Paul Compton has been appointed as the new Executive Vice President of The Reseller Division of Hotels, Etc. He will complement the already successful corporate team in place and use his knowledge and skills to make the discount company a leader on the world playing field.
One of the most respected and successful discount companies in America has today shared some exciting news. The company based in Located in Loganville, GA and who offer up to 75% off public rates on travel, shopping, recreation, health, etc. has welcomed Paul Compton who will be the new Executive Vice President of the Reseller Division of Hotels Etc.
Paul Compton, who resides in Austin, Texas has for the last 22 years worked for some of the largest sales organizations in North America as a Sales Executive. He will be an important addition to the corporate team. With his dedication, knowledge and decades of experience in building and developing resellers and independent offices throughout the world, he will be able to help move Hotels Etc. forward through exciting times.
When asked about his background and achievements, Paul Compton responded: “I started on the streets, door to door, and in the trenches. I was able to grow companies organically from the ground up by building their sales infrastructure to include thousands of resellers and partners.”
Paul who is very modest about his achievements has become one of the most sought-after experts in his field. The new Executive Vice President who has become so successful in selling, he has become a self-made millionaire. He has been able to lead multiple companies in acquiring billions in new sales all through reseller channels and created numerous millionaires.
Hotels Etc. is very lucky to have attracted Paul’s attention and gained his services with the sales expert being headhunted by some of the top businesses in the world.
So, please welcome Paul to Hotels, Etc. family. Allow him to guide you in your own legacy. Use his years of experience in building that generational wealth we all seek. And, welcome him in mentoring you until you too are the millionaires he seeks to create here at Hotels Etc.
See you at the TOP!
PS: Hot off Paul’s Desk – Ground Breaking Changes are coming to Hotels Etc. and its team of current, future and past resellers. Change that is sure to create the momentum you need going into the Holiday season and into 2020. If you have been sitting on the sideline, join now before 2020! Don’t regret starting now, renewing now, upgrading now, before Paul unleashes his new digital and subscription-based models as well as new pricing. And, here we go…
About Hotels Etc.
In the year 1996 Hotels Etc. was launched and Shawn Pigg became CEO in 2005 which unknowingly would grow into one of the largest and most sought-after discount companies in America.
Thailand and America’s favorite Princess is back! Sameera Shah, better known as “Princess Sameera” wears a lot of different hats. She is the daughter and heiress of self-made Thai Indian billionaire Kirit Shah. She is also a viral meme creator, animal activist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, jewelry designer, Instagram influencer, and TV show host.
In 2018 Sameera launched season one of her new celebrity interview show Sip with Sam. The show features Sameera’s energetic personality while she interviews her favorite Celebrities and social media influencers including Sonja Morgan (The Real Housewives of New York) and LeeAnne Locken (The Real Housewives of Dallas). The season was a huge success with Sameera and her interviews being seen in major press outlets such as OK! Magazine, NY Post, and In Touch Weekly.
Season two of Sip with Sam will feature all-new surprise Celebrity guests from your favorite TV shows including; 90 Day Fiancé, Real Housewives, Southern Charm, and many more. Season one was recorded in America as will some of season two, but most of season two is recorded at KANSI, her family’s palatial compound in Bangkok, Thailand.
After earning three college degrees in California, Sameera returned to Thailand to help with several of her family’s multi-billion dollar businesses. She served as the only female director on the board on Megalife Sciences, one of the largest Pharmaceutical companies in Thailand. Although Sameera was creating her own business success and fortune, she was continuously intrigued with social media and soon found additional success and a rise to fame on Instagram.
In 2015 she launched her first Instagram account and began sharing her own creative and humorous memes. Within weeks, several of her memes went viral and received millions of likes and shares collectively. In addition to her rising media fame, Sameera continues to serve on the board of MegaLife Sciences, and is also heavily involved in philanthropy. She gives large sums of money to support breast cancer awareness and animal charities in Asia.
Season two is slated to launch on January 20, 2020, but shocking clips of upcoming shows will be posted on her YouTube in mid-December. To view press, show bio, and previous episodes visit http://www.SipWithSam.com
Veterans have very good news awaiting them from 100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs. They can now get Chiropractic care in North Colorado Springs without visiting VA hospital.
Colorado Springs, CO (November 20, 2019) – Veterans can now get their chiropractic care in Colorado Springs itself without having to visit a VA Hospital. This service is offered by 100 percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs. This chiropractic care office is now certified to offer chiropractic service to veterans through the VA PC3 Program and the Veterans Community Care Center under Tri-West.
Veterans need not have to visit a VA Hospital in Aurora for chiropractic and spine care. The founder 100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs Dr. Xavier Ortiz Ramirez got the opportunity to work with veterans previously when he was in his internship in the Department of Veterans Affairs in California.
Now, this chiropractor gets the chance to serve the community of veterans in Colorado Springs. Most importantly, he gets the opportunity to offer this service right at his own office. Veterans can now request their primary VA doctor to permit them to get chiropractic care right in their hometown Colorado Springs. Also, they can get this service right under the VA Community Program.
When they are placing their request, Veterans can provide the NPI Number of Dr. Xavier 1356902035. The Tri West under which this care is going to be offered by 100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs is administering the Department of Veterans Affairs Community Care Program for providing timely and quality health care to the Veterans of the United States.
Even though tens to thousands of VA Employees offer the right attention to masses of veterans via the network of VA of 35 domiciliary facilities, 126 nursing homes, 800 outpatient clinics that are community-based and 154 medical centers, at times VA turns to medical professionals in the community and asks them to serve as well. At these times TriWest comes into the picture. Now, 100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs gets this opportunity to serve the veterans with the permission of TriWest.
The TriWest Healthcare Appliance shortly referred to as TriWest got the 5-year contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs shortly referred to as VA for administering the VA Community Care Program. This program aims at improving access to health care services for veterans by ensuring that a quality provider network is available closer to the home of the veterans. In this way, 100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs has been identified by TriWest to offer the best chiropractic care to veterans. Veterans can gain access through the Community Care Program following a referral from the VA Medical Center that TriWest Processes.
About 100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs:
100 Percent Chiropractic North Colorado Springs has been functioning to help patients maintain the vibrant motion, strength, and energy already present in their body, apart from helping them with pain management. The team aims at helping patients level up their entire life.
African Ambassadors and Diaspora Interactive Forum – INGO the UK based third sector NGO, held the 7th edition of their African Ambassadors and Diaspora Interactive Forum at the United Nations IMO Building in London on the 26th July 2019.
The theme this year focused on the African diaspora as economic gateways in the post-Brexit United Kingdom. INGO was set up in 2002 to provide civil society support to Government/institutional social and economic programmes aimed at reaching the poorest of the poor and improving the general economic wellbeing of Africans.
Mahmood Ahmadu awarded ‘Best Technology Leader of the Year’
It is estimated that the African diaspora in the UK has over 5.5 million people, and plays a very important role especially when it comes to remittances to Africa. It is also estimated that over US$40 billion goes back directly to Africa from the diaspora community every year.
The day was split into two sessions, the first half had many high profile speakers including Ambassadors, led by His Excellency Amar Abba of Algeria, Dean of African Union Ambassadors to the UK, African Union representatives, rep of the Royal Family Office of the UAE, African Business Roundtable, International Maritime Organisation, Dr Claire Curtis-Thomas, CEO British Board of Agreement and many other distinguished speakers all giving their perspectives on the power of the African diaspora and their global impact.
The evening Award ceremony and dinner was graced by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Her Excellency, Dr Mrs Aisha Buhari, who was special guest speaker. Her entourage included wives of some of the Nigerian State governors and other VIP’s.
The First Lady was the first recipient of an award, alongside many highly accomplished dignitaries. Mr Mahmood Ahmadu, one of Africa’s most successful businessmen, Philanthropist and chairman of Africa’s largest financial technology company Innovate 1 Pay also received a special award in the Global Change Agent category.
He was honoured with the ‘Best Technology Leader of the Year’ in recognition of his company’s continuous impact in the use of technology to deliver financial services to many underserved global customers, and the ease of payments processing through its unique and intuitive platform.
An incredible board game that has gained huge exposure around the world is available on the Kickstarter platform. The company behind “More Than You Know” is Surfridge LLC. This is the most fun and challenging trivia game on the market.
One of the most talked-about board games in years has been launched on the Kickstarter platform just in time for the festive season. The new trivia game called “More Than You Know” is the future of board games.
Since the news broke last month that the new board game was being launched, it has gained huge exposure around the world. Now, with game reviewers testing out “More Than You Know,” it has generated even more excitement. Some game reviewers have called it one of the best competitive games around, while others have said the new game could be named in the top ten board games of all-time within twelve months.
So, what is all the fuss about, and why has the internet come alive with the news that the board game is being sold on Kickstarter? The answer is simple. There is no other board game like it available. It’s fun, challenging, competitive, and very addictive. It turns people who race around the equestrian-themed track from Mr. and Mrs. ‘nice and friendly’ to Mr. and Mrs. ‘I need to win.’ Players of the game wager on the knowledge of other players, checking for their strengths and weaknesses and taking full advantage to be the first to reach the finish line and win.
The board game comes with 1,000 questions on lots of different categories, but don’t worry, unlike other board games which can become a bit boring with the same questions, “More Than You Know” comes with an app that provides thousands of additional questions and more than 100 categories. The game can continue to expand and evolve thanks to the app, bringing modern technology into the world of board games.
Purchasing the trivia board game now before it hits the shops allows people to receive a great discount as well as the free app and all future expansion packs. Wait until it goes into the shops, and people wanting to play one of the best board games of recent years will have to pay a lot more.
For more information on the new game, and to see why it has gained so much exposure, and to make a purchase, please visit .
Singer-Songwriter Dave Tamkin has announced an eleven date Winter Tour set to take place December 11th – 28th. While on tour, Tamkin will travel through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin performing his original songs at various venues. Dave Tamkin will welcome Gina Gonzalez as a special guest collaborator for two shows in Arlington Heights, IL at Hey Nonny – one of which is already sold out. Tamkin’s Winter Tour comes after the release of his Bleeding Orange EP earlier this year which was described as “a style that allows him to stand out from the thousands of over singer-songwriters with acoustic guitars out there” by Songs That I Like.
Tickets and more information on Dave Tamkin’s Winter Tour can be found below.
Tour dates are listed below:
Dec 11 – Crescent Moon Coffee – Lincoln, NE
Dec 12 – The Down Under Lounge – Omaha, NE
Dec 13 – Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso – Lincoln, NE
Dec 15 – Singlespeed Brewing Co. – Waterloo, IA
Dec 17 – The Jitney Wine Bar – Monticello, IA
Dec 20 – SoFar Sounds Milwaukee – Milwaukee, WI
Dec 21 – Hey Nonny w/ Gina Gonzalez (Early Show) – Arlington Heights, IL – [SOLD OUT]
Dec 21 – Hey Nonny w/Gina Gonzalez (Late Show) – Arlington Heights, IL
Dec 26 – SingleSpeed Brewing Cedar Falls Taproom – Cedar Falls, IA
Dec 27 – Mason City Brewing – Mason City, IA
Dec 28 – Barley Street Tavern – Omaha, NE
Chicago Singer/Songwriter, Dave Tamkin, currently resides in Boulder, CO. He has created his own unique style of rhythmic-acoustic sounds that’s based around a fresh musical vision. His shows vary from intimate solo acoustic performances to a full band experience (DT&CO) encapsulating a mixture of personal lyrics and skilled songwriting set against a high-energy percussive backbone. He’s shared the stage with Guster, Brendan James, Donavon Frankenreiter, Butch Walker, Freddy Jones Band, Eric Hutchinson, Willy Porter, The Violent Femmes, and Peter Mulvey to name a few. Tamkin has a style that’s hard to resist. His lyrics are unabashedly honest and his passion for playing is undying.
Gina Gonzalez has acquired quite a musical resume. She has traveled all over the world and the U.S. enchanting and entertaining the hearts of many. Gina has performed for some of the highest ranking military personnel to famous actors and respected fellow artists. She has earned awards for recognition including honors from the U.S. Congress and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. Gina has done all of this by her own determination and drive. Born into a big family, Gina is the youngest of nine children and from a very early age they knew she had a musical gift. As little as 4 years old, Gina was placed on top of the piano at family gatherings to perform songs while a family member would accompany her on piano. As she grew older, her voice took shape and people began to take notice. She caught the ear of actor Gary Sinise and from that moment her life would change. Catch Gina Gonzalez with Dave Tamkin at Hey Nonny on December 21st (Arlington Heights, IL).
MIAMI, Florida, EzFill App, a rising global player in fuel delivery services today announces the launch of safe, on-time, and convenient on-demand fuel delivery services for Miami. The launch of Miami on-demand fuel delivery service is another milestone achieved by the company whose reputation is growing rapidly across the United States.
An average, an American spends at least 40 minutes every 3 days driving to the gas station to fill up his car. If you live in a big city such as Miami-Dade with lots of traffic, you could spend significantly more time just to fuel up your car. Besides, you burn more fuel whenever you go in search of a gas station, which also contributes to more CO2 emissions which is bad for the environment, and the time you spend refueling your car is time you could have used to do more at the office or spent at home with family and loved ones. EzFill App – a company with a fast-rising profile, recently announced a convenient solution to Miami’s fuelling problem.
EzFill on-demand fuel delivery service allows drivers to get fuel delivered straight to their vechile at their convenience. Speaking on the launch, Charles David, the spokesperson for the company, said that the most satisfying thing about launching their service is the ability to help their customers save time and money. “Our customers love being able to spend more time with their family and friends, and don’t have to worry about stopping for fuel”. The great thing about our service is how we use tech-friendly vehicles to deliver fuel to our customers’ doorsteps. This way, we help them emit less CO2 emission to protect our environment – He added.
EzFill App on-demand fuel delivery service is already available in various areas throughout Miami-Dade county and many locations in South Florida. Customers who already use the service agree that EzFill has an unbeatable edge in customer service and fuel delivery prices. “Five Stars! The truck came a few minutes after I put in the order! He was very gentle and careful with my car (I watched him from my window) Thank you for this amazing service that has changed my life!”, says Gabrielle, an excited customer who is already using EzFill since moving to Miami, and has recommended us to everyone in her family.
The company’s modern approach was simple: use the mobile device to modernize fuel delivery and cut the middleman out by bringing the gas station service directly to customers, while helping reduce road congestion, CO2 emissions, and protect community land and water from the negative effects of underground fuel storage tanks. You can now choose to fuel-up in an environmental-friendly way by eliminating the gas station experience. With the launch of the service, you can now download the EzFill App on your smartphone or visit www.ezfillapp.com.
About EzFill EzFill is an on-demand mobile app service combining the latest advancements in technology, safety, and security to bring the gas station to you at your convenience. The company serves various locations in South Florida such as Miami Beach, South Beach, Venetian Islands, Bal Harbour, Wynnewood, Hallandale, and many more. Media Contact • Name: EzFill Media Manager • Phone: 1-000-000-000 • Email: info@ezfill.com
The experienced CEO was awarded on the grounds of his own applied pragmatic methods of guiding and achieving business strategy through organizational culture and leadership.
Dec 3, 2019 – Louis Carter, the current number 7 Global Guru in Organizational Culture, has been re-nominated as one of the key organizational culture experts by Global Gurus and Marshall Goldsmith. The award-winning CEO executive coach, business strategist and organizational development expert applies his own research, with the research of his peers and mentors to real life situations and creates measurable results.
Louis Carter, CEO and President of Best Practice Institute started applying his Social Organizational Psychology skills as far back as 2001 by combining it with his other life’s passion – drumming. A Social/Organizational Psychology Grad Student at Columbia University in NYC and musician on September 11, 2001, Carter used his skills to create a haven where people that had been through the horrors of that day can come together and grieve, while sharing their experiences. Not being one to conform with organizational practices which he considered orthodox and ineffective, Louis Carter brought a new and different approach at the time to corporate structures where he could change them to be dynamic and effective.
During the same year in 2001, Louis met Bishop William Swing of the Episcopal Church of California, who changed the way Carter would think about how to turn around dysfunctional, low performing and unmotivated groups and organizations. Bishop Swing founded the United Religions Initiative as a model to the United Nations with guidance and commitment from leaders of many of the world’s religions, including the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, the Shankaracharya of Kanchipuram, Islam’s Grand Mufti of Egypt, and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
This relationship inspired Carter to create the same for corporations in the form of helping CEOs and teams co-create a shared ecumenical document for their company. This document allowed companies and its teams to execute on shared goals which, through Carter’s recent research for his book, In Great Company (McGraw-Hill, 2019), has proven to increase motivation, accountability and time to execute.
Carter founded Best Practice Institute (BPI), a management consultancy firm that specializes in helping budding and realized mid to large sized companies, and their senior executives, with plans and strategies to run, manage and lead their businesses. During the past 18 years, companies in every major vertical industry have gone through Carter’s programs, coaching, and consulting.
Global Gurus are voted for entirely by their industry peers, based specifically on the profound impact the experts have had on them, their teams and their organization. Global Gurus are selected due to their actions, unique concepts and the personal ability to apply and benefit from what the work have taught. To vote for Louis Carter to remain the top Guru in Organizational Culture for this year goto: https://globalgurus.org/organizational-culture/
Louis Carter, along with his firm, Best Practice Institute, continues finding new ways to get the best out of organizations, which makes clear why in 2018 he was named the number 7 global guru in organizational culture. Louis Carter is also proud to be handpicked by Marshall Goldsmith as a MG100 coach, where he provides one pro-bono project a year, to “pay-it-forward” and provide help and accountability to other thought leaders to become even more successful.
About Louis Carter
Louis Carter is CEO and founder of Best Practice Institute, a benchmark research consortium, association and management consulting firm specializing in helping organizations and C-suite senior executives achieve their market strategy through talent management, executive coaching, leadership development, organizational culture and change management. He is the author of nearly a dozen books on best practices and organizational leadership. Published by Jossey Bass/John Wiley and Sons and McGraw Hill, including Change Champions, Best Practices in Talent Management, Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organization Change and Leading the Global Workforce. In his speaking career, he has taught at the Tsinghua School of Business and People’s University in Beijing, Jackson State University, Seton Hall University and Universal Network Intelligence (UNI) in Asia, HR Magazine in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and the Dubai HR Lighthouse Initiative. Louis is widely sought after as an expert in the field where he helps successful leaders and teams achieve their business goals. He has been quoted and profiled by Fast Company, Investor’s Business Daily, Business Watch Magazine, Pando Daily, CNBC, Forbes and CIO Magazine; while his research and teaching has been translated across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North & South America. He has held numerous executive coaching, business strategy consulting, facilitation and business acceleration roles. His newest book is In Great Company: How to spark peak performance by creating an emotionally connected workplace (McGraw Hill).
Entrepreneur, Father and International Traveler, Ricardo “Riki” Capone
He shares his insights into Starting a business, what it takes to sell that business and thriving on the global stage.
This article has its roots in England where I first met budding entrepreneur and business-man-to-be Ricardo Capone at a prestigious charity gala called Sports for Peace in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on the 25th July 2012. The reason for the Gala: To honor sporting legends for their lifetime achievements.
This charity gala was rather special for a number of reasons, not to mention that it played host to a range of guests including the famed guest of honor and boxing superstar, Muhammad Ali alongside football legend David Beckham, Sir Christopher Lee and rocker Bob Geldof but the event raised significant capital for the Muhammad Ali Foundation and Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons disease.
This event was held just two days before the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday 27th July 2012. An opening ceremony unforgettable by our interviewee today, Ricardo Capone. His company Goldie Horns Electroplating Ltd (the celebrity choice for jewelry and alternative gold, platinum and other metal electroplating services) had a special gift up their sleeve, the lavish gift being presented by Goldie Horns to the London Olympics for the opening ceremony was contributing 100% of the profits from that gift directly to the a fore mentioned charities.
Ricardo and his accompanies gift completely caught my eye, 204 Gold Covered Chicken Wishbones! That’s real chicken wishbones coated with a luxurious 24ct Gold. In British culture, snapping chicken wishbones with a friend is considered good luck. The number was very specific, 204. This was representative, one lucky chance for each nation participating in the 2012 games.
Fast-Forward 7 years and I finally had my chance to connect with Ricardo Capone for a long awaited interview. Of-course, without focusing on the past and how we met, I wanted to see where Ricardo was in his business and what his plans for the future are. The result, extremely surprising indeed. A success story that had not only outshone Ricardo’s expectations, but one that led him out of the gold industry and into the Tea business.
THE INTERVIEW
Hello Mr. Ricardo Capone, Thank you for agreeing to this interview. I recall meeting you in London 2012 at the Sports for Peace event. Since then, it seems like a lot has changed!
Hey Jamie, What’s’ up dude? Yeah it’s a pleasure to hook up again, but please, call me Riki. Sure things have changed dramatically. Thank god as-well, I can’t think of anything worse than a stagnant business venture, I mean what’s it been 6/7 years since then? When we met, I was at the middle stage of my gold career really. I was just young, excited and doing whatever, whenever and being e wherever to get my company and name out there. I had clients from all backgrounds from international celebrities to the UK Governments British Meteorological Survey Dept.
That’s right, you were what? 25 years old and already making waves in the business scene. So you’ve now sold your gold company and moved on. I’ll come back to that in a moment, but first id love to know, what was the highlight of your directorship with Goldie Horns Ltd?
Psh! That’s a great question. There were so many. If I had to single one out? Ha-ha, Jheeze. Okay, I got it. Day one! I’ve got to say, before I explain myself. I came from, an unlikely-to-succeed background. Growing up in Nottingham wasn’t easy, like, at all! And launching a company there at just 21 years old with no guidance, no one to fall back on if it went wrong… it was daunting. That very first day, when I had already invested all my savings into equipment, marketing… the day I received my share certificates, my incorporation documents. The memorandum and articles of association. I was a director. The CEO of my own company. Ready to take on the world. That was the highlight for me as it was no longer a hobby, or a dream. It was real, you know?
I do! Completely understand that. It must have been amazing for you. So let me get this right, from 21 years old until 31 you were the sole owner of G.H with no investing partners. What forced you to sell the company in 2019 and was the company in profit or debt at the time?
Ha-ha! Cheeky question there at the end but fortunately, I don’t mind answering. The company was liquid and in the black. Just to be clear Jamie, I didn’t sell through need, the company was highly profitable. There comes a time in our lives where we want to turn the tables upside down. You have to understand, when I stared the company, I was young, single and having fun traveling the world. The job role demanded international attention. It took me far and wide, living and doing business in most of Europe, Asia and the Americas. I had found myself hitting my 30’s with a beautiful fiancée and a son. By December 2018 (the 22nd actually) I had married Alexandra. My dream woman and mother of my lil dude, Azure Benjamin Capone. I needed to settle and Goldie Horns was never going to allow that. You see. I sold the business to focus on something much more important. Laying down some roots.
I think that’s really important, and admirable. Great to hear the company was doing well. Do you mind me asking, what was your settlement figure?
Hmm, I’m not sure I am allowed to reveal the full details of my private sale. I can say this though; I walked away with seven figures.
Great! Let’s talk for a moment then about tea. How and why did you decide to get involved in the chai business?
Well Jamie, that’s an easy one. My wife! Alexandra. They say “Behind every good man, is a great woman.” in my case, that’s really apt. Ale put up with a lot while I was focused on the gold. The traveling, pregnancy and we moved several countries together. We decided that we needed to settle for our son Azure. He needed focus himself and we found ourselves in Spain. A land that Ale holds close to her heart. We found a great school for Azure and a wonderful family home within walking distance from his school. It seemed perfect. We moved there in January of this year and I had one final trip planned to Singapore to sign the paperwork for the sale of my company. While in Asia, I had a business contact whose Tea plantation was failing. He just couldn’t keep up with the cost of exporting his tea to Europe. One thing led to another and he proposed I purchase the plantation. Being European (for now, hopefully Britannia doesn’t leave the EU) I was in a unique position, I could be profitable and enjoy the lower taxes imposed for importing our tea through Romania (Alexandra’s home country). I had discussed this with my wife, she was so excited. Tea had always been a passion for her. Growing up in a small town outside of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania she frequently visited a tea house there called “Samsara”. It was more than a place to drink tea, but a social hotspot for all the cool young people in the area. A place with exotic themed rooms in a big old house. She whisked me away to experience it. I found myself at home there. In love with the concept. There was just one big issue for me, it wasn’t very profitable. It was a place of love, joy, friendship and history. True. But the owner was not focused on making money and yet it was my wife’s dream to have a similar business. How could that work for me? I’m a capitalist right! So we bumped heads again and like in all successful happy marriages, there has to be some compromise. We decided to go into business together (my wife and I) with two very clear goals.
Ale would get her physical tea store up and running
We would own and operate the tea plantations, supplying our store with our teas from Asia and profiting greatly from international wholesale of our own teas.
It seemed like the perfect match, certainly its working very well so far
Fantastic Riki! A match made in heaven then. I’ve read a little online about your plantations. You have four in total now right? The name also “The Blooming Lotus”.. How did that come about? Can you tell us more about the plantations that belong to The Blooming Lotus.
Interesting questions man, yeah you’ve done your research! We do indeed have four plantations:
The Wuyi Plantation
The Anji Bai Cha Plantation
The West Lake Longjing Plantation
The Zisun Plantation
I’ll use this opportunity to throw a little self-promo out there; you can read about the wonders of our tea plantations on our site if you go to www.thebloominglotus.eu/our-teas.
The name, The Blooming Lotus was one founded in both our desire to describe our USP (Unique Selling Point) and our love for Buddhist beliefs. In typical “me” fashion, I’m going to start with the latter part. The lotus. In Buddhist tradition, there is something called “The Pad-ma” or “The Lotus Philosophy” In Latin; the Nelumbo Necifera (lotus flower) is a symbol of creation and cosmic renewal and primordial purity or “Ka Dag”. It is one of the Ashtamangala of Buddhism and a chakra symbol in the Dharmacakra. In short, the same beliefs my wife and I share about the beginning of existence through to energy and purity are symbolised by this flower in the eastern world. So of course, with our teas coming from the east, it seemed only fitting that we portray our values through our name. The Blooming Part! Well, this is simple. Our teas bloom. Not in the traditional sense that you’re thinking. I’m not referring to the natural process by which a flower reveals itself. But rather, in the artisan sense. When we harvest our teas, our primary use for the leaves is not to put them into tea bags or just have them in a loose leaf form. We use artisans in China that take their art form from an ancient Vietnamese tradition of tying the tea leaves around a single flower. So that when you steep the “tea balls” the internal flower is revealed in a “Blooming” motion.
I love the design and the backstory. Tell me, how soon can we expect to be able to visit a Blooming Lotus Tea Store and see Alexandra serving behind its tea bar?
Currently, this year we have focused only on wholesale teas. Supplying some of Europe largest tea brands. With the profits from year one in the bank, we aim to launch phase two at the end of the first quarter in 2020. I can give you this sneak peak for now; we will in January be opening our online store. This will be for small quantity sales of our tea direct to consumers who sign up. You can register your interest to be a member now on the website. While we will use that launch as a testing ground for our product packaging designs, Ale will be using it to gain a local following in Spain (where our first store is due to open its doors). Supplying the locals and not-so-locals alike with some of our most special blends. Building interest in the months prior to opening the doors physically.
For more information about The Blooming Lotus company:
Banksy can help to deal with London Street crime according to Meisterdrucke Fine Arts
A Fine art studio in Villach, Austria is calling on Banksy to help solve the increase in knife crime in London. Meisterdrucke Fine Arts, who supplies fine art around the world believe that art can provide a calming influence and feel Banksy could use his reputation and street art to bring calm to the streets of London.
The team at Meisterdrucke Fine Arts would like to see Banksy make some form of a statement on the increase in knife crime and use his influence to call on the gangs in London to put down the knives and use their energy through creative art. The fine arts experts would also like to see Banksy work with local community groups and the Mayor of London to set up street art classes to provide people with a positive output for their energy.
London’s knife-crime epidemic continues to get out of control with 130 recorded this year, compared with 132 in 2018. Over the past few years, many experts have come forward to reveal why they feel knife crime continues to increase which includes high unemployment, poverty, and lack of guidance, but no one has come forward with a positive solution. Meisterdrucke Fine Arts believes the solution could be through Banksy street art and through his positive influence on others.
Art is already used to help millions of people around the world. It can help seniors improve their quality of life, relieve stress, encourage creative thinking, help to deal with PTSD, and boost self-esteem to name a few. However, Meisterdrucke Fine Arts believe creative art can help to deal with the growing violence on the streets and provide the youth of today with an avenue to express themselves rather than use violence.
Meisterdrucke Fine Arts wants Banksy to come forward in some shape or form and motivate the youth of today to say no to knife crime and give them a positive path. They hope that Banksy will make a video and create an art piece to denounce knife crime.
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist, vandal, political activist, and film director, active since the 1990s. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique
About Meisterdrucke Fine Arts
They create high-quality art prints with modern technology and elaborate procedures in Villach, Austria
