The Joy Writer PR

The Joy Writer PR & Marketing updates - lots of good stuff happening

By Joy A. Kennelly

What I love about what I do is the constant variety.

Today I'm working from a Starbucks in Sugarland, TX while my client, Chef David Linville of The Shore Restaurant and Lounge, prepares his food to present during the Grand Food & Wine Affair's Grand Tasting later on this evening and the Bistro Brunch on Sunday morning.

The Grand Tasting is described on the website as "'the hottest ticket in town!' The Grand Tasting will feature wines from all over the world and delicious tastings from forty award-winning chefs including Chef David Linville.

In addition, celebrated New York Chef Laurent Tourondel of BLT Restaurant fame and Robin Miller, New York Times bestselling author and beloved Food Network star of 'Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller' will be participating which should make for a fantastic evening.

We just returned from participating in the 31st Annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival this past weekend which was a lot of fun. I've uploaded pictures and highlights from that trip on my personal blog: www.thejoywriter.typepad.com if you're curious.

What I love about attending events as a guest, rather than a producer, is that you always pick up ideas on how to make whatever event you're going to be producing better by virtue of attending others.

For example, The Grand Food & Wine Affair organizer, Keri, has been excellent in providing detailed itineraries for each event Chef David is involved in, detailed information on where Chefs are to register, what photo ops are available, taking care of all travel and accommodations and paperwork including health permits and insurance (huge in the food world!), making sure that promotional information on Chef Dave is properly uploaded on the website, media relations, and connecting us to the proper chefs we've needed to connect to in a timely fashion once on-site.

It has allowed myself and Chef David the ability to relax and focus on what we need to focus on rather than  worry about any details we don't need to when there is so much simply involved in traveling to a place neither of us have ever visited before. (Is that a run-on sentence or what?:))

Makes you really appreciate all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make an event this large such a success. We should have more pictures to show of Chef David's involvement in the actual The Grand Food & Wine Affair this go round because everything is running very smoothly.

I'm also very happy to report that I'm publicizing Coach/Mentor, Lori Ketkar, CEO & founder of Stand Up Leadership. Lori has an amazing leadership event planned with two highly respected speakers, CAPT "Luke" Lukenbill and Juliane Gallina, in addition to Lori speaking herself, on Thursday, May 21, 2009 which I'm pasting info here for you to review:

More details on this event coming soon. Hurry and register because this event is going to sell out!

I love working with smart people because then they sharpen my skills and experience just by virtue of being around them.

Speaking of which, I just read the book, The Art of Influence, Persuading Others Begins with You by Chris Widener which is a quick and easy read. I highly recommend picking up.

"A fantastic little book that reminds us of the importance of integrity and attitude in leadership. A fresh and fun look at the subject of influence." (taken from the reviews on Amazon)
--Jeffrey Fox, New York Times bestselling author of How to Become CEO

I think that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the read.

Now to get back to everything I've got spinning!:)

Steve Bloch, MHB Financial Group quoted on Saving for College dot com

By Joy A. Kennelly

Can beneficiary swap salvage sinking 529 plan?

By Melissa M. Ezarik

I've pulled the sections my client, Steve Bloch of MHB Financial Group, is quoted in for your reading pleasure. Click the link above for the entire article. This is one of the first of many media hits for my client, Steve Bloch of MHB Financial Group, now that we've almost completed working on his brochure with the graphic designer.

Next to print and then to distribute! Read on for his insights on putting your child through college:

"Cautions and drawbacks

Sound like a plan? Not so fast, advisers say. 'The fact remains that the financial markets are down nearly 50 percent from their highs,' says Lazarus. So despite a beneficiary change, the shortfall in assets would still be there. Yes, the younger child would be in better shape, but then the parents are, 'responsible for contributing more for the older child in a shorter period of time. It will create a strain on the finances, regardless of who the beneficiary is today. It is essentially switching dollars from your left hand to your right.'

Another reality, notes Steven J. Bloch, CFP, managing partner of California-based MHB Financial Group, is that switching beneficiaries at a time when the account has lost value can work against you, especially if you've chosen an age-based investment for the younger child. That 'would actually expose you to a more equity-heavy portfolio, which is currently viewed as much riskier.'"

And he's quoted then again here further into the article:

"Wait for a market recovery:

Fierman says this is the best strategy for when college is still a while off. Thomas Bates, CFP, owner of Thomas R. Bates, CFP, LLC in Ohio, has a similar recommendation, provided the first tuition payment is five years away or more. Bloch says one strategy that could potentially work here is to, "overfund an older child's account, gain the power of compounding, and shift a portion of the overfunding to the younger child before the eldest child begins college." It would be like getting a head start on the younger child's education fund, he says, adding that it's not simply the time horizon but the underlying investments in the account that will be a key to recouping losses."

More to come soon I'm sure with his qualifications and our publicity goals.

MHB FINANCIAL GROUP MANAGING PARTNER, STEVE BLOCH, KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF BEACH CITIES PROFESSIONALS BNI CHAPTER

MHB FINANCIAL GROUP MANAGING PARTNER, STEVE BLOCH, KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF BEACH CITIES PROFESSIONALS BNI CHAPTER -TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2008 7:00am -8:30am

Adviser to High Net worth Individuals & Families on Personal & Business Matters for over 15 Years

Manhattan Beach, CA Beach Cities Professionals BNI Chapter presents MHB Financial Group Managing Partner, Steve Bloch, as the Keynote Speaker on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 during the 7:00am – 8:30am chapter meeting at the Manhattan Country Club. Guests are welcome to attend. There is a $10 fee.

As Managing Partner of MHB Financial Group, Steve Bloch has advised high net worth individuals and families on personal and business matters for over 15 years. Steve is a graduate of both Harvard College and Fordham University School of Law and is also a Certified Financial Planner and Registered Investment Advisor.

Steve started his career as a member of the International Tax Planning Groups at Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche, where he had principal responsibility for providing creative income tax planning techniques for public and private companies and their owners. He was deeply involved in the design and implementation of tax-efficient wealth preservation strategies.

Prior to founding MHB Financial, Steve was the Managing Partner of Lexington Financial Management, a Beverly Hills business management firm, and Atlas Advisory Partners, a boutique tax consulting and compliance firm.

The Beach Cities Professionals BNI Chapter, meets weekly on Tuesdays from 7:00am – 8:30am at the Manhattan Country Club located at 1330 Parkview Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA. BNI is a business and professional networking organization whose primary purpose is to exchange qualified business referrals. Each week a different member gives a 10 minute presentation on their business or service. For more information, please review: http://www.socalbni.com or call President, Kristen Novoa 310 798-4663.

Steve Bloch of MHB Financial Group acts as a central adviser offering classic family office services to high net worth individuals, business owners and families. He operates with a total picture of a client’s financial landscape and provides a simplified service model that delivers consolidated reporting, a broad and multi-generational view of wealth management, unbiased tax and investment advice, and coordinated and well-timed service delivery. MHB Financial Group is located in Redondo Beach, CA and serves the entire South Bay. For more information, please review www.mhbfinancial.com, or call 310.798.0251.