A Chance to Dance

By Mary Fisher

What's not to like about dance? It is art, exercise, and expression rolled into one. And IdeaStar Marketing Assistant Lia Spithas has taken it to heart (and toes).

She recently performed as a guest artist in "The Fire of Dance," a production by Pointe West Performances of Akron, Ohio. The performance was held at the Akron/Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron. A spicy blend of ballet, contemporary jazz, and musical selections were performed by the troupe, comprised of high school, college, and adult dancers.

"I started with ballet when I was 4-years-old because I could always hear the music and it made me feel good inside. Aren't all little girls secretly ballerinas?" Lia has been trained in classical ballet, modern and jazz, and has taught all levels of ballet. She took a break from dancing in high school, and picked it up again in college. Currently she is a student and performer. "The Fire of Dance" was her first performance in 10 years. "It felt wonderful to be onstage again," she says.

We can't wait for her next performance. Until then we'll settle for her dancing around the office.

Lia (right) preparing for a "Stravinsky Tango".

Shall we tango?

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

Apparently, It's Built For Speed

by Lia Spithas
Jacob Fresty, Cub Scout extrordinaire and son of IdeaStar Creative Director Paul Fresty, came home a champ after defeating every scout in Pack 182 in the Pinewood Derby on March 20th. His car, the sleek "Black Widow," screamed down the thirty-two foot track over and over again, and left the other teams scratching their heads. "I don't know why it's so fast," says Jacob, "It just is."

Saturday, April 16th will be an exciting day in Downtown Cleveland, especially if you are a Pinewood Derby fanatic. That day, northeast Ohio's pack-winning Cub Scouts will meet and be paired against each other for a chance to move forward and even compete nationally. We are placing our bets on Jacob and the "Black Widow."

Plenty of cheering as Jacob watches his car win the final race.

Photo finish? Don't think so.

The Black Widow. Anxious to race again!

More information about the Pinewood Derby

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

Artists Galore

by Lia Spithas
We are definitely not short on creativity here at IdeaStar, especially when it comes to comic book and cartoon graphics. Our designers, developers, and technical staff all seem to be drawing something lately. Some have been drawing for years, while others are just beginning, and there is plenty of excitement about individual style and the opportunities for artistic cooperation.

Artwork created by IdeaStar developer Steve Harrison and designer Dave Mottram can be found at Fabricari, an online gallery for art set up by Steve. Some characters seen on Fabricari have been published in comics, while others are still works in progress. If they need a little more inspiration, they are in the right place. There is plenty of inspiration around here!

A comic book cover created by Steve Harrison for his Fabricari series

"Flash" one of Dave Mottram's personal favorites

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Everybody is Irish on St Patty's Day! IdeaStar Creative Director Paul Fresty and his son are no exception. The two made a stop by the IdeaStar office this morning on their way to the Cleveland St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parade weaves around downtown, starting on Euclid Avenue near East 18th Street, curling around Public Square, then heading eastbound on Superior.

Paul and Jacob look ready for the craziness!

The parade has been a tradition in Cleveland for 138 years! It is Ohio's oldest St. Patrick's Day party.

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

Blogs: A Name You'll Hate

By Jim Fisher, President of IdeaStar

The Internet revolution is responsible for two of the dumbest names in business. The first is the "Web." Try telling your grandmother what you do for a living with that name. The next is the "blog." Most people have heard about Web logs (blogs). There are millions of them. Most have little commercial value, but many possess significant social, political or cultural merit.

However, things are changing. The business community is beginning to embrace blogs for their marketing and commercial potential. Blogs that are well-written, focused on topics relevant to customers, employees, and interest groups are becoming the new company "voice."

Blogs offer a new way to communicate with clients, potential clients, and other interested parties. Popular forms of business communication include press releases, newsletters and e-newsletters, Web sites and mailings. But these are all one-way communication. Blogs offer opportunities for interaction and create a dialogue.

Business blogs can be simple, light-hearted stories, straightforward informational articles or brief commentaries about news and issues. Each opens an opportunity for discussion about your product or service.

Blogs also serve as sources for journalists who cover particular markets, such as insurance, accounting, automotives, or consumer goods. Using blog aggregators, they can track your blog and quickly browse your posts for story ideas. Wouldn't it be great to get a call from the Wall Street Journal for your expert opinion? More and more, journalists are finding the uninhibited, self-expression of blog writers as better sources than the hand-picked, prepped "experts" provided by p.r. agencies.

I've become a blog "evangelist" at IdeaStar, encouraging the creation of two new blogs including the one you are reading now, and an Insurance Technology blog called InsuraTech. The "voice" of these blogs are very important. The "voice" for the IdeaStar blog, in case this is your first visit, is on the humorous, quirky and personal side of our company. IdeaStar: The Flipside lets our clients, prospects and business associates get to know us personally which is important for service companies. We save the more formal stuff for our Web site and e-newsletter.

I began my own blog over a year ago. It is for my photography, reviews of music or gadgets, and some social commentary. But most importantly, my blog serves as a way for me to understand this new tool from a user's perspective.

An example: I posted some pictures I took of the Cleveland Cavaliers, including one of Lebron James. As usual, I captioned each shot. That photo of LeBron was captioned, "This would make a great wallpaper." Within days, my blog was in the top ten on Google for Lebron James wallpaper. That is fantastic from a marketer's perspective (but not from a personal one. I took the picture down the next day).

Unquestionably, blogs are here to stay. Figuring out how to produce an effective blog takes practice. It is important to get your hands around this new technology now and see what it does. If blogs pass you by, a huge opportunity is missed, and another technology revolution with a silly name is sure to come along again.

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

The Wanna-Beatles?

by Lia Spithas
Rock-n-Roll is alive at IdeaStar! Board member Ralph Criswell and Creative Director Paul Fresty are perfect examples.

The two are currently members of a four-person band called Revolution Pie, which plays cover versions of Beatles music. Revolution Pie grew from Ralph's love of Beatles music and has been around since early 2002. Paul joined as lead guitarist/back-up vocalist during the summer of 2004. The lineup features Ralph as lead vocalist and rhythm guitar, Chris Spisak on bass guitar and backup vocals, and Peter Telari on drums.

For the 2005 season, Revolution Pie has a full performance calendar, including an appearance at Abbey Road On The River, a three day art, food and music festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Other shows are scheduled throughout the Northeast Ohio area.

Revolution Pie performs at Legacy Village in 2004

Photo Left to Right: Chris Spisak, Ralph Criswell,
Paul Fresty, Peter Telari (drums)

The Fab Four are very excited about their busy summer schedule. They are hoping to get some IdeaStar employees and clients out to their shows...Maybe even turn them into groupies.

Revolution Pie is online at www.revolutionpie.com

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

She is Simply Perfect

Please welcome Miss Grace Corey Svette, the newest member of the IdeaStar baby boom! Grace was born yesterday to proud parents Susanne and Mark Svette (Susanne is IdeaStar's General Manager). We hear that Grace has a full head of hair and beautiful dark-blue eyes.

New dad and new baby Grace getting to know each other.

Grace sleeping. She had an action-packed day too!

We will see Susanne back at IdeaStar in Mid-April. Hopefully she'll get some sleep before then!

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.

The Dogs Have It

by Lia Spithas
Boston and Snow are big and lovable...All hundred and ninety pounds of them. They are "the coolest American Bulldogs around" and belong to IdeaStar Vice President Wayne Largent. If you're lucky enough to get Wayne talking about the pups, you better get comfy, because it will be a while. He'll tell you that Boston & Snow are best buddies, and although they are both around three years old, they still love to romp and play like puppies. The duo has made occasional appearances at IdeaStar, where their romping is more like an earthquake. Imagine them really riled up! Did I mention they eat four milkbones at a time and twenty-two pounds of food each week!?

Boston (left) & Snow posing for a photo. A rare still moment.

They don't babysit, but they love Dystiny, Wayne's granddaughter.

Wayne is not alone as IdeaStar's only dog lover. In fact, if every employee brought their pooch to work, we could coordinate a full-scale dog show!

Copyright © 2005 IdeaStar Inc.