The Larsen Group

Don Iannone is a gifted poet and photographer focused on seeing clearly the “human experience”, in addition to being an economic development business consultant.  His new book Winter Spirit, Using Winter’s Beauty and Power to Inspire and Heal is the first in a series of four, following the literal (visual) and figurative meanings of the change of seasons.  Don’s artistic work are tools to help the mentally ill and those in hospice, endeavors that he and his wife, Mary, are committed to.  His new blog is attracting readers to share their reactions to Winter Spirit, often with emotional stories in the mix.

Marty Abbott and Mike Fisher are two fast moving veteran software, technology and business executives-turned consultants.  They know much more than about how to build websites that don’t crash when lots of users show up – first hand experience from their eBay, PayPal and Quigo days. Their new book The Art of Scalabilty: Scalable Web Architecture, Processes, and Organizations for the Modern Enterprise has bounced high and fast on the Amazon “must read” charts as it uniquely shows the interactions between people, process and technology for successful ventures.

www.akfpartners.com                                                      March 6, 2010          23 minutes

Bill Viner and his wife, Brenda, co-founded the Tucson Festival of Books in 2009, a celebration of reading and learning featuring over 400 authors from every form of writing – fiction, non-fiction, the arts, poetry, mysteries, and children’s books.  From book signings to author panels to “how to” writing, publishing and book marketing workshops, the Festival is also a fund-raiser supporting literacy efforts in Tucson.  With the support of local businesses and exhibitors, a steering team and 12 committees including over 150 dedicated volunteers planned the two-day event, expected to attract over 50,000 visitors.

www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org                                          March 13, 2010      20 minutes

Allan Mardon released his first book to debut at the Festival, The Narrative Art of Allan Mardon.  It is a collection of 50 distinctive contemporary Southwestern paintings held in private collections and museums across the US.  A former high profile New York City illustrator, Allan retired to Tucson for six weeks 20 years ago, then launching a second career as a painter.  A resident of Tucson’s Barrio District, his book was 100% designed, developed and printed within the downtown city limits of Tucson.

www.allanmardon.com and www.hatcreekt.com           March 13, 2010      23 minutes

Maaza Mengiste is a professor at New York University, and Beneath the Lion’s Gaze is her first novel, a penetrating and moving fictional work that portrays love and life in the 1970’s amidst the Communist Revolution in her native country of Ethiopia.  Maaza began her book as a graduate student in creative writing, a revealing five year journey of research, reflection, and eliciting stories from people who experienced the revolution first hand.  She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and was recently named a “New Literary Idol” by New York Magazine.

www.maazamengiste.com                                                 March 13, 2010       21 minutes

Dr. Gary Small is a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA where he directs the Memory and Aging Research Center and the UCLA Center on Aging.  A frequent guest on The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20 and CNN, Gary is one of the world’s leading experts on brain science and has published numerous books and articles. His latest book, iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind is a valuable road map for our race (Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants alike) to stay on track during the current evolution of the brain.  It is a book about our brains that will make you think twice.
www.drgarysmall.com                                                 March 13, 2010         23 minutes

Nancy Noel is a world renowned American Contemporary Realist artist, author of children’s books, and international philanthropist.  Starting her career modestly by drawing pastel portraits and teaching art classes from her home, over 200 limited and open addition prints are available today, the most noted being of Amish and African children, animals and angels.  Nancy is the primary benefactor for a school in Kenya.  The complete collection of her work is displayed at the renovated 1854 Victorian church known as The Sanctuary in Zionsville, Indiana. 
www.nanoel.com                                                          March 20, 2010         23 minutes

Dana Patterson from Intuitive Sciences is a gifted independent advisor and intuitive who has helped thousands of people not just manage, but embrace and converge their inner subconscious voices to transform their approach to living.  Certified in neuro-linguistic programming, Dana’s journey of spiritual enlightenment came from raising three daughters on an Indian Reservation, traveling, reading, questioning and thinking about everything.  She believes the light from within is on the other side of pain or fear.

www.intuitivesciences.com                                               March 20, 2010         22 minutes

Becca Smith leads an international import/export knitting and crocheting business amidst a resurging cross cultural and cross generation industry.  Established in 2002, The Bagsmith supplies unique and innovative products to over 800 independent yarn shops in the US, Canada, UK and France.  Her suppliers span China, France and the UK.  A life-long passionate knitter since age nine, Becca has been featured on PBS television, and her second book, the Complete Idiots’ Guide to Knitting will debut in September 2010.

www.bagsmith.com                                                     March 27, 2010         22 minutes

Lou Carter is founder and leader of the Best Practice Institute, a community of positive change agents who are experts in the competencies and broad based learning mechanisms of leadership development and talent management.  BPI connects members to experienced senior practitioners and noted researchers and academics through webinars, on-line forums and real time conferences.  An author of eight books translated into multiple languages, Lou’s motto is “Give and get a little help from your friends.”

www.bestpracticeinstitute.org                                     March 27, 2010          23 minutes

Jane Burch is chief executive of New Beginnings for Women and Children, a Tucson-based organization that supports the desperate needs unique to displaced women and their children through shelters, temporary apartments and health, education and job re-careering assistance.  Dedicated to life-long community service, Jane spent 20 years in the international business press arena focused on Latin America, and wrote three books on management practices before entering social services as a full time career.

Donn Poll started his career in the commercial and public sectors, working as a journalist at a daily paper before owning a weekly.  For 20 years he was then a strategy and marketing consultant serving new venture startups to large companies.  Donn is currently executive director of the OMA Foundation, “Opening Minds through the Arts.” The OMA model integrates all forms of the arts into grades K-8 curriculum and is currently deployed in 13 public schools in Tucson, netting extraordinary results for passionate faculty and engaged students alike.  

www.omafoundation.org                                                  April 3, 2010          23 minutes

Asara Lovejoy is a human consciousness improvement coach and world renowned motivational speaker.  Her company, Commanding Wealth, and book The One Command have inspired support circles around the world for people to consciously embrace their unique biology and DNA pattern, as dictated by theta brain wave patterns.  Asara developed the methodology from her own life experiences of moving from the inside to get beliefs that held her back out of the way, opening the means for the results to which she now leads others.

www.asara.com                                                                April 3, 2010           25 minutes

Jack Mitchell is CEO and Chairman of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs and Wilkes Bashford, a third generation men’s and women’s customer clothiers in Connecticut, New York and California.  His organization is nationally renowned for personal service touches, strong relationships, and exceptional customer service.  Recognized by The Wall Street Journal and New York Times, Jack’s two books, Hug Your Customer and Hug Your People, have launched a second career in public speaking, as he shares leadership and business principles that bring remarkable results through inspired people.

www.hugyourcustomer.com                                           April 10, 2010       22 minutes

Lou Waters was one of the first television news anchors for CNN when the 24-hour format launched in 1980 amidst media industry jeers – “Chicken Noodle News”, as he jokingly remembers.  From reporting breaking news from the anchor desk to in-depth personal stories and geo-political events, Lou pioneered the way.  Originally an architecture graduate, Lou started his career in campus radio before moving into television reporting and news directing, a career that now spans over 40 years of traveling the world as feature investigator, political convention reporter, and war correspondent.

change AT thelarsengroup.com                                    April 10, 2010       23 minutes

Tony Rose leads a certified public accounting firm that specializes in tax and management consulting advice to closely-held private corporations, family-owned businesses, partnerships and the individuals who own them.  Tony is committed to providing valuable guidance at the point where life intersects wealth.  His witty book Say Hello to the Elephants outlines a practical, four-quadrant approach to address the problems that everyone knows are in the room, but often just get worked around as no one wants to or knows how to take the steps to address.

www.haloelefante.com                                                April 17, 2010            22 minutes

Dr. Stephanie Stark is co-founder of Blue Oak Clinic, a naturopathic medical practice dedicated to serving patients of all ages and backgrounds through integrating conventional medicine and alternative treatments – while always emphasizing education and the safest outcomes.  Initially trained as a nutritionist, Stephanie relishes focusing on challenging cases and difficult diagnoses.  She focuses on the root cause of health concerns, relying then upon proven natural substances, homeopathy, vitamin and mineral supplements, diet and lifestyle advice to help patients.

www.blueoakclinic.com                                                April 17, 2010           23 minutes

Jim Wells is Chairman and Mentor for Tucson’s chapter of SCORE, a national network of 385 chapters/12,000 volunteer retired business leaders who offer their coaching and counseling services pro-bono to America’s new business startups – face to face, sleeves rolled up.  Armed with over 30 years in marketing, merchanising, public relations and large department store management experience, Jim had a second career in startups in golf retail, health care, internet marketing and wireless GPS.  His team of 35 leaders operates from four offices.

www.scoretucson.org                                                 April 24, 2010            22 minutes

Jill and Steve Morris are co-founders of ChoiceWorks, a corporate training, coaching and assessment firm providing customized services to clients throughout the world.  Their book, Leaderships Simple:  Leading People to Lead Themselves motivates people at every level of an organization to take accountability and discover new ways to change their thinking, behaviors and actions to increase performance.  Their work relies upon Choice Theory and a model with five seemingly simple, connected questions.

www.choiceworks.com                                          April 24, 2010            25 minutes