kwpr group • • •

Virtual work-life balance
By Brittney Walker
© 2010, Raising Arizona Kids
Kelly Wood of Cave Creek started her company, KWPR Group, to make more time for her son, Hudson (4). Now she affords other moms on her team the same luxury.

How did KWPR Group come to be?
My son was the impetus for going out on my own. I was working for one of the largest communications companies in town and then I realized I know what I’m doing. I could do this myself. I love being able to call the shots and the freedom and flexibility that being the boss gives you. I took on freelance clients for a while until I gained traction and then I started hiring people. We are still growing despite the economy last year. I feel really blessed.
You have a mom-concentrated team. What’s the draw for moms to be part of your business?
I wanted to create a situation for other young moms and young women where they can take ownership of their own time. I work 20 to 40 hours per week but I get to figure out when those hours are and that allows me to be present with my family. I don’t have to request vacation.
We work in a totally virtual environment so I can get up, do a load of laundry, make breakfast and then go back to the computer and finish working.
Critical to that is that we are a group of real go-getters. Everyone I hire is really motivated, driven and super talented at what they do. I don’t want to micro-manage. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from clients, so apparently it’s working.
Sounds like the perfect set-up for moms.
We’re having a good time; I’m not going to lie. And we’re always looking for new people. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy the women in my group. We get together once a month to talk about work but we also talk as moms, share stories about our kids and figure out when we’re going to take the kids to the water park or the pool or the mall. We are just as much friends as we are colleagues.
I think the lines are really blurred today — more than they have ever been as far as boundaries of work and life go. It’s an integrated life. It works for us. By the way, I am open to men or dads working with us but I haven’t had one step up to plate yet.

How does the virtual format of your company affect your clients?
I’ve never had a client complain about our virtual format. A lot of people tried to discourage me from going this route. They said “Clients are going to want to come to your office,” but we haven’t had one problem with that and we’ve worked with big brands on national campaigns as well as the local PR that we really love.
Most of our clients are based here and they like that we come to them. We do a lot of conference calls and utilize technology not just to promote but to connect with clients. There are some huge advantages to our clients. They’re not paying for office space on Camelback or Scottsdale Road. Perceptions have really in changed in our industry. There has been a migration away from the big agencies. Clients are on to it.

What is your schedule like?
I work Monday through Thursday basically from 4am to 4pm. Fridays my son is with me. I do a little office work in morning and then we do errands, go to the water park, whatever. I really want to spend time with my son and the two-day weekend goes by in two seconds so this allows us to have a little extra time together.
It’s such an advantage for us as moms and as individuals to get to have ownership of our schedules. I can go hit my yoga class at 4:30 Monday and no one’s looking at me. I’m an early bird so I get plenty of office time. Everyone on my team gets to call their own shots.

Yoga? Really? As a mom and a business owner do you really make time to get to yoga class?
It’s funny that you should call me out on that because honestly there are times those things get put on the back burner, so this year at New Year’s I had a heart to heart with myself. I said, all right Kel, if you’re going to keep talking about balance, you really need to make some time for you. I have a gym by my house and they have a yoga class at 4:30 Mondays and I go! That’s an office day for me so I get started early and then I go do it. I’ve been really sore lately using muscles haven’t used in a long time. I also meet another mom who has a similar type of business at Pinnacle Peak and go hiking in the morning. We buzz up and down mountain in an hour and talk shop, talk mom and get all philosophical. It’s awesome!

To learn more or to contact Kelly, visit kwprgroup.com.
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If you know of a Valley mompreneur we should feature, write to brittney@raisingarizonakids.com.

11-Year-Old Community & Environmental Activist Embodies the True Essence of KidStar’s Mission

PHOENIX (Feb. 3, 2010) -  Eleven-year-old Mario Ridgley Jr., has been selected as the first-ever kid president for KidStar Radio Network, a non-profit organization that operates a national network of web radio stations completely operated by kids and overseen by broadcast professionals.  Mario Jr. is a sixth grade honor student at Imagine Charter School in Palm Coast, Fla. and will hold the position of president for one year. 

Mario Jr. will shadow retired radio pro and KidStar founder and chairman, Perry Damone, to learn the fundamentals of radio operations and will act as point man for Kidstar media appearances and inquiries.  At the end his term, KidStar will donate $5,000 into his college scholarship fund.

“Mario was selected because of his strong commitment to community outreach and his activism in the areas of environmental sustainability and education,” says Damone.  “Mario Jr. may only be 11 years old, but he is wise beyond his years and is driven to make a positive impact on the world around him.”

In an effort to raise environmental awareness and set an example for his peers, Mario Jr. recently teamed up with World Green Consultant, Inc. and Waste Pro of Florida to start his school’s first recycling program.

Although currently there is no KidStar radio station at Mario Jr.’s school, he is taking great strides to provide his school with this valuable communications platform. “My hope and dream is to start my own, Imagine School KIDSTAR Radio Station Environmental Show,” says Mario, “I would like to discuss the importance of recycling, using green products and, most of all, let people know they’re choices make a difference.” 

KidStar management and an affiliated fundraising group are working diligently with Mario and Imagine School in Palm Coast to bring the Kidstar Radio program into the school as soon as possible.  To make a donation that will help Mario Jr.’s school secure their radio station equipment, please contact KidStar Radio Network at 480-837-1676 or visit www.kidstar.org and click “Donate” at the bottom of the homepage.

MORE ABOUT KIDSTAR
Founded by Perry Damone in 1994, KidStar Radio Network is a Children’s educational charity that teaches kids from 10 to 18 years of age to be quality radio broadcasters.  Kidstar’s network includes web radio stations that are completely branded and operated by the kids themselves.  Each station is overseen by a KidStar liaison with professional radio broadcast experience.

The program educates youth through radio, a medium that is fun and familiar, helping to develop discipline and valuable communications skills. KidStar is made available to thousands of kids around the country and their voices can be heard around the globe- anywhere there is Internet access. The organization’s goal is to develop and establish 5,000 radio stations in various schools, clubs and youth organizations in the U.S. and beyond.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Spartan Boot Camps will hold a fitness boot camp on Saturday, February 6 as a member of Team Fox to raise funds for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). The hour long event will take place at 9:00 a.m. at Arcadia Park on 56 Street and Indian School Road.

Spartan Boot Camps aims to raise $350 or more to enable the Foundation to continue aggressively funding research to find better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease. Spartan Boot Camps is a member of Team Fox, the Foundation’s project for supporting grassroots community fundraisers working to raise funds and awareness for Parkinson’s research.

For Matthew Baehr, Founder of Spartan Boot Camps, choosing to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation was simple. A member of his immediate family is currently living with Parkinson’s. He stated, “I was crushed when I found out someone I loved dearly was suffering with Parkinson’s disease. I chose to run a fitness boot camp as part of Team Fox because my passion for helping people and my knowledge of fitness is the most valuable thing I can give to the community to generate donations to further the cause of Parkinson’s research.” Baehr is a resident of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Over five million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease – a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder whose symptoms typically progress from mild tremors to complete physical incapacitation. There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. Current treatments mask symptoms but do not alter or slow disease progression.

In the United States, 60,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. The annual economic cost of Parkinson’s in the U.S. is estimated to exceed $25 billion.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to ensuring the development of better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda.

About Spartan Boot Camps
Based out of Phoenix, Ariz., Spartan Boot Camps offers a unique, cutting-edge approach to fitness. The workouts are designed based on the results of multiple peer-reviewed studies on HIIT training and the extensive benefits of anaerobic training. Outdoor, group sessions are 60 minutes long and lead by a nationally Certified Personal Trainer. Classes appeal to all levels and injuries or disabilities can be easily compensated for. For more information on Spartan Boot Camps, please visit www.spartanbootcamps.com or call (480) 330-0805.

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