BUSINESS

MORE THAN MY CV

Fit to a Tea

How to Shine Online

Lucky break sets in motion a
whirlwind of events for
boutique tea makers.

A digital portfolio can set you
apart from the pack.

By Allan Nahajewski

presentation, you can do this:'
is hard for job hunters to stand out
The website also allows Wehbe to
these days. Some open positions
monitor traffic, letting her know how
attract hundreds of resumes, thanks
many are visiting her online portfolio
(or no thanks) to the online job sites
and from what areas.
and a still tough employment market.
Wehbe's site is both personable and
What can you do to rise above the
professional. It includes tabs for her
crowd and get a great new job?
portfolio, resume, references, contact
For Mona Wehbe of Royal Oak, her
information, awards and more. She
ace in the hole was her digital port-
also showcases her writing ability
folio. She created her own website —
through her blog.
www.MonaWehbe.com — to show-
And while you're check-
case her strengths in a way
ing out www.monawehbe.
that a simple resume can't.
com, also take a moment to
She found a way to separate
visit www.elinatinsky.com .
herself from the competition.
A former GM employee, Eli
A young communications
Natinsky recently completed a
professional, Wehbe set her
master's
degree in digital me-
sights on a position with Kelly
dia at Michigan State Univer-
Services in Troy. She sent her
sity. As part of his job search,
resume in response to a job
he launched his own website,
posting for a product-market-
Mona W ehbe
in
part inspired by Wehbe's.
ing manager.
"I checked out her site and
"Her resume was impres-
liked what I saw;' he says. "I
sive enough; but the next day,
used the Weebly platform in
I checked her website," said
a
class I took, and I liked it.
Mary Moore, senior marketing
Mona's site confirmed for me
manager for KellyOCG, who
it was the way to go''
was interviewing candidates
Natinsky launched his
for the open position. "The
website
this year and is opti-
website really made the differ-
mistic about its potential. He
ence."
Eli Natin sky
explained how he plans to use
Wehbe got the job.
it. "Context is important," he
She told her story about
says. "There are times when it
creating her digital portfolio
doesn't make sense to send someone
last fall at a luncheon of the Detroit
your resume, but asking someone to
chapter of the International Associa-
check out your website can be a more
tion of Business Communicators (IABC
subtle, appropriate and effective way
Detroit).
to make the same point!'
"Today, communications is at the
Natinsky's site includes several
speed of light. In this day of social me-
videos that he has produced and his
dia, maintaining your identity online is
complete resume, as well as samples
important," she said."Creating a digital
of his work in digital research and
portfolio helps you stay ahead of the
marketing communications.
curve!'
While Wehbe and Natinsky are both
The first step, she said, is to buy a
communicators by trade, the digital
domain name. The second step is to
portfolio approach makes sense for
build the site. She investigated various
just about any kind of professional.
options and chose www.weebly.com
Creating a website is one solution.
as her web development platform.
Another option is to create a Power-
"It was the perfect tool for a non-te-
Point presentation highlighting your
chie like me," she said. "It's easy to use
experience and strengths and show
and fully customizable with hundreds
it on a laptop or notebook computer
of templates, which means your site
during interviews.
doesn't have to look like a cookie-
The options are many. A good start:
cutter copy of other people's sites.
search "digital portfolio examples"
"Including a blog was easy. You can
online to check out a wealth of alter-
easily drag-and-drop flash anima-
natives.
tion into the site. Advanced users can
Good luck, job seekers! R-- 6-
choose to rewrite code, but it's not
required. If you can build a PowerPoint

By Jackie Headapohl

I

34 April 2012 I

RD READ

Steve Nakisher and Shane Talbott recently sold Talbott Teas, the business they founded
in their kitchen, to Jamba Juice.

est Bloomfield native and
clinical psychologist Steve
Nakisher and his business
and life partner Shane Talbott were
struggling to build a business in the
worst economy in recent U.S. his-
tory when they got the lucky break
that changed their lives forever.
The couple met in Chicago 15
years ago, where Nakisher, who
attended Congregation B'nai David
and later Temple Israel, was
pursuing his doctoral degree in
clinical psychology after earn-
ing his undergraduate degree
at the University of Michigan.
"From the moment we
met, we knew we would
spend our lives together;'
Nakisher said. Talbott
converted to Judaism
before the couple wed
in a religious ceremony
in Chicago in 2004.
Talbott was a hair colorist by
trade, and he and Nakisher opened
a hair salon on Oak Street in
Chicago.Talbott had always loved
creating unique tea blends, so he
created a tea bar at the salon.
"Not only did I want my clients
to look good, but I wanted them
to feel good, too;' said Talbott. "We
took traditional Japanese sencha

W

green tea and added strawberry,
raspberry and rhubarb. Clients re-
ally responded to the tea blends so
we decided to package the teas and
put them on the shelf at the salon!'
The teas were such a hit, Talbott
and Nakisher ended up selling the
salon to focus on the tea business,
Talbott Teas.
"Shane loved
creating interesting
blends and beauti-
ful packaging, and I
loved branding, mar-
keting and selling. It
really was a perfect fit,"
said Nakisher, who add-
ed that he grew up watch-
ing his father, Len Nakisher,
successfully grow his kitchen
and bath business before sell-
ing it for early retirement. "It was
like getting my MBA by learning
from my dad over dinners at the
kitchen table;' he said.
Talbott Teas got its big break in
2010 on Oprah's "Favorite Things"
show.
"It positively turned our business
upside down,"said Nakisher. "Then,
we were faced with not having the
money to create inventory to meet
the exciting new demand:'

continued on facing page

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