MEDIA MONDAY / WHEELING AND DEALING

Pillar to Post for February 18, 2013

DEALMAKERS.

Tom Searcy and Henry DeVries are co-authors of the McGraw-Hill book “How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett: Lessons from the World’s Greatest Dealmaker.”

Their success has spawned a popular business blog for Forbes.com called “Dealmakers.”  Check out the pair’s recent column “BlackBerry Called.  They Want Their Mojo Back.”  The column has been posted since Feb. 12 and has had 14,306 views to date.  http://blogs.forbes.com/dealmakers/

Left: Tom Searcy and
Henry DeVries

Who are these guys?

Searcy, an expert in sales strategy, works with thousands of executives around the world each year through his workshops and keynote speaking. Through his company Hunt Big Sales, Searcy has helped clients accelerate the growth of their businesses and land more than $5 billion in deals. Searcy is the author of “RFPs Suck! How to Master the RFP System Once” and the co-author of “Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company.” More of Searcy’s wisdom can be accessed through his online columns on Inc.com and CBSMoneyWatch.

San Diegan DeVries, the former head of an Ad Age 500 agency, is on the marketing faculty and is the assistant dean of continuing education at the University of California San Diego. DeVries is a newspaper columnist and is the co-author of Self-Marketing Secrets, Pain Killer Marketing and Closing America’s Job Gap. He earned his MBA at San Diego State University and completed certificate programs at the Harvard Business School.

BIGGER IS BETTER.

In magazine time it didn’t take new editor Janice Kleinschmidt long to guide the editorial and art team at 34-year old San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles toward new format changes.  She noted that by having the editorial, art and photo departments in good shape upon her November arrival, it allowed her, Publisher Mark McKinnon’s and art director Laurie Miller to:

            --boost the physical size of the magazine,

            --brighten the paper stock and

            --implement a front to back redesign of interior pages.   The new look will take effect with the April 2013 edition.  A new rate card was printed giving new ad size dimensions.  Cover price remains at $4.95 and subscription rate stays at $18.  Facebook.com/SDHomeGarden, www.sandiegohomegarden.com.  

Best way for new writers or photographers to break into the magazine is to provide digital scouting photos of a previously unpublished garden, home, or condo.  Plus a one-page summary of why (does the home have an interesting history or technological solutions etc.) the proposed project would make an interesting article must be included with digital scouting images.  Send such inquiries and images to Annie Williams at Williams@sdhg.net.  Allow two weeks for response. Rates will be negotiated when the freelance proposal is accepted.

MAASS EXODUS.

North Park based City Beat, a feisty alternative weekly, is in the midst of staff changes.  The following link will take you to Editor David Rolland’s piece on the domino effect, including Dave Maass’ recent exit:  Below in italics is by Rolland:  The rest of his article is at the following link:

Shea Kopp

http://www.sdcitybeat.com/sandiego/article-11481-the-dave-maass-era-ends.html

Alex Zaragoza

“…The loss of Dave Maass is but one of a handful of changes going on at CityBeat. In the wake of art and culture editor Amy Granite's departure (along with her food column, "Grubby Bitch"), we've promoted events editor Alex Zaragoza to the title of staff writer and replaced her with a new events editor, Shea Kopp. Zaragoza has taken over our "Seen Local" visual-arts page and will contribute more culture features, along with her lively monthly column, "There She Goz."

We've selected a new wine writer,  Jen Van Tieghem, whose column starts next week; I thank Anders Wright for carrying the vino torch as long as he did. We'll also be adding a couple of new food writers shortly, one of whom is Mina Riazi, who'll begin in March. Our new "Urban Scout" shopping columnist is Katrina Dodson; she'll start in March. I'm excited about adding these fresh new voices to our team.”

MEDIA MEMOS.

A solid friend to media and PR types everywhere, Jan Percival, who is one of the region’s top PR pros, lost her dad, Jack Percival, 97 on Feb. 10 from pneumonia.  She said the family is planning memorial.  “Mom lost her prince, but she’s tough, independent and is doing well being surrounded with her family and 24/7 in-home care,” said Jan.

David Perloff, founder/publisher and editor-in-chief of San Diego Pacific Magazine named Ron Donoho as Editor-at-Large.

AOLP's Lauren Clark Lek

Lauren Clark Lek, a member of the laity, is the new Principal of the all-girl Academy of Our Lady of Peace in Normal Heights. A UCSD-grad, who holds a M.A. from St Mary’s College has recently completed course work at Pepperdine University on her Doctorate in Educational Technology leadership.  She will leave as principal of Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, CA, where she was the first alumni principal.  Prior to Moreau she was an English and Journalism teacher.  AOLP was founded locally in 1882 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.  Enrollment is historically between 740-750 students.

Brijet Myers

Brijet Myers is the new News Editor of the newsy North Park Community Assn.,’s newsletter. She’s at news@northparksd.org.  Web: www.northparksd.org

Meghanna Keshaven

Jan Rieger reports she’s always on the look out for more media news for her Captain’s Log, an items column that’s part of the SD Press Club’s rejuvenated web presence (www.sdpressclub.org).  She can be reached at jan@mclanrieger.com.  Here are two items from her recent column:

Iris E. Neal

            --Iris E. Neal is the new editor of the East County Californian.

            --Meghanna Keshaven joins the SD Business Journal as a reporter.