Podclair

Episode 83, Part 2: Montclair's Community Response to Corona - Graduation Season & Youth Impact

Part 2: In this episode, we take a look at the effect that the shutdown has had on our teens, graduation celebrations and how it will alter the way seniors and their families are making college decisions for the fall. We'll get some guidance on the outlook for making preparations for college this year from College Admissions Consultant and Counselor Scott White. He has counseled and led teams at various schools in the New York and New Jersey area and was the former Montclair High School Director of Guidance. We'll also talk to Erika Insana and Shannon Gibson, who are leading the volunteer team for the yearly Project Graduation festivities for Montclair High School. Plus we'll have an added mini-segment on what seniors are thinking of distance learning and the disruption to their college plans.

Episode 83, Part 1: Montclair's Community Response to Corona - Graduation Season & Youth Impact

In this episode, we take a look at the effect that the shutdown has had on our teens, graduation celebrations and how it will alter the way seniors and their families are making college decisions for the fall. We'll get some guidance on the outlook for making preparations for college this year from College Admissions Consultant and Counselor Scott White. He has counseled and led teams at various schools in the New York and New Jersey area and was the former Montclair High School Director of Guidance. We'll also talk to Erika Insana and Shannon Gibson, who are leading the volunteer team for the yearly Project Graduation festivities for Montclair High School. Plus we'll have an added mini-segment on what seniors are thinking of distance learning and the disruption to their college plans.

Episode 82: Montclair's Community Response to Corona - Marketing Strategies for Business in Recovery

In this episode, we'll be looking at the strategies and marketing ideas for reopening our local businesses as we continue to recover from COVID19. We'll talk with two of our local business people who are known for their marketing expertise and creativity.

Barbara Lemley is the principal at the Montclair-based branding studio, Identity In Design in Upper Montclair. She's also the founder of Montclair Design Perspectives and has been an active member of the Montclair community for over 15 years. Her experience has been proved in sales and marketing programs at places like Estee Lauder, Donna Karan Beauty and Bloomingdales. Barbara has used her strategic voice in both the retail and wholesale sectors and has developed customer engagement through shop design, digital content, and social platforms. She's been involved with many Montclair-area organizations such as the Montclair Center BID, the Upper Montclair Business Association, and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. She's currently a member of the Board of Management at The Van Vleck House & Gardens.

We'll also be speaking with Paul Giordano. He is the owner of White Rabbit, Black Heart. His first store, Paul Michael Designs, was in Whippany and had a greater focus on floral arrangements and event preparations. But he discovered Montclair and decided to open Sweet Home Montclair on Glenridge Avenue. It carried homemade sweets, cards and stationary as well as unique, thoughtful gifts. He rebranded as White Rabbit, Black Heart about a year ago and he now carries all sorts of beautiful, snarky, spunky, and lovely gifts for all occasions and he still sells those candies he's made famous. We talk with him about these challenging times along with how he has been using his store windows to communicate with his customers through posting sentiments there.

Episode 81, Part 2: Montclair's Community Response to Corona-Montclair Center BID, Feliciano Center at Montcair State University, Ani Ramen's #BeAwesomeFeedSomebody

In this episode of Podclair, we're focusing on the business aspect of our town's recovery.  Today we'll talk with three people who are deeply involved with this question.

 

First, we'll be talking to Carley Graham Garcia. Carley became executive director of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Montclair State University in September 2019. Previously, she served as Head of External Affairs at Google where she was responsible for public policy, government relations, and community engagement for the New York City region. Carley lives with her husband, son, and daughter in Montclair. She's working with Jason Gleason of the Montclair BID and Petia Morozov owner of DesignShed and founder of Montclair Design Week to direct attention at recovery strategies through an online group of local business owners.

We'll also speak with Jason Gleason, a long-time resident of Montclair, NJ, formerly associated with The Pig & Prince Restaurant, who has served on the board at the Montclair BID and has recently taken the helm as Executive Director.

And lastly, we'll wrap up this episode with a short interview with Luck Sarabhayavanija of Ani Ramen. Luck closed his business due to the Covid19 emergency but opened up again recently with a revamped business plan that includes making his business a non-profit, #BeAwesomeFeedSomebody, that provides support and food for first responders and victims of Covid19 using a new restaurant,  Rock City Pizza and Bang Bang Chicken where they'll offer take-out for our residents and raise funds for those in need. He's on the leading edge of figuring out how businesses can survive in the new economic and social reality.

 

https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/

https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/innovation-3d-printing/mix-lab/

https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/featured-programs/2020-pitch-contest/

 

https://montclaircenter.com/montclair-mondays/

https://montclaircenter.com/covid-19-resources-for-small-businesses/

Episode 81, Part 1: Montclair's Community Response to Corona - Montclair Center BID, Feliciano Center at Montclair State University, Ani Ramen's #BeAwesomeFeedSomebody

In this episode of Podclair, we're focusing on the business aspect of our town's recovery.  Today we'll talk with three people who are deeply involved with this question.

 

First, we'll be talking to Carley Graham Garcia. Carley became executive director of the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Montclair State University in September 2019. Previously, she served as Head of External Affairs at Google where she was responsible for public policy, government relations and community engagement for the New York City region. Carley lives with her husband, son, and daughter in Montclair. She's working with Jason Gleason of the Montclair BID and Petia Morozov owner of DesignShed and founder of Montclair Design Week to direct attention at recovery strategies through an online group of local business owners.

We'll also speak with Jason Gleason, a long-time resident of Montclair, NJ, formerly associated with The Pig & Prince Restaurant, who has served on the board at the Montclair BID and has recently taken the helm as Executive Director.

And lastly, we'll wrap up this episode with a short interview with Luck Sarabhayavanija of Ani Ramen. Luck closed his business due to the Covid19 emergency but opened up again recently with a revamped business plan that includes making his business a non-profit, #BeAwesomeFeedSomebody, that provides support and food for first responders and victims of Covid19 using a new restaurant,  Rock City Pizza and Bang Bang Chicken where they'll offer take-out for our residents and raise funds for those in need. He's on the leading edge of figuring out how businesses can survive in the new economic and social reality.

 

https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/

https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/innovation-3d-printing/mix-lab/

https://www.montclair.edu/entrepreneur/featured-programs/2020-pitch-contest/

 

https://montclaircenter.com/montclair-mondays/

https://montclaircenter.com/covid-19-resources-for-small-businesses/

 

Episode 80, Part 2: Montclair's Community Response to Corona - Distance Learning, Daycare, Working from Home

We speak with three local professionals whose businesses are part of a support system for Montclair families. They help manage our households full of busy, active teens, toddlers, and their overworked parents. In America today, in 2020, an average of 57% of households have two working parents. That means this pandemic has severely complicated the lives of most of our residents here in Montclair.

 

In Part 2, we speak with Howard Weinrib who handles the Education Technology for Montclair School System and who also owns an educational company called TEKI that provides experiences that build self-confidence and leadership qualities in young people while integrating 21st-century technology into learning. And finally, we'll talk with Jay Shah who owns The Education Station Day Care Center in Bloomfield. We'll hear about the problems that arise for the families who have had to forego daycare while still working from home and we'll hear about the daunting position our local businesses are facing as they look forward to the end of the quarantine.

 

(In Part 1, we'll speak with Paula Ochs from the Family Service League. They provide support and strengthen families in need in Essex County through counseling, education, and social services.)

 

Financing website resources for small businesses:

US Small Business Administration
https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
https://www.nj.gov/labor/employer-services/business/covid.shtml

US Chamber of Commerce
https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/small-business-resources-for-surviving-coronavirus

Essex County Community Foundation
https://www.essexcountycreates.org/covid-19-resources-and-information

 

Episode 80, Part 1: Montclair's Community Response to Corona - Distance Learning, Daycare, Working from Home

We speak with three local professionals whose businesses are part of a support system for Montclair families. They help manage our households full of busy, active teens, toddlers, and their overworked parents. In America today, in 2020, an average of 57% of households have two working parents. That means this pandemic has severely complicated the lives of most of our residents here in Montclair.

 

In Part 1, we'll speak with Paula Ochs from the Family Service League. They provide support and strengthen families in need in Essex County through counseling, education, and social services. 

 

(In Part 2, we speak with Howard Weinrib who handles the Education Technology for Montclair School System and who also owns an educational company called TEKI that provides experiences that build self-confidence and leadership qualities in young people while integrating 21st-century technology into learning. And finally, we'll talk with Jay Shah who owns The Education Station Day Care Center in Bloomfield. We'll hear about the problems that arise for the families who have had to forego daycare while still working from home and we'll hear about the daunting position our local businesses are facing as they look forward to the end of the quarantine.)

 

 

 

Financing website resources for small businesses:

US Small Business Administration
https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
https://www.nj.gov/labor/employer-services/business/covid.shtml

US Chamber of Commerce
https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/small-business-resources-for-surviving-coronavirus

Essex County Community Foundation
https://www.essexcountycreates.org/covid-19-resources-and-information

 

Episode 79: Montclair's Community Response to Corona, Part 2

In this episode, we’ll continue to showcase some of the people and organizations that are helping our community get through this terrible time. stay home so we all need the patience to get through this.

We’ll talk to some of the people and organizations in our community that are helping those who need it most, victims of the pandemic. John Fromhold, Tim O’Brien and Valerie Allusson of Mountainside Hospital spoke with me about what we should know about their program to help us get through this, what we can do to help our health workers and how they’re doing at the hospital.

Then we’ll take a look at the efforts of the Office of Emergency Management here in town. This is a job that most of us never think of or may not know we have here in town. We don’t think of it until we need it. Chief John Herrmann leads this team and speaks with us about what they’re doing behind the scenes, working to protect our citizens.

We’ll also speak with Buddy Evans who heads up the YMCA’s here in town. He’ll tell us about services and programs they have to help health workers and our community.

And we’ll speak with the Mary Murdoch, owner of Murdoch’s Shoes, a long-standing business in Bloomfield that is pitching in to help the tireless workers at the hospital be a little more comfortable on the job.

 

http://jtmurdoch.com/

marketing@mountainsidehosp.com

www.montclairymca.org

https://montclairnjusa.org/corona_virus_COVID-19_information

Episode 78: Montclair's Community Response to Corona

Right now, we're all living through a remarkable time in the history of our world---and of our country. We're a diverse and social community that thrives on the day-to-day flow of business and social relationships. They're the bedrock of our love for Montclair. But that flow of energy has slowed considerably and we are struggling to find a path through all this while still taking care of each other.

Today's episode is about just that---finding a path through hard times to a sunnier day. We'll be talking with members of our community who are striving to help others and find a way to stay positive while keeping in touch with each other and with the values we all cherish.

We'll talk with people stepping up to help our health community like Alan Schatzberg of Schatzberg Drapery, Anne Mernin of Toni's Kitchen about the help they and others are providing for food-insecure households, Peter Coyl from Montclair Public Library about how they can help your boredom, and we'll feature a few people who are relying on self-help to survive this pandemic as well. We'll also give you a go-to list for local help and charitable causes.

 

Sources mentioned in this episode:

Montclair Library - montclairlibrary.org

Toni’s Kitchen - toniskitchen.org

Stuffed Burger - stuffedgrassfedburgers.com

United Way - 866-211-9966  - unitedwaynnj.org

Vets4Warriors - 855-838-8255 - vets4warriors.com

Mom2Mom - 877-914-6662 - mom2mom.com

Care2Caregivers - 800-424-2494 - care2caregivers.com

NJ Vet2Vet - 866-838-7654 - njvet2vet.com

NJ Peer Recovery - 833-422-2765 - njppnj.com

Aid NJEA - 866-243-6532 - njea.org/aid-njea-can-help

Cop2Cop - 866-267-2267 - njcop2cop.com

Umbrella - 844-402-2480 - askumbrella.com

Montclair Design Week - 973-744-2544 ext. 3 - montclairdesignweek.org

NJMentalHealthCares - 1-866-202-4357 - njmentalhealthcares.org

Alan Schatzberg Drapery - 201-440-8855 - alanschatzberg.com

Debra Dixon Anderson-Light of Gold Marketing 917-385-1079 lightofgoldpr.com

GoFundMe for Mountainside - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-feed-our-healthcare-heroes

Episode 77: Pee-kaboo Stickers

We speak with Nina Nsilo Swai creator of the potty training solution Pee-kaboo Potty Stickers.  As a young woman, Nina Nsilo Swai had plans to follow her diplomat father into a job focused on international business in some way or another. But life has a way of taking you in directions you never planned! She grew up between Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and New York City. But after earning her degree in urban planning, the first place she found a need for her talents was in the local New York area, working with some of the poorest of the cities inhabitants. Soon, she met and married her husband and they became a multicultural family with a special needs child.

Eventually, they moved to New Jersey to access special schooling for their, now, two children and Nina began to plan for a different kind of personal success.

She tells us the story of her journey to integrate her ambitions for herself with the needs of her children and family. She tells us of waiting in a coffee shop in Verona while they were in school, researching how to start her own business and creating some ideas. Fast forward - today she has a flourishing company that markets her product all over the US.