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DIGITAL GROWTH CONTEST WINNERS

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Gail Ahlers, Owner, Ahlers Designs www.ahlersgifts.com (Cox-Rhode Island)

Gail Ahlers studied art history in Paris and sculpture at the San Miguel de Allende Institute in Mexico.  She has won numerous design competitions, including one with De Beers Diamonds.  Her passion for design led her to establish Ahlers Designs in 1989 in order to utilize the creative skills she fine-tuned upon graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, and to distribute her gift and jewelry collections.

As her business has grown, she has faced problems with access to capital, establishing distribution channels, learning how to compete against foreign manufacturers and finding new and better ways to communicate with her target markets. Many companies have fallen by the wayside as hers has expanded and adapted from a 400 square foot basement studio to a 2,000 square foot design and manufacturing studio with four employees that has gradually changed its focus on fine jewelry to custom corporate gifts and events.

In the past, Gail established business relationships at trade shows.  Now, she and her team conduct more business over the Internet, potentially allowing for a more international customer base.  Gail is currently renovating her web site to make it more targeted to their customers and user-friendly.  Business services from Cox-Rhode Island will help Gail upgrade the caliber and sophistication of her company’s communications systems in order to attract the attention of a more demanding global market.

Amy Bielawski, Owner, Hare-Brained Productions (Cox-Atlanta)

The daughter of a successful piano and dance teacher, Amy grew up surrounded by the arts and developed an early love for the roar of the grease paint. She honed her skills through high school and continued training at the Florida School of the Arts, moving to Atlanta after graduation to give entertaining a shot. Immediately signed by an agent for her standing ovation-quality skills and her gung-ho willingness to give anything a try, she quickly added balloon animals, face painting, mime, henna, fortune telling, fire eating, living statues, and belly dancing telegrams to her repertoire. A one-woman show, Amy launched a freelance entertainment business and has since performed for Jane Fonda, Ted Turner, Lauren Hutton, and Tommy Lee.

Developing the business took time, but Amy’s patience, persistence and realistic expectations were key. The first few years were rough, but her love and passion for her craft helped her maintain focus on cold calling, and distributing business cards and flyers.  Also, Amy recognizes that her company’s lack of business communications services has been a drawback; however, her winning bundle of digital phone, high-speed Internet and cable TV service from Cox-Atlanta will help her create a web site, and help promote her services more efficiently and effectively, especially in this challenging economic climate.  But Amy isn’t worried – she is confident that her business will prevail, as entertainment is even more important during these stressful times.

Jennifer Didier, Owner, Directions Training Center, www.directionstraining.com (Comcast-Chicago)

As founder and president, Jennifer Didier has established Directions as a leader in the software training industry. Under her leadership, Directions has grown by more than 50% each year since Jennifer has taken the helm.

Building a successful independently-owned business from the ruins of corporate down-sizing is exactly what Jennifer has done with Directions.  In February 2003, Jennifer received a call from the computer consulting company for which she worked. With only two days’ notice, Jennifer had to inform 25 employees they would no longer have jobs. The former company shut down operations, leaving behind several months’ unpaid bills, and owing employees and clients tens of thousands of dollars. Jennifer agonized over how she and her colleagues would survive, so decided to purchase the failed center. Directions officially opened less than a month after the former company’s closure. In an economy when jobs were scarce, she put the staff right back to work in a matter of weeks. Most clients of the former company had received no word of the closing, and the money many had already paid for services was never refunded. Unbelievably dedicated to customer service, Jennifer honored all outstanding client agreements from the old company, providing training at her own expense. With Jennifer’s insight and innovation, Directions was operating in the black within a few months.

Directions has thrived under Jennifer’s management built on the foundation of outrageous customer service. However, in today’s economic climate, it is difficult to find the necessary budget to invest in communications technology necessary to maintain high-levels of service, which is even more important when clients are feeling more stress but want more for less.  This technology is the life blood of Directions, so the phone, Internet and cable TV service that Jennifer won from Comcast-Chicago is a godsend.

Jodi Standke, Owner, Talon Performance Group, www.talonperformancegroup.com (Comcast-Twin Cities)

Baffled at the lack of knowledgeable recruiters in the legal industry and the low expectations law firms had when using headhunters, Jodi Standke was convinced legal professionals deserved better. The legal industry didn't realize it could expect more than forwarded resumes from recruiters.  Thus, Jodi founded an executive recruiting firm, Legal Liaisons, Ltd., using tools and scientific methodologies to provide candidate profiles to law firms.  Her services allowed job candidates to find firms they loved with compatible culture and allowed law firms to hire top talent who became loyal and committed employees.  After nearly 10 years, her company was the leader in legal executive recruitment services in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

Anticipating the changes in the legal industry and watching clients' needs evolve, Jodi transformed the company into a comprehensive talent management firm -- Talon Performance Group. She added post-hire services to her repertoire, including leadership development, business generation, effective communications and diversity training.  This sudden influx of increased services, in combination with her office expansion efforts created numerous communication system snafus, causing unnecessary embarrassment.  Her demanding legal clients expect professionalism and consistency, and the bundle of business services she won from Comcast-Twin Cities will allow her company to put its best foot forward.