peoples in different countries think and figuring out how to relay the same message to someone in South Africa as well as Sweden. I think you have to be interested in people if you intend to have a career where you relate to the public. Helping individuals and corporations with their global public perception requires being a bit of a cultural anthropologist.



3.  In college, you also studied Japanese culture. What fascinated you about this area of the world, and what passion, if any, do you still have for it?

Once, my class watched this tape about learned facial expressions. During moments of disgust, the Japanese subject forced himself to smile while the American subject allowed himself to frown and gag. It blew my mind! That was the first time I realized that different societies have different behaviors that are socially acceptable. It eventually opened me to my career in PR.



4.  Why do you love LA, and do you ever miss the East Coast?

All the sunshine, palm trees, and lack of humidity in LA greatly improved my disposition, but I miss the East Coast in lots of ways. I love East Coast food. I miss the charm and hospitality of Southerners. I just don’t miss the weather.

5.  You chose a female business partner. Was that a purposeful decision or just the right person for the job?

It was kismet. Li and I are long time friends and an opportunity to work together aligned once I came to LA. Li was doing celebrity placements and branding, so it made sense to team up. Our collaboration allows 720 to nurture brands while maintaining a PR strategy, so the message the brand sends to the public never deviates.

6. At what age did you decide you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

By the time I was 5 years old I had witnessed members of my own family being successful entrepreneurs. I was never awed by the money or the private planes and such, I was enamored with the freedom. Once I put 2 and 2 together, I knew I wanted that kind of freedom and autonomy. That’s fed my ambition for as long as I can remember.

7. Describe the person who would best complement both your life and your business.

My ideal man is passionate, compassionate, successful and ambitious. One of the things he’s most ambitious about is me and our family. We truly like each other and understand one another. I think at the end of the day you need understanding and common goals, and those things maintain the trust, love, and respect.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Traveling with my family. Being healthy and happy. Sharing what I know about publicity with as many people as possible and empowering those in business for themselves with the skill of self-promotion. I also want a nonprofit that encourages youth to utilize their social power.

Joy’s Bio:

As Founder of Beverly Hills boutique 720 PR, Joy Donnell has aided branding and public relations efforts for corporations such as DaimlerChrysler USA, The Carissa Project and Virgin Re*Generation spokesperson Carissa Phelps, GM, Warner Bros.’ Oscar-nominated film Blood Diamond, and many others. She’s also connected brands to several celebrities including Samuel L Jackson, Patti LaBelle, and Calista Flockhart.

Donnell’s PR advice has been featured in print and online media including best-selling author Mike Michalowicz’ Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and The Social Media Professor while her Hollywood social jaunts have been featured in Genlux and Cosmopolitan magazines.

Want to connect with Joy? Follow her on Twitter and on her blog “Do it in Public”!

Lash Fary, Founder of Distinctive Assets

Lash Fary and I have  different definitions of the word “vacation”.  The 37 year-old owner of celebrity marketing firm Distinctive Assets recently took his version:  a week-long stint at a California boot camp.  Always motivated, and always multi-tasking  (his treadmill is stocked with pen and paper), the choice seemed natural.

Born and raised in Virginia, Lash completed his education at UVA with a degree in Marketing, and went on to work for a year as a management consultant.  Soon sensing the suit and tie life was not his passion, and knowing he was a California boy at heart, Lash followed his spirit to the West Coast in 1995.  After four successful years working in direct sales, he embarked on a new venture with a friend, growing and re-energizing the small celebrity marketing firm “Assets”.  With the addition of Lash’s distinctive flair, the start-up was renamed “Distinctive Assets”, a company which is now celebrating ten years as the premiere name in celebrity gifting.  Not to be outdone in the world of products he helps represent, Lash has also created his own product line including designer portion control plates he calls “Slimware”.

When not creating new products, attending boot camp, marketing products through celebrity connections, or perfectly portioning his meals, Lash is busy texting, emailing, and otherwise keeping In touch with his ever-growing social circle.  A natural motivator, Lash convinced me to do my first trade show after one conversation without actually saying a word.  Just talking to action and results-oriented Lash was motivation in itself.  But don’t expect me to show up for boot camp anytime soon.  I’ll be on vacation.

1. Distinctive Assets is well known for celebrity gifting, but that is just a part of what you do.  Give us a run-down of your other services and how you can help other businesses.

Yes, though we’re most recognized for our presenter swag bags and official gift lounges, award shows are truly just the tip of the iceberg.  Distinctive Assets offers customized solutions to companies looking to outsource all or part of their marketing, branding and public relations needs.  Our à la carte services include:

Celebrity Seeding
Product Development
Branding
Public Relations
Business Development
Special Events/Event Sponsorship

2. Celebrity gift suites can run into tens of thousands of dollars for businesses to participate.  How can smaller businesses (and budgets) get celebrities to notice them?

Everyone wants to win the lottery (in this case having a celebrity notice and ideally use their product), but you’re not going to win if you don’t buy a ticket.  It’s a cliché but nonetheless true: If you can’t afford to, you can’t afford NOT to!  Celebrity placement with a reputable company can cost as little as $1,000, and there are often creative financing options (I know my company accepts payment plans, product trades in some cases and credit cards).

3. Do you ever feel guilty giving so much to celebrities, or is what they give back even more valuable in terms of product endorsement?

Actually, I don’t.  The value that companies receive by having their product associated with these stars in various media outlets is far greater than the retail value of the free products that the celebrities are receiving. And ultimately what we’re presenting celebs with is a gift (usually as a thank you for being part of a televised award show) . . . and just because you’re rich and famous doesn’t mean you cease to be eligible for gratitude and acknowledgement.

4. What is the best gift you have ever received, and what is the best gift you have given?

Wow, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive so many fabulous gifts so that’s a really tough question.  The one that stands out is the DELUXE refrigerator that my four best girlfriends bought me as a group holiday gift when I moved into my new home a couple years ago. My favorite gift I’ve given is the “I Remember” book I had custom made and illustrated by an artist friend for my mom; it’s filled with 25 or so of my favorite childhood memories of her.

5. In our conversation, you mentioned you didn’t want to be forever known as the “celebrity gift guy”.  What do you want to be remembered for in life?

While I’m incredibly proud for having created something from nothing and launching the craze of celebrity swag, I certainly hope my legacy will be more than that.  I want to develop products and write books that enhance people’s lives.  Since I don’t plan to ever have children, I want to create something that will survive for generations to come and have my name associated with it.  Lash Fary is just too great a name to die with me!

6. You are enthusiastic (OK, I’ll say it. Obsessed) with health and fitness.  Were you always this way?

Funny enough, no.  I grew up in an environment where little or no value was placed on either of these things and to this day most members of my family are overweight.  But living in Los Angeles (which I’ve called home since 1995), it’s so easy to be healthy and make good choices that there’s really no reason not to.  My enthusiasm/obsession is primarily rooted in how I FEEL living a lifestyle where health and fitness play such a large role (and how it makes me look in the tight outfits that are now my trademark).

7. Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Someone who can simply BE in my life and enhance it without CONSUMING it.  Someone who appreciates sarcasm/dark humor and has the ability to engage in witty banter.  Someone who isn’t overly sensitive.  Someone who believes my cupcakes more than make up for my moodiness. Someone who makes me a better version of me!

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still (and always) living in Los Angeles.  Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Distinctive Assets. Working because I want to not because I need to.  Still throwing fabulous dinner parties and laughing with the amazing circle of friends I call family.

Lash’s Bio:

Lash Fary is the founder of Distinctive Assets. For ten years, Lash has worked with a veritable Who’s Who of Hollywood to introduce products/services to the entertainment industry and to develop celebrity-oriented promotions and events.

Lash and Distinctive Assets have set new standards for “giving and receiving” through their coveted Gift Baskets and Gift Lounges for major Hollywood events.  With a résumé of top award shows and a star-studded client roster, Lash has become an authority on style, celebrity shopping, entertainment marketing, product trends and gift giving.  Lash’s unique industry positioning and multi-faceted persona have created numerous high-profile opportunities and titles including author, host, entrepreneur, inventor, sultan of swag and gift guru.

Jordan McAuley, Founder of Contact Any Celebrity (with Ivanka Trump)

When you can’t find a head shot of yourself without a celebrity in it, you must be Jordan McAuley.  The 31 year-old  “King of Celebrity Contacts” and Founder of Contact Any Celebrity started his Hollywood-inspired career as a teenager and hasn’t looked back since (just ask Ivanka).

I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with the middle school version of Jordan, for turning his hobby of collecting celebrity contact information into a profitable business.  Had I known about guys like this back then, I probably would have spent less time thinking about Ricky Schroeder.  With far less than a business degree, or even a high school diploma, Jordan began selling mail-order celebrity contact lists he printed off an old dot-matrix printer for $30 apiece.  Jordan went on to college and paid his dues, earning a film degree from the University of Miami and working for a large media outlet as well as talent agencies in Hollywood.

But that’s not the fun part.  The fun part is imagining some teenage kid opening stacks of mail with checks inside.  Checks written by star-struck adults in search of autographs from their favorite Hollywood stars.  Not even Ricky Schroeder can say he’s done that.

1. Tell us about the services you offer through Contact Any Celebrity, and what separates you from your competition.

Contact Any Celebrity is an online Rolodex that offers the best  contact information for over 58,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide. It is updated daily, with every entry cross-referenced including phone, fax, and email addresses for the celebrity’s representatives (agent, manager, publicist, attorney, etc.). We also offer a postage refund guarantee, free research requests, weekly celebrity gift bag opportunities, and monthly insider interviews with guest experts.

2. You recently began posting celebrity twitter names as part of your directory.  How else have you kept up with the changing needs of your customers?

Originally, Contact Any Celebrity only provided mailing addresses for fans who wanted to request autographs by mail. Over time, many professionals began using the service, including nonprofits, businesses, authors, and the media. They wanted phone, fax, and email addresses, not for the celebrity’s themselves, but for their representatives (agent, manager, publicist, etc.). Now with Twitter and Facebook, people are able to contact celebrities directly, but it’s still difficult to know which profiles are real and which ones are fake. We save you time by listing the celebrity’s real profile in our Rolodex, so you can contact them directly from our site.

3. What five celebrity contacts are most requested from your database, and do you notice any trends?

This year the top 5 have been 1) Robert Pattinson 2) Oprah 3) Barack Obama 4) Miley Cyrus 5) Kate Gosselin.  The trends are when a personality suddenly becomes a fan favorite, like Robert Pattinson from Twilight. Or sadly when tragedy strikes.  Everyone wanted to contact Patrick Swayze when he was diagnosed with cancer, and now everyone wants to reach out to Michael Jackson’s relatives.

4. Your business taps into a relatively recent phenomenon.  Why do you think we as a culture are now so obsessed with celebrities?

Celebrities have always been popular, but in the past they were put higher up on a pedestal. People seemed more in awe of them. Today, we’re constantly seeing their flaws. Whether it’s in celebrity magazines, on TV reality shows, or online blogs. We don’t see celebrities as perfect anymore. One of Us Weekly’s most popular sections is called “Stars, They’re Just Like Us!” We feel like we know them. The economy and the war in Iraq is also part of the “fame junkie” equation, because people want to escape.

5. Aside from the website, you’ve also written a couple of books.  What are they, and how can they help a business owner like myself get products in the hands of celebrities?

The Celebrity Black Book is our annual directory of celebrity contact information. It comes out every year, listing the best mailing addresses for over 55,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide. For insider tips and tricks on how to contact celebrities in person, by mail, and online I recommend my other book, ‘Secrets to Contacting Celebrities: 101 Ways to Reach the Rich and Famous.” Both are available on Amazon. My new book, ‘Celebrity Leverage: How to Get Celebrity Endorsements, Instant Credibility and Star-Powered Publicity’ comes out in September for business owners and entrepreneurs.

6. What do you enjoy most about owning your own business?

Being able to make my own schedule — to some extent — and to make my own decisions. I get to do the parts I enjoy like marketing and publicity and outsource the things I don’t enjoy or don’t know how to do like database programming. I also don’t like anyone telling me what to do, so I love being my own boss!

7. Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Someone who has their own business or career and understands my schedule. I work — a lot. There are so many things I want to do. My business has become really successful but this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m not ready to settle down, lie on a couch and eat bon bons all day. I’d love to find someone who wants to contribute something to the world and is working to achieve that. We’d both be really busy but could plan a nice vacation together every once in a while.

8. Has being a single entrepreneur helped you or hurt you in business and why?

It’s helped in the fact that I’m not distracted and I have a lot of time to get things done. I’m not ready to settle down. For me work is fun. If I could find someone else who works a lot but enjoys it as much as I do, that would be amazing!

Jordan’s Bio:

Jordan McAuley’s record spans more than a decade in publicity, marketing, publishing, events and entrepreneurship.  Known as the “King of Celebrity Contacts,” his Contact Any Celebrity service is one of the most respected publicity resources in the world, with a blue-chip roster of over 5,000 marketers, publicists, nonprofits, journalists, and media clients who rely on it daily.

McAuley has been quoted in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Investor’s Business Daily, Publisher’s Weekly, Out Magazine, Inside Direct Mail, E! Online and other local and national media. He and his clients have been featured by the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Star Magazine, Village Voice, Entrepreneur Magazine, Instinct Magazine, and more. He has also appeared on CNN, National Public Radio (NPR), Q Television, Better TV, and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.  He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the GLAAD Media Circle, and the Information Marketing Association (IMA).

Jordan McAuley was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication (Motion Picture Business and English Literature) from the University of Miami in 2000.

Want to connect with Jordan?  Follow him on Twitter and Facebook!

Peter Shankman, Founder of HARO and the Geek Factory Inc.

75,000 PR professionals are walking on eggshells thanks to Peter Shankman.  At 36, the popular PR and Social Media guru has made a name for himself providing a free service so valuable to the media (and to the PR people who need access to them), that neither side dares to break his rules.  After all, no one wants to offend the guy who knows everyone and apparently sees everything (just try mentioning his name online while staying under his radar).  When that someone also has quick commentary available to thousands of hungry Social Media followers in less than an instant, you know Peter is a friend you want to have.

HARO, which stands for “Help a Reporter Out”, is a free email list that matches journalists with sources, often by way of PR and marketing professionals.  As someone with my own product to pitch, I can’t live without it.  Peter is endlessly entertaining, the sources are good, and the opportunity to connect with major media outlets is invaluable.

But there are rules.  And if you break them, well, don’t break them, because being publicly “outed” by Peter is not good for business.  And 75,000 people know it.

1.  OK, give us a quick 411 on HARO for anyone who doesn’t know already. HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out.  It’s a source repository of over 100,000 sources from all around the world who receive queries via email, three times a day, from reporters from media outlets all over the world.  Anyone can join at helpareporter.com – it’s totally free.

2.  Do you secretly love the fact that people are scared of you (ie being “outed by Peter”)?

I don’t, really. In a perfect world, people would learn to pitch on topic and correctly. This would make their pitches better, they wouldn’t fear being “outed,” because they’d be doing a good job to begin with.

3. What’s up between you and your assistant Meagan?  Are you torturing her out of cruelty or out of love?

Meagan is essentially my little sister. BUT – she’s my little sister who runs my life. I can’t do anything without her, from scheduling a coffee to getting on the right plane. She’s the OCD to my ADHD. She’s really become my lifeblood. That she wants to eat the occasional grasshopper is fine by me.

4. Is the Peter Shankman we see in Social Media a brand, the true you, or something in between?

There’s peter@shankman.com, the brand that everyone knows. Then there’s Peter Shankman. Very few people know that person. I kinda wish more people did.

5. You speak often about Karma.  How does this relate to HARO and to your life in general?

I believe that the universe tends to unfold the way it should, dictated by your actions towards other living things. I try to be a good and decent person, and help people and animals when I can. The end result, for me, anyway, is a fulfilling life with successful businesses, and somewhat of a successful personal life. I’m still working on the latter. I believe that the results of our actions are determined by our actions to begin with, both good and bad.

6. Why do you love Social Media, and why is it so important for businesses to get on board?

I truly believe that self-promotion, when done the right way, will save the world. If you self-promote, you cause other people to take notice of you at least once. Then, something happens: Either they believe in what you’re doing, or are positively affected by it, or they don’t, and they’re not. If they do, they become your promoters – they tell people how great what you’re doing is. If they don’t, they tell people how horrible you are, and you simply cease to be. Either way, nothing happens without self-promotion. Social Media is the ultimate tool for that, for both businesses and personal brands.

7. What kind of person are you looking for in life?  Do they have to be willing to jump out of a plane?

Every time I think I know, I find myself surprised. I want someone who is a partner first and foremost – someone who I can support in their challenges, and vice-versa. Someone who can be thrilled for me when I land a big deal, or have a great skydive, and someone who I can be just as thrilled for when she does something great as well. Really the perfect definition of partner. I hope to find it one day. I believe she’s out there somewhere.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I’d like to be running a foundation that really works to make sure we’re not overmedicating our children. Today, the second a kid shows any kind of creativity in school that’s not ”the norm,” we rush to put him or her on Ritalin or Adderall. I believe we’re destroying the next generation’s creativity by doing this, and within two generations, we’ll be a second rate power because of this. I hope to help prevent this from happening. ADHD is not a disability. Being normal and boring is.

Peter’s Bio:

PR Week Magazine has described Peter as “redefining the art of networking,” and Investor’s Business Daily has called him “crazy, but effective.” An entrepreneur, author, speaker, and ingenious worldwide connector, Peter is recognized nationally and globally for radically new ways of thinking about Social Media, PR, Marketing, Advertising, creativity, and just about everything else, as well.

Peter is perhaps best known for founding Help A Reporter Out, (HARO) which in under a year has become the de-facto standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources on deadline, offering them more than 100,000 sources around the world looking to be quoted in the media. HARO is currently the largest free source repository in the world, sending out over 1,200 queries from worldwide media each week. HARO’s tagline, “Everyone is an Expert at Something,” proves over and over again to be true, as thousands of new members join at helpareporter.com each week.

In addition to HARO, Peter is the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., a boutique Marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City, with clients worldwide. His blog, which he launched as a website in 1995, (shankman.com) both comments on and generates news and conversation.

Peter is the author of Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work and Why Your Company Needs Them (Wiley and Sons 2006) and in the few hours of spare time Peter has per month, he’s a frequent runner, with 13 completed marathons and three Olympic distance triathlons to his credit, an amateur boxer, and an “B” licensed skydiver, specializing in free-flying.

Want to connect with Peter?  Follow him on Twitter and Facebook!