ECONOMY HERE AND NOW Innovative Apothecary and Novel Artists' Market Enter the Retail Scene New local boutiques, businesses and brands you may not know — but should. By Lynne Konstantin SKIP THE BRICKS AND ENTER OZ AT YELLOW DOOR ART MARKET ECOLOGY IS ORGANIC-CHIC Love browsing the handmade wares at seasonal artists' markets? Artist April Mc- Crumb and her husband/business partner Steve do, too — but didn't care to wait for the next traveling fair to arrive in town. The pair, owners of the whimsical gift boutique Catching Fireflies, with locations in Berkley and Rochester, recently opened the Yellow Door Art Market, a 3,600-square- foot space in downtown Berkley, where they rent space to 70, mostly local, artisans to create their own permanent"mini- shops." The individual spaces at Yellow Door are inno- vatively divided amongst the sellers through use of vintage cabinets and doors — and the occa- sional bathtub or kitchen sink, too. Look for aprons and bags by Barb Witt (shown), hand-embel- lished burlap bags by Te- resa Rodgers, photograph collages from Clifton Henri, pottery, clothing, jewelry, children's hair accessories and tees, and much more. All offerings are handmade, and all artists are juried to ensure a solid mix. 3141 West 12 Mile, Berkley. (248) 336-2038; yellowdoorartmarket. com . MORE THAN MY CV When Marla Shapiro, 40, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, it was — at minimum — an eye opener for this West Bloomfield mom. To re-imagine her fate, Shapiro teamed up with her sister-in-law/fantastic friend, Carra Stoller, 33, for support. From that fateful diagnosis came more than strengthened family bonds; a new business also was born. When doctors advised Shapiro to eliminate chemical additives and pesticides from her diet, including those in her beauty products, her sister-in-law saw a unique opportunity — beyond a healthy lifestyle adjustment — for both of them. Stoller, a former corporate attorney, says she had secretly nursed a long-held desire to open a beauty boutique. "Our skin is our largest organ, and it takes seconds for the harmful chemicals in mainstream cosmetics to enter our blood- stream once applied," she says. Researching organic beauty products, the pair was pleasantly surprised by the vast array of merchandise available, yet not in Michigan. So last fall, Shapiro, a former auto dealership manager, and Stoller opened Ecology in downtown Birmingham. Presenting the credo, "Green is Glamorous,"the Birmingham storefront is fresh, clean, hip — and healthy. Luxe jewelry and accessories and comfy couches conducive to lounging with Shapiro and Stoller like they're your own long-lost sisters are the cozy chic backdrop to the serious business of teaching clients — both women and men — that beauty shouldn't be bad for you. Products from around the globe, most of which aren't sold elsewhere in Mich- igan, line the whitewashed shelves. "I'm doing well;' says Shapiro. "I'm a fighter" 239 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham. (248) 792-6295; ecologybeauty.com . PROFESSIONALS The Art of the Follow-Up GM Thinks Big, Fuels Growth Online Straddling the line between assertive and aggressive when trying to remain on the radar is a multi-pronged effort that yields results. A New York-based marketing firm, tapped by General Motors to execute its social media campaign, opens.an office in Detroit with plans for rapid growth. By Jackie Headapohl By Gabriella Burman here's a deliciously satisfying feeling you get when you complete a success- „ ful job interview — you nailed every question, felt a rapport with the interview- er and fully expect a call any day asking you to come back for round two. So you wait. And you wait. Nothing. The phone never rings, leaving you second- guessing and wondering what went wrong. Actually, you may have sabotaged your candidacy by not effectively following up on the interview. "Many people think of the interview as an end to the job application process, but it's not,” said Bonnie Ellis, a professor at the University of Phoenix Detroit Campus and CEO of executive search firm Management Dimensions."It's the person who follows up after the interview that usually gets the job." Plan your follow-up strategy before you leave the interview. Ask about the tim- ing of a decision. Collect business cards from everyone you meet, and then as soon as you get home, send thank-you notes. Erinn O'Connor, former executive recruiter and founder and CEO of job search site HiredMyway. com , advises sending a hand- T written note to each person with whom you met."Society is so Internet-driven;' she said."A handwritten note is personal. It makes an impression." Your thank you note also gives you an- other opportunity to highlight your high points and skills. You could even include a link to a personal/professional profile, such as those found on business networking sites like Linkedln. "This gives the hiring manager an- other view of you and your qualifications;' O'Connor said. "They'll get to see who you're linked to and the kinds of groups you belong to.That kind of information helps them see the whole person you are." It goes without saying that your thank- you note should be well-written and error-free. "A poorly written follow-up can do more harm than good," Ellis said, cautioning interviewees to double- check the spelling of people's names. Experts advise candidates to wait approximately five days after the interview before calling to check on the status of your standing. O'Connor advises politely asking if the person is still in the process of interviewing candidates and if you're still in the running for the job. If the answer is yes, ask when you should call back for another status update — and then do it. "Once a week isn't too often to call," O'Connor said."Be mindful of the person's time. Call first FOLI OW up SEE PAGE 16 - 14 January 2011 I RED THREAD uper bowl fans may see something during the February telecast that they haven't seen in awhile: an advertisement from General Motors. It's all part of a strategy to reintroduce the automaker to the public in the wake of the federal government's bailout and subsequent financial reorganization of the world's former No. 1 automaker. Since returning to the New York Stock Exchange last Novem- ber, when GM raised Avi Savar, more than $20 billion Big Fuel's CEO from the largest ini- tial public offering in U.S. history, the news out of Detroit has increasingly been more positive than negative. But to really succeed, industry experts caution, GM needs to shelve its long-held approach of touting individ- ual brands to re-engage consumers in a more unified message, returning to the days when one's first car was a Chevrolet then, as one became more upwardly mobile, traded up until a Cadillac was parked in the garage. It seems, too, that the long-held ways of exclusive communication through television and print have been eschewed to include a more direct-dial approach. Joel Ewanick, GM's new chief marketing officer, recently drove the company's Chevrolet Volt from Detroit to the Los Angeles Auto Show, "tweeting" his experience driving the electric hybrid along. the way. Avi Savar, the CEO of New York-based Big Fuel, the social media agency hired to manage the automaker's image in cyber- space, is emerging as a key player as the strategy unfolds inside GM headquarters at the Renaissance Center. Where in the past, marketers sold consumers on product features and benefits, Big Fuel's challenge is to turn GM into a powerhouse BIG FUEL SEE PAGE 16 www.redthreadmagazine.com