ECONOMY
MORE THAN MY CV
HERE AND NOW
Passing the Phone "Screen'
Affordable Booty in Time for Chanukah
Preparing is key, but many fail to do it.
Boutiques, businesses and brands you may not know — but should.
By Allan Nahajewski
By Lynne Konstantin
CORAL & TUSK
Being crafty runs in Stephanie Housley's family, particu-
larly in the women. Her great-grandmother made complex
and beautiful tatting, even after she went blind. Together,
Housley and her grandmother made dolls from any piece
of scrap fabric they could find. And her mother was always
happy to fulfill Housley's constant requests to sew pockets
on everything she owned.
And although her mother encouraged imagination
and creativity, the Cincinnati native's earliest memory of
drawing is with her father. "He would begin a drawing,
then pass it to me for phase two, then back and forth until
we were satisfied;' Housley
explains.
Graduating from the
prestigious Rhode Island
School of Design, Hous-
ley discovered a passion
for textile design — and
travels to India several
months each year to
design collections.
Inspired by her travels,
and the handling of
colors and surfaces
in the textiles and
crafts she's come
across, she and
her husband, Chris
Lacinak, began
their own Brooklyn-based
company, Coral &Tusk, in 2007.
Beginning with an original drawing, Housley machine-
embroiders her storybook-style designs of woodland crea-
tures, feathers, teepees, pirates and more onto earthy linen
pillows, felt accessories (badges, charms, baby booties),
onesies and scarves, plus designs hand f cut stationery and
framed artwork.
"The machine allows a final product that doesn't com-
promise my integrity, but allows a product that people can
afford to purchase," she says."I believe in good design for ev-
eryday and that people should have
the opportunity to live with things
they love. We strive to take something
that is familiar and generally over-
commoditized, and make it our own
by actually drawing the stitches as the
drawings — rather than plugging in
some generic embroidery stitches into
a clip art design!'
Inspired by everything from the
Alexander McQueen exhibit at New York
City's Metropolitan Museum of Art to
watching a funny squirrel in the park,
Housley translates what she sees into
her work. Captivating, nostalgic and often
funny, Housley's designs tell a little bit of a story that makes
the buyer want to know more.
"I love that people get to use their imaginations and their
curiosity is piqued. And I love that I get to create these char-
acters and subtly convey their stories through the drawing!'
Find Coral &Tusk pieces at the Purple Bear, Birmingham
(248) 645-0400, or visit coralandtusk.com .
STUDIO KALEIDOSCOPE
?.
Susan Kaplan finds inspiration in a lot of places. Her father, the late architect Ken
Neumann, helped direct the early path of Kaplan's career, which for 20 years was
as a project designer for architectural firms in Metro Detroit and Los Angeles
before beginning her own interior design firm, Kaplan Design. Growing up in a
modern house, she has a fine-tuned understanding of modern architecture and
art, but she also has a passion for beautiful objects from the past.
Just over a year ago, Kaplan, who lives in Birmingham with her husband,
Ross, and two sons, brought her architectural and design passions together — on
a smaller scale — by starting Studio Kaleidoscope, where she creates one-of-a-kind
handcrafted contemporary art jewelry.
"I used to be a quilter, until my sewing machine quit on me," says Kaplan.
She also took classes at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center in metal-design jewelry making,
and did coursework in ceramics, sculpture and furniture design while studying for her master's in archi-
tecture at the University of Michigan.
As in architecture, she employs precision to assemble colors and patterns in jewelry design,
particularly her manipulation of materials, like polymer clay. A relatively new media in the art world,
polymer offers endless color possibilities as it can be mixed like pigment paint."People are amazed
when they realize that all of my bead patterns are made from clay, like pieces of a puzzle, and
not painted," says Kaplan.
Besides being unique and wearable, Kaplan's pieces are affordable. Earrings start at just
$12, while pins, hair accessories, bracelets and necklaces range from $25 to $75."Each
piece is very time consuming, but it does me no good to have it sitting around;' says
Kaplan. "I want others to enjoy it — and to feel good about their purchase."
Find Studio Kaleidoscope at studiokaleidoscope.etsy.com , the BBAC Museum
Gift Shop, or contact Susan Kaplan at sk@studiokaleidoscope.net to find a boutique
show or to commission an original piece. 0T
PROFESSIONALS
Schusser Makes Tracks Back Home
E-commerce analyst Brad Kopitz leaves Denver's
mountains for a tailor-made ski gig in Detroit.
By Pamela A. Zinkosky
rad Kopitz will tell you he was
born to ski. Even before age 2, he
had a birds-eye view of the slopes
courtesy of his father's backpack.
As soon as he could stand, he was
grounded on skis, noting his father
wouldn't have it any other way.
"My Dad actually wouldn't marry
my mom until she learned to ski;'Ko-
pitz says."It's pretty much a require-
ment to be part of our family!' His
father, Steve Kopitz, agrees.
At 24, Kopitz has been able to
marry his well-nurtured passion for
D
12 December 2011 I
IUD TillUID
7ith so many job hunters and so little time in to-
day's busy world, it's no surprise more employers
are using phone interviews to pare down the field
_
of applicants.
It's one of the biggest trends in hiring, says Mary
Jo Dreshar, senior recruiter at Genesis10, a leading IT
consulting firm. Another trend, she says, is the number
of applicants who just don't prepare well for phone
screens.
"Maybe they think a phone interview is not as impor-
tant as an in-person interview, but you have to prepare
if you want to make it to the next step, Dreshar says.
The dynamics of phone interviews are decidedly
different from face-to-face meetings. While some are
conducted via videoconferencing, most are still a tra-
ditional phone call, usually lasting 30 to 60 minutes. In
most cases, the interviewer does not know you or your
speaking habits.
"In a phone interview, an unprepared candidate can
come across as evasive;' says Dreshar."The key is to be
prepared. Your purpose is to get your foot in the door'
Employers use phone screens to save time, but also to
get a feel for your personality, motivation and attitude.
To prepare candidates for handling phone screens
successfully, Dreshar provides a set of tips, including:
7 , 7
skiing with an Internet market-
ing savvy — culled while living in
Colorado — when he returned to
Detroit and joined the family busi-
ness, Summit Sports, as director of
e-commerce marketing.The com-
pany operates five retail stores
and 11 e-commerce sites.
The business, which Steve
purchased more than 20 years ago,
sells ski and other action sports
equipment, and gets nearly 70 per-
cent of its revenues from Web sales.
SUMMIT SPORTS SEE PAGE 14
Do your research. Learn as much as you
can about the company, interviewer and
opportunity.
Find the perfect place to take the call.Turn
off your TV, computer and call waiting. Let
others know you're not to be interrupted.
• Prepare your environment. Have your resume
in front of you, along with notes, including
the names of your interviewers.
O Show your enthusiasm and upbeat attitude.
Smile. It makes a difference.
O Don't smoke, chew gum, eat or drink. But
have a glass of water ready.
Speak slowly. Enunciate clearly. Don't inter-
rupt. Take your time.
o Have stories ready — ones that illustrate
your strengths, career victories and how
your talents and traits align to their needs.
Be able to explain your career progression."I had one
client who was concerned that his many years of serving
in contract positions made him appear unstable;' says
Dreshar. "He needed to show the employer that his
career path was his own choosing. By taking on a wide
range of assignments, learning a wide range of systems,
he has stayed fresh and more on top of the changes in
his field. He's adaptable. What he thought was weakness
was actually strength!'
Give direct answers that are detailed and specific.
General answers can make you sound like you're dodg-
ing the issue.
If you need a question clarified, it's OK to ask.
List at least three questions to ask during the inter-
view, such as: "What do you feel it takes to be successful
in your organization?"
Practice. Tape your voice. Do you sound confident and
enthusiastic? Have someone ask you tough questions so
you can test your answers.
Ask for the job. Make it unmistakably clear you're
interested. Tell them you'd love to meet the team. Make
sure you express an interest in "taking this process to the
next step!'
Remember to say thanks. Email a thank you note
promptly.
Afterwards, analyze how you did. What did you learn?
How would you adjust for your next phone interview?
How do you know it went well?
If it goes longer than was advertised, that's a good
sign;' says Dreshar."If they ask about your availability,
that's good, too:'
One final tip: Don't dread the phone screen. Because
so many others take them lightly, if you prepare well,
you've just moved past your competitors.
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