People

February 2005

Kaye Blair
Southern Living at Home

I grew up in the Southeast near Knoxville, Tennessee, but I’ve come to love the west as my family and I have lived in Montana and Nevada and Colorado over the past 15 years. It always reminded me of the best family values of the south, with the natural beauty of the western landscape. 
My family including my husband, four sons, two dogs and a cat moved to Fort Collins in June 2002.  We found Fort Collins to have wonderful schools. Our eldest son graduated from Ridgeview Classical School and is currently attending CSU. Our second oldest will graduate this year from Fort Collins High (Go Lambkins!). Our third son is a sophomore at Fort Collins High. Our forth son is a preschooler involved in the MOPS program at Timberline Church.

I always enjoyed Southern Living Magazine as away to keep connected to my roots when we moved west for my husband, Mark’s work. When the opportunity to work for the Southern Living at Home came it was a perfect fit! We sell a line of products including Home décor items featured in the pages of the magazine by the designers. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting dozens of great people through my Southern Living at Home career, including my customers, Hostesses, and my growing team of consultants.

Southern Living at Home’s business model allows me to set my own schedule, which is important for me and my family. To work the hours that I need to while developing my own successful business plan. Southern Living at Home is a division of Southern Living Magazine which in turn is ultimately part of AOL Time Warner.
Southern Living at Home has afforded me away to help support my family, be productive outside the home while being able to be there for the important things in life. I absolutely love my business.

Kaye Blair
1-800-370-0616 pn. 70
www.Southernlivingathome.com/KayeB
SLAHKAYEB@yahoo.com

Matt West
Midnight Oil Graphics, Inc

“Midnight Oil? The band? You a big fan?”

If you did the bulk of your childhood development in the 80’s, that’s what you probably think when I tell you the name of my graphic design business.

Don’t. I’m not bald (yet) and I don’t have any Midnight Oil records.

I don’t dislike ‘em, but my business has nothing to do with the band from Down Under.

I grew up here in Northern Colorado, and after college my wife and I took an extended vacation to Arkansas and started a coffeehouse. Named it “Midnight Oil Coffeehouse.” If the pun has to be explained, there may be no point in trying.

In any case, when we couldn’t take it anymore, we sold out, packed up and moved out…back to Colorado. When I started my design business, I spent many sleepless nights seeking the perfect, clever new name. The creative block was unbeatable, and I figured, “Hey, it worked once; why not try it again?” Hence the name, Midnight Oil Graphics, Inc.

If you know anything about artists, you understand that the name really fits. Many of us do our best work while the rest of you are sleeping. We fuel the creativity with buckets of black coffee. We burn the midnight oil.

Segue.

Fort Collins is a great place to be in the design business; inspiration is everywhere you look. Everything from the beautiful natural scenery to the creative products of local artists present new fuel—oil, if you will—for the flame. Even as I write, the snow is pouring down, covering the old landscape and transforming the world into something completely new. Slippery, but new. Slippery new creative oil. Or something.

Got graphics problems that need quick, creative solutions? Specializing in small business, I can do anything from creating a completely new image, to simply rearranging your exsisting logo or making your artwork camera-ready, which can be an incredibly difficult enterprise, these days. I work closely with local purveyors of promotional products, so I’m your inside track there, as well. Give me a call; allow me to transform your image into a completely new animal. Or just an animal…completely useable by those finicky printers.

Matt West is the sole component in Midnight Oil Graphics, Inc. He drinks black coffee by the bucket, listens to LP records, and hand-planes bamboo fly rods in his spare time. Email him at friday17@frii.com.

Dreams Do Come True
By Michelle Rossi

As a child, as many of you have experienced, I was asked, “ so, Michelle, what do
you want to be when you grow up? “ This question was always a little perplexing.
I didn't have an answer.
I was taught that Id have to work very hard at my chosen career. By the looks
on the faces of the adults around me after a long days work. I began to accept that
having a career meant long hours, high stress, hard work and not much fun at all!
So, you can understand when I was asked “ what do you want to be when you grow
up ? “ what I heard was,” What kind of job would you like to not look forward to
going to each and every day for the rest of your life? “ Its no wonder why I didn't
have an answer.
Later in life, in my early twenties, on my quest for self discovery and
authenticity, my in-ate talents and gifts began to shine through all that I did. I soon
learned that not everyone had the same talents I had. Not everyone could do what I
could do. So I began to focus on developing my natural talents and the things that
came easy to me, by reading and taking classes. On the side, of course, since I
couldn't possibly have fun, love what I do, and get paid for it. That just wasn't
practical.
Then one day I came across a book that changed my perception forever. It read a
little something like this. Instead of picking a career, let your career pick you. Focus
on what inspires you. The feelings and qualities you would like to posses. What are
your natural gifts and talents? What comes easy to you? Well, The word easy
through me for a loop. Work being easy? Couldn't be true. Or could it? I read on.
Einstein wasn't a composer and Mozart wasn't a scientist. And they didn't know
how important their talent was to the world, until after they did what they did.
And there it was, the new perspective I was needing to fully understand. I accepted
this as my new reality and began to create a new blue print for a happy, healthy,
successful career.
With my new found inspiration, I began to focus on the qualities that would
make me happy in a career. I focused on my natural talents. And on the types of
daily activities I enjoyed doing. Everything began to fall into place. I soon got a
job doing what I loved. It wasn't perfect but it gave me all the knowledge,
experience, and resources I needed to continue on my path. It was the perfect
stepping stone. I continued to hold on to all the qualities Id love to experience
through my job. While staying focused on learning as much as possible. Knowing in
my heart, that if I stayed true to myself and the things I do best, I would have my
“ dream Job”.
Well, here I am. Yes ,the story has a happy ending. As the title says, Dreams do
come true. I am now in my mid thirties and have owned my own Interior design
company for a year and a half. I LOVE MY JOB ! I get to have fun every day. I
get to be creative, inspiring , help people live better by making there space a true
reflection of there best self. I have a flexible schedule. I even get to shop for a living.
Wow! The real dream is how Id feel each and every day I woke and knew what I
had to look forward to. That my real success was in doing what came easy to me.
So, the next time you find yourself asking a child,” what do you want to be when
you grow up? “ Think about what your really asking. Then sit back and enjoy the
dreams in their eyes.

Michelle Rossi

Michelle Rossi owner of Rossi Designs, and independent Interior Decorator that puts her main focus on providing creative, quality, affordable service to the average home owner. Please visit her web site for more information. rossidesigns.com

Dawn Garcia
Rugged Peak Design

Fort Collins is an entrepreneurial adventureland! How many of you have always wanted to start your own business but didn’t know where to begin or how you would get clients knocking on your door and a consistent payroll?

I wanted to have it all: watch my son grow up outside of day care, take him on play dates and adventures to Lee Martinez Farm and train rides at the park, but I still needed to make enough money to pay the bills.

I never really thought about owning and operating my own business. There are so many fears that outweigh the benefits. My husband and I had it all planned out when we lived in Boise. We would sell our house, pay off our debt and I wouldn’t have to work, but then we had a crazy notion to sell our house, quit our jobs, pack up the moving van and our vehicles and head East of Boise, Idaho to Fort Collins, Colorado. It was an incredibly brave adventure, especially with a 6-month-old, a cat, a dog, seven plants, my in-laws in tow, and a two-day trip in February. We had no jobs waiting for us, just a rental house we would have to pay rent for in a month. We discovered that being too far away from family was not on our lifetime agenda, so we headed closer to home (Iowa and Nebraska). My husband and his family had visited Fort Collins many times and had always wanted to move here. So, we picked Fort Collins being the closest to home without going all the way back. The mountains, the seasons, the mild weather, the people, Old Town to name a few were huge players in the decision game.

It must have been the right decision because shortly after we moved here, I was offered a part-time graphic design job where I could work at home. My husband didn’t find the luck right away, though. He was working early hours at the Golf Course shoveling three feet of snow and picking up tree branches. Finally, the luck came for both of us as he was offered a job at a small company doing just what he was doing in Boise. I found another part-time job that allowed me to work at home, also, as a Web Designer. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to get paying jobs that insisted I work from home. When I was pregnant with my son in Boise, I looked hard for a job that would allow me to work from home, but to no avail.

Shortly before Christmas, I was unemployed. I knew I had to do something and I wasn’t going back into the out-of-the-home business world. I had accustomed myself to the luxury of working from home, my hours, my pay, my way – in my pajamas. That is when I founded Rugged Peak Design. I had so many fears, especially spending money in order to get the business going and not knowing of any return. I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t know who I wanted my business to be tailored to, I didn’t know very many people in town, I had no money to put into owning my own business – I was actually at a loss of what to even do or where to begin. All I had was a business name.

A friend of mine told me that her husband went to a Leads Group twice a month. I didn’t even know what a Leads Group was, but I went anyway, and all I had was a business name and generic business cards that I printed off of my LaserJet. I went away from that first Leads Group with a new perspective and hope that I could do this; I could operate my own business and be successful.

One year later, I have a plan and I have been pretty successful, but I do have to thank a couple of people that helped along the way. I am very excited about my adventure to Fort Collins and the chance it has given me to meet so many fascinating people while doing a job that I love.

Dawn Garcia

Dawn Garcia is owner of Rugged Peak Design, a design and editorial services company specializing in Graphic and Web Design, Writing and Editing. Rugged Peak Design is a freelance business that tailors to the small business with the small budget. Please visit her web site for more information at www.ruggedpeakdesign.com or call 970.377.0062.

Kim Martinec
A Needle Pulling Thread

After building a successful working relationship with a number of Interior Designers and Decorators and fabricating numerous home decor items to their specifications, a combination of favorable circumstances led me to relocate from Eau Claire, Wisconsin (town of 60,000 located approximately 100 miles east of the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area) to Fort Collins in August of 2004. I am once again working to create this same type of relationship here in the Fort Collins area where I can put the same skills and talents to good use. I thoroughly enjoy working with clients and Design professionals to bring their visions to life! Fortunately, my workroom is portable and starting over is always refreshing and exciting!

Let me take you back in time and share with you how I became involved in the design and fabrication of window treatments and soft home furnishings. A favorite childhood pastime of mine was the beginning of my journey. As a young girl (grade school age), my best friend Rita and I would spend numerous hours designing and fabricating apparel, home decor items, and homes for our collection of "Troll" dolls. We enlisted the help of our families in acquiring boxes of all shapes and sizes and other potential treasures that would later become the finished products of our designs. The two of us were quite a creative team and didn't realize at the time where this pastime would lead us.

I believe now, looking back, that these activities inspired our paths all the way through college into the present. Rita was an Art major and then went on to become an Architect specializing in Historical Preservation. I was a Retail Merchandising major with concentrations in three areas: Clothing Construction, Textiles, and Business. I worked in the corporate world in various positions while also operating a home based sewing business. I finally pursued the occupation of "Designing and Fabricating" of soft home furnishings when I chose to have a career that I could blend more easily with my family yet would still allow me to share my creative ideas and talents with others and generate an income.

Throughout my journey, I have come to learn what I love about what I do. I love the initial design process involving style, fabric selections and passenmentaries (French word for decorative trims) to create a truly unique look. I love to present these ideas to clients and build up their enthusiasm and excitement. Then, I love to plan the fabrication process and skillfully create the products using high end construction techniques. After the construction is complete, I love the delivery and installation of the finished goods. What I love most is the smiles on the faces of my clients when they see the finished goods. I have even generated some tears of joy! What a feeling! I really feel like I have found my niche!

Along my way, I have taken time to attend just about any class or seminar related to window treatments and soft home furnishings that I can get to. I love the excitement that is generated at these gatherings and always come away with new ideas and knowledge and can't wait to find a "home" for them. I have mastered the Associates level of the Window Fashions Certification Program and look forward to working for the Specialists level in this nationwide certification program. I also take time to gather books of all kinds to add to my library and read trade journals relating to what I do. I am usually in the fabric stores on a regular basis always looking for what's new and to search for treasured pieces of fabric to add to my collection. I am also found inspecting window treatments wherever I go just to see how they were fabricated.

My workroom is constantly growing along with my knowledge and experience. I am excited about the opportunities ahead of me in this area and look forward to being of value in my field in this area. I would love to help you bring your ideas to life and put a smile on your face through my soft home furnishings design and fabrication business, A Needle Pulling Thread. I can be reached at 970-204-0354.

Kim Martinec

Barb Bovberg
Creative Memories Consultant


I have been an avid scrapbooker for about 10 years and last April, I decided to turn my passion into a business and share my enthusiasm with others. I've used a lot of scrapbooking supplies over the years, and I've always found that Creative Memories makes the best-quality products. I'm excited to be able to help people preserve their family photos in a creative way. And who doesn’t like looking at photographs? Taking pictures (either film or digital) is only the first step—preserving them memorably in a Creative Memories album is essential. If you spend money on a less-expensive knock off, you’ll regret it. You’ll then be out the cost of two items instead of one.

Whenever I’m taking pictures of an event or even a candid moment, I think in terms of how the shots will look in the scrapbook. My 4-year-old loves looking at her albums. They tell the story of her life. It’s important to not only put the pictures in an album but also to tell the story behind the photos so that others can enjoy the moment vicariously.

I’d love to help you with your album-making needs. I offer monthly workshops at my home (the first Friday of every month from 6 to11p.m…cost is $2 per hour). I also teach hands-on classes to help you get started with your scrapbooks, and home shows that demonstrate the Creative Memories product line. From albums to adhesives, from pens to cutting systems, from stickers to paper…Creative Memories has everything you need to complete your albums. Our paper, pens, and stickers all coordinate with one another, too. And best of all, when you invest in Creative Memories, you get me to help you achieve your goals and cheer you along the way.

I’d love to hear from you! Please email me at bovberg@frii.com and I’ll add you to my mailing list and keep you updated on new products and upcoming classes I’m offering.

Barb Bovberg

Barb Bovberg has lived in Fort Collins for nearly 13 years. She and her husband and two daughters (ages 4 ½ and 6 months) enjoy the seasons, the many outdoor activities the city and mountains have to offer, and the many wonderful people that they have met.

Karen Marcus
Final Draft Communications

My Fort Collins clients have given me wonderful opportunities to learn about a wide range of topics, including business development, technology, spa services, natural resources, travel, finance, art, and real estate, just to name a few. In my work, it helps to have a developed sense of curiosity. The fun part for me is writing about these things. It is challenging and rewarding to assist my clients in developing and communicating strong messages about their services and products.

People have asked me when I knew I wanted to be a writer. It seems “writer” was always one of my career choices, along with “nurse,” “doctor,” “psychiatrist,” “attorney,” and “accountant.” Though I kept an interest in all these areas, throughout high school and college my aptitudes and interests pointed more toward literary pursuits.

I moved to Fort Collins in 1994 to attend graduate school in the English department at CSU. The breadth of the Communications Development program was a valuable add-on to my B.A. in literature and provided a solid basis for pursuing a career in communications.

Because I conduct most of my business online and by phone, I could work anywhere. But, I choose to work and live in Fort Collins because of its beauty, proximity to both natural and cultural resources, and all the great people I’ve met here. I don’t plan to leave anytime soon, but, if I did, I would miss the friendly people, the bike path, the beautiful views, the casual attitude, the outdoor focus, and the great beer!

Karen Marcus

You can sign up for the Final Draft Communications newsletter, “Word Nerd’s Tip of the Month” by sending e-mail to wordnerd@finaldraftcommunications.com, using “subscribe” in the subject line, and including your first and last name in the message body.

Karen Marcus calls herself a Word Nerd because she is “fascinated with language.” When not working in or on her business, Final Draft Communications, she enjoys yoga; writing fiction; reading; and getting together with friends. You can reach Karen by phone at 970.207.9294 or by e-mail at karen@finaldraftcommunications.com.