Page 14 - 914INC - Q4 - 2013

The two found they had a nice rapport and complementary creative skills. Ryan describes their connection as being “like a great shortstop and second baseman.” And after really enjoying a number of projects together over a couple years, they decided to start Wheelhouse.
Clients, Krystallis says, usually come to them wanting to communicate to employees about “a new process, a new training, a new philosophy on dealing with people, a new frame of mind, a new direction for the compa- ny.” He and Ryan then come up with a strate- gy and a script, staying involved through “the entire design and every phase of the project.”
The result has been videos for Pepsi, American Express, Colgate, Random House, the Wall Street Journal, Columbia, NYU,
and others, and they've received multiple Telly Awards in separate years. (“It’s not
the Oscars," says Krystallis, "but, for corpo- rate internal video, it’s probably the highest honor there is.”)
Krystallis attributes Wheelhouse’s suc- cess to its ability to not only entertain, but to do so effectively. He points out that clients “keep coming back because the audience demands quality and creativity.”
—Ben Brody
westchestermagazine.com
ROUNDUP
Study Smart
If you don’t know what Scantron is, you might be a little rusty when it comes to prepping for the big exam. Try these study tips, courtesy of local test-takers.
“The worst exam I’ve ever taken was a 10-hour exam over two days to become a certified financial planner. My business partner is very musical, so she came up with songs and catchphrases for all of the things we had to memorize. Studying with a partner is definitely the way to go.”
—Cindy Golub financial planner, G-Squared Advisory in Mamaroneck
“I’ve had to take tons
of tests for licensing for insurance. Ironically—I am not a morning person—I did my best studying then, when my mind was fresh. I got up at 6 am and would study until about 9 am before I got flushed with manage- ment details and distrac- tions. I just had so many books, so much reading, and so much studying
to do!”
—Linda Rey, AMIM partner, Rey Insurance Agency in Sleepy Hollow
“I took a professional study course that lasted about five months—
it included a great amount of homework. For another part of the CPA exam, I used a take-home study guide, but professional cours- es and study guides
are now mostly done through the Internet, whether it’s a webinar or printed material.”
—Vincent Miniaci CPA, director, Marks Paneth & Shron in Tarrytown
“There are three methods I use: One, purchase any books or instructional guides that will help me prepare for a specific exam. Two, watch instruc- tional videos online, because it gives you a more visual understand- ing of what you have to know. Finally, get practice questions from an online database; they’re modeled directly from the actual exam.”
—Michael Tran, network engineer, Pragmatix, Inc. in Elmsford
“I use flash cards, but
I also keep a notebook that I write in as I read. Writing helps me recall the information most. I have to take a test every two years to renew my license, and I take an online class before each test. While in the class, I study as I go along.”
—Gail Leone, associate broker, Claire D. Leone Real Estate in Scarsdale
—Mackenzie Mennucci
County teCh CoMpanies have a new way to Meet and share
Let’s “Meetup”
A new tech group uses the virtual medium to get the conversation started face-to-face.
ideas, and it’s not (for the most part) online. Organized by local entrepreneur John Arenas,
CEO of Rye-based Serendipity Labs—through Meetup, the popular social site that calls itself "the world's largest network of local groups"—Westfair Tech Ventures meets monthly at Serendipity’s Rye location to network and discuss topics like raising capital for new enterprises.
The group—comprising leaders from more than 50 companies in Westchester and Fairfield Counties—kicked off September 19 with a discussion by a panel of venture experts including Danny Schultz, partner at Gotham Ventures in Manhattan; Michael Crossey, partner at Pennsylvania’s Baer Crossey law firm; and Davis Rosborough of Manhattan-based Progress Partners. “We had a good cross-section of technologists with businesses in various stages
of growth who offer solutions to industries from consumer health- care, to enterprise software to hard- ware,” said Arenas in a statement about the event.
“Our mission,” the founder said, “is to support technology profession- als and early-stage entrepreneurs who are seeking resources, guidance, talent, and capital to advance their ventures.” To get involved, search “Westfair Tech Ventures” on meetup.com.
—Deanna Cioppa
15