Marc Bluestone to speak at the May 24th Ohio PPFA meeting

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GUMBY GCF

GUMBY GCF

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
In Memorium
Rest In Peace

Gone but not forgotten
Joined
Dec 7, 2001
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
May 24th meeting Ohio PPFA Meeting

Call today RSVP! 330-657-2228
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You Have to come to this Meeting Marc is an industry Leader and an excellent speaker. This is a must come! No matter if you are a Home Base Framer or have two or three stores. Maybe you are working as a framer and someday want to open your own shop You Have to come to this meeting.

[ Call today RSVP! 330-657-2228
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Here is why you must come

Its no secret that more and more big companies are getting into the framing business. They have huge advertising budgets and scream price at every opportunity. How do they do it? Is framing a loss leader or profit center for them? Are they after your customer?

In his talk, Marc will suggest specific strategies that you can apply to your business in an increasingly challenging market.
*Advertising
*Sales practices
*Customer satisfaction guarantees
*Adding value for customers
Our future is changing;Get a jump on the competition by attending this important session.

Marc Bluestone Bio
Marc Bluestone is president of FrameGroup Incorporated of St. Louis, Missouri. FrameGroup operates 10 custom frame stores, a commercial framing division and an internet-based art sales business. With extensive experience in sales, merchandising and operations, he writes business articles for “Picture Framing Magazine” and is a popular speaker at business conferences and trade events.

RSVP TO 330-657-2228 Call Now
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ALSO MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
SEPTEMBER 20th- CPF Test- Details to follow
OCTOBER 18th- Framing competition. Details will be discussed at the May 24th meeting
 
If you haven't been to a Marc Bluestone class, prepare for an epiphany.

And if you've seen Marc before, prepare for a new revelation.

Every time I hear him speak, I take home a new resolve to put the ideas to work.
 
I'll add my voice to those who recommend Marc's presentations. He spoke to our chapter a year ago.

I expected him to be knowledgeable and informative, and I wasn't disappointed. But he talks about business, so I certainly didn't expect him to be entertaining and personable.

He was both.
 
And my apologies to those of you who are engaged in the thankless task of trying to teach business principles to picture framers. You have a reputation for being dry, and I'm sure it's largely undeserved.
 
Well, you see, we do things a little differently in Ohio. Instead of telling everyone where to go, we just mention which small town the meeting's in, and then we all just sort of drive around until we find it.

Seriously, call 330-657-2228 and register. If you're within 500 miles of Cleveland, you won't want to miss this one:

Monday May 24th 7:00 pm
Holiday Inn Hudson
Rt 8 and Ohio Tpke Exit 12
(call 330-656-1252 for directions)
$10 members
$35 non members
 
Thanks Jim
For filling in for me on that. I just got back since make this post. The meeting is in Hudson Ohio.

“ATTACK OF THE BIG BOXES”
What you can do to maintain your piece of the pie.

Instructor: Marc Bluestone

Monday May 24th 7:00 pm

Holiday Inn Hudson

Rt 8 and Ohio Tpke Exit 12

(call 330-656-1252 to RSVP & for directions)
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$10 members

$35 non members
 
Almost forgot If you plan to stay Sunday or Monday night. Here is the info on the hotel.For reservations, please call 1-800-310-6154

Area Attractions

-Six Flags World of Adventure 14 Miles
-Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resorts 6 Miles
-Stan Hywett Mansion 14.5 Miles
-Hale Farm & Village 8.3 Miles
-Cuyahoga Valley Science Railroad 5 Miles
-Canton Footbal Hall of Fame 35 Miles
-Inventure Place 14 Miles
-Jacobs Field 30 Miles

Area Activities

- Tennis Courts - Onsite

HOLIDAY INN HUDSON
"Conveniently located between Cleveland and Akron."

240 HINES HILL ROAD
HUDSON, OH 44236
15 MIN SIX FLAGS/20 MIN CLEVE.


"Within minutes of area attractions."
The Holiday Inn Hudson is located 30 miles from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. This full-service hotel is conveniently located between the cities of Cleveland and Akron with easy on and off access to the Ohio Turnpike and Route 8. The hotel is within minutes of major area attractions including Canton Football Hall of Fame, Gund Arena, Jacobs Field and Hale Farm and Village. The hotel offers an array of amenities. From a business center, dry cleaning service and meeting rooms to a sauna, tennis courts and outdoor pool, both business and leisure travelers alike will want to take advantage of the many features of this hotel.

"Spacious and comfortable rooms."
Spacious and well appointed, the beautiful guest rooms give guests a great place to retire to after a long day full of activities, work or sightseeing. Friendly and upbeat, the hotel's staff knows the important role hospitality plays in the success and enjoyment of any hotel stay. The Holiday Inn Hudson is close to area dining, shopping and entertainment venues.



Indoor Pool
Restaurant

Property Amenities


- Business Center
- Children Stay Free - 17 Years and Under
- Cribs
- Dry Cleaning Service
- Express Check In/Out
- Fitness Facility
- Game Room
- Gift Shop
- Indoor Pool
- Lounge
- Meeting Facilities
- Outdoor Pool
- Restaurant
- Rollaway Bed - Charges Apply
- Room Service
- Sauna
- Security
- Wake Up Service
- Whirlpool
 
I fail to understand why these special business talks/discussions are not video taped so those of us that can't attend every meeting can still benefit?

Just don't release the tape until after the event is over.

You know, the video can be sold at a profit so the cost of doing the taping would probably be off-set.

best
 
Originally posted by clifpa:
I fail to understand why these special business talks/discussions are not video taped so those of us that can't attend every meeting can still benefit?...the video can be sold at a profit so the cost of doing the taping would probably be off-set.
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Clifpa:

Here are a few reasons, in no particular order...

There's a synergy in class that can't be duplicated on tape. If you're there, you see & hear it all -- not just the limited sights & sounds of a camera. Everyone can participate. Often, a comment or question from one student removes another's confusion. The one outstanding detail of a class, most useful to a particular framer, might be missed.

Those who go to classes care enough about the topic to invest their time and money, and they take the learning seriously. Their personal investment in the class adds to their experience, which benefits everyone there. In that environment, the retention rate is much better than watching a class on TV.

Watching a technical framing class, or -- Heaven forbid -- a business class on TV might be about as exciting as watching mosquitos mate. Can you imagine two or three hours of detailed discussion, with no celebrities, no sex, no explosions, no car chases?

In large quantities,video/audio reproduction is practical. But in our industry the numbers are too small. Even crude taping is cost-prohibitive, and so is duplication of tapes or CDs/DVDs in small quantities. I know -- I've checked. PFM Seminars audio taped and reproduced cassettes of most classes at the 2002 WCAF in Las Vegas. It was an economical project, but they still didn't sell enough to break even.

Not a lot of framers would buy a tape/disk. Maybe 100 would eventually buy them, and then resell or loan them to others. Pirating is a problem, too.

So far, there's no substitute for attending classes in person. Every group of framers is unique; every class presentation -- no matter how carefully prepared -- ends up with a different mix of Q&A discussion, tailored to the students who are there. And most of us, after taking in the topics presented, have questions of our own to ask. No way to handle those on a videotape.

One of these days internet-based education might become practical. It could be produced now, but few of us have enough bandwidth to receive an online, interactive class (operative word: interactive.) If you know of a practical way to do it, lots of us would like to hear about it.
 
Jim is so right. I had a class taped a few years ago by PPFA. The production value was so poor that when attempting to make a transcription, they had to ask me what I said. Even then, it was based on what I thought I said (and is that dangerous).

I really don't think someone can get much of the class in this manner. It's tough enough for me to keep the people awake in person. On tape, the snoring could really be deafening.

The real value of these classes, as I'm sure most educators will agree, is the dynamic created by give and take Q&A's.

Most of us are simply not adept at "playing to the camera" and I'm afraid it would show up big time.

And then some of us have a face for audio, anyway
 
Many years ago, when the PPFA had conventions in Chicago (before the big fire, I think) I bought a set of cassette tapes of every class they had - even the ones I took. I figured I could listen to them in the car while I drive back-and-forth to conventions in Chicago. That was the LAST Chicago PPFA convention.

It's just not the same. You can't ask questions of the good instructors, like Marc. And you can't heckle the bad ones, like . . . well, never mind. You can't pass notes to your friends, and you can't make NEW friends.

I'd rather attend one good class in person than have tapes - even video tapes - of every class ever conducted.

Besides, the camera adds ten pounds.
 
Jim, Bob and Ron,

First, Jim...I have, and will in the future, attend shows and PPFA seminar's, i.e., I have signed up to attend the Greg Perkins design class this coming Monday, and I have attended several of your classes, ...so Jim, wink, I don't fit into the first group.

You all raise very good points. Stupid me, I should have figured that out since I was video taped a couple of times by pro's and though the quality was great sssooooo much was lost in the interaction between attendee's and myself, i.e., couldn't hear the question, couldn't see body language and sometimes couldn't hear my answer with my back turned while writing on a board....yes you are quite right...thanks
 
For those of you on the fence about this meeting, the allure of a flushed and panting Framing Goddess should be too much to resist.

I wonder if there's any air in my bike tires.
 
FG
Don't forget the State of Ohio requires a light if riding after dark. Be very careful our bike club has lost two riders already this year to bike accidents. There are some crazy drivers out there. I used to ride 2000 to 3000 mile a year on my bike up until about 4 years ago. hope you wear a helmet not that it will help that much but better than nothing
 
Oh, my favorite topic- bicycling!

Ron,
It takes more than a lil old bike ride to get the goddess flushed and panting! Goodness, cover your eyes, children!

Jim,
I haven't heard about any bicycling accidents! Can you direct me to any more information on this?
You will be glad to know that I am fanatical about being visible on my bike- I have reflective clothing, a reflective vest and a bands, a white blinking headlight, red blinkies on the front and rear and two rearview mirrors. I would not get anywhere near the roads without a helmet. I know about the crazy driving that goes on and I find it worth it to keep riding despite getting yelled at all the time to "get off the road!" or "get on the sidewalk!" by ignorant rude drivers who have no knowlege of the motor vehicle code. Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming on...

I am going to brag a moment here and tell you that I rode all winter, through all sorts of precipitation. I bicycle-commute to work everyday, btw. Even though it makes everyone else crazy, it keeps me sane. While I am bragging, check out what my boyfriend, Marty, is doing right now:

http://greengrrl.com/bulgarianbikeblog/

Be sure to click on the "comments" on each blog entry and feel free to add your own.

Edie the helmethead goddess
 
TRY Stark County Bicycle Club web page
 
People tell me to "be careful out there!" when I ride off on the bike. The reality of it is that the drivers of vehicles need to be more careful, aware, respectful. There is not much I can do about that other than help to increase everyone's awareness that bicyclists are there and have a right to be so. Hence this cut-n-paste.

I'd like to see this driver's head on a platter.

edie the takingnoprisonerstoday goddess


"On Saturday, May 1, Bob Bachtel, an experienced bicyclist and a long-time member of the Stark County Bicycle Club, was struck and killed by a vehicle while participating in a bicycling event in Dayton, Ohio. Bob was making a left turn, and the motorist violated the law by crossing a double-yellow line to pass bicyclists who were properly signaling for the left turn. The bicyclists were obeying the law. The bicyclists were sharing the road.


If a motorist had been signaling for a turn, would the driver have slowed down and properly shared the road with the other motorist? Bicycles are vehicles, according to Ohio law, and subject to and protected by the same motor vehicle laws. Bob lost his life because motorists do not realize they should share the road. This is not a case of a bicyclist turning in front of a vehicle, it is a case of a motorist who violated the law and struck another vehicle that was turning. Bicyclists and motorists must learn to share the road.


Now is the time to write to your local State Representatives and Senators and urge them to pass Ohio House Bill 245. This Bill provides for the issuance of a “Share the Road” license plate to fund Ohio’s publication, “Ohio Bicycling Street Smarts”, and to educate motorists and bicyclists alike that sharing the road is the law."
 
Originally posted by Framing Goddess:
People tell me to "be careful out there!" when I ride off on the bike. The reality of it is that the drivers of vehicles need to be more careful, aware, respectful. There is not much I can do about that other than help to increase everyone's awareness that bicyclists are there and have a right to be so...
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Well, Edie, you're right. The motorists should look out for us 2-wheelers. But "the reality of it" is that they too often don't. So, you just might be dead right if you let your guard down for a second -- or even if you do everything perfectly, except stay out of their way.

Advice from one who pedalled 4,000 miles a year through the 80's and 90's, and road-raced in his salad days: Be afraid. Be very afraid. I've dodged Dodge Rams, bullets, ball bats, tossed bottles, and numerous other hazards, and I've been truly lucky.

My only car-bike encounter was with a 16-year-old in a Mercury Tracer. That one cost her insurance company $9,600 to restore my Harley to mint condition, and I earned 28 stitches in my left knee. If I had been on my Ciocc, Cannondale, or Atala, I would have been gone.

I think she was on her cell phone at the time.
 
So Jim you going to ride your bike to the meeting? Lets see will it be the Ciocc or will it be the Harley? Well either way hope to you will be there.Seriously, call 330-657-2228 and register.

If you're within 500 miles of Cleveland, you won't want to miss this one:

Monday May 24th 7:00 pm
Holiday Inn Hudson
Rt 8 and Ohio Tpke Exit 12
(call 330-656-1252 for directions)
$10 members
$35 non members
 
Hope to see everyone there. :cool:

This will be a great meeting for the independent framers. As for the employees of the chains you should come you never know when you may want to start your shop.

By the way if anyone has a left handed glass cutter let me know. I just hired a parttimer who wants one.
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This was an excellent presentation by Marc Bluestone last night! And believe me, the goddess has been around and has seen many presentations in her day.

I attended one of his presentations a few years back in Las Vegas and was impressed with him. But he is even more dynamic now and had gave me much food for thought for my business.
Marc is a passionate and interesting speaker, he is well suited to this and has much to say. I got the sense that he could have kept talking for another two hours and would not have repeated himself at all.
We should all do ourselves and our businesses a favor and attend asap.

Marc talked about Big Box framers and what they mean to our industry and therefore to our ways of doing business. As he said, it's "good news and bad news" and the only way we can hope to survive is to know which is which.

This gets a goddess "two calloused thumbs up." You can thank me later. I prefer dark chocolate, btw, but most of you already know that.

I did indeed ride my bike there (65 mile round trip) and was not able to hang out afterwords to socialize. So, I am sorry if I missed any of you, but it was getting dark and I had miles to yet to ride.

Edie the imallears goddess
 
Marc Bluestone has given me some personal advice over the past couple of years. He obviously does care about the industry and wants to share his knowledge. The thing that strikes me is the willingness to share on such a selfless level. No feathers in his cap or noteriety, just genuinely wanting to help. Can't get any better than that.

I still hope to actually make it to a trade show so I can attend one of his presentations. I have no doubt it would be worth every penny!
 
My boss and her husband went. They got a lot out of the the presentation. I told her to take copious notes and she did!

Thanks to all of you who organized the meeting.
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