Small Business Today Magazine MAY 2014 CUSTOMIZED REAL STATE SERVICES | Page 5

SBT Houston Staff MAY 2014 PUBLISHER SCOLUMN Chairman John Cruise President/Executive Publisher Steve Levine From the Publisher Associate Publisher/ Creative Director/Editor Barbara Davis-Levine Steve Levine Business Development/PR Bill Huff Aaron Kaplan Susan Repka Stephen Zappala Graphic Designer Lavinia Menchaca Photographers Gwen Juarez Contributing Writers Don Brown Pilar Ortiz Barbara Davis Mayor Annise Parker Mila Golovine Christi Ruiz Bruce Hurta Rita Santamaria Jeff Jones Chris Sloan Aaron Kaplan Holly Uverity Craig Klein Aimee Woodall Hank Moore Chief Advisor Hank Moore Publisher’s Advisory Board Shah Ardalan Wea Lee Roger Burks Hank Moore Helen Callier Lisa M. Morton Sonia Clayton Mike Muhney Donna Cole Leisa Holland Nelson John Cruise Mayor Annise Parker Dirk Cummins Page Parkes April Day Howard Partridge Dr. John Demartini Susan Repka Maya Durnovo Maria Rios Kathie Edwards Grant Sadler Leonard Faucher Rita Santamaria Mila Golovine Allen Shapiro David Holt William Sherrill Richard Huebner Pam Terry Jeffrey Jones Linda Toyota Darryl King Jack Warkenthien Craig Klein Aaron Young Phone: [phone] E-Mail: [email protected] Or Write: Small Business Today 5380 West 34th Street, Ste 230 Houston,TX 77092 See us on the web at www.SBTMagazine.net Free APP for Android & iPhone go to your APP Store and type in Small Business Today Magazine PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE SMALL BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE PRESIDENT: JOHN CRUISE PHONE: [phone] www.SBTMagazine.net ADVERTISING RATES ON REQUEST. BULK THIRD CLASS MAIL PAID IN TUCSON, AZ. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND NOTICES ON FORM 3579 TO 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PUBLISHED MATERIALS, SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED OR FACTS SUPPLIED BY ITS AUTHORS. COPYRIGHT 2012, LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. How Do You Like Us Now? T he only thing permanent is change”, my mentor and friend, Marshall Haas, the founder of Haas Publishing Companies used to say…and sometimes change can be long past due. In the publishing world, it is not uncommon to put a publication through a redesign to give it a new look and feel. Most of the time, those changes are made to accommodate the ever-changing needs, preferences, and tastes of the reader. After two years and 24 issues of SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE, it was truly time for a change. With little or no fanfare, we went about quietly making changes to the magazine to accommodate the growing family of online readers and to give it a more professional and cleaner look and feel. Our subscribers (online and hard copy) wanted the cover story pages all up front and not started in the front and ending in the back of the magazine. They wanted an easier to read Table of Contents Page with the list of each Columnist’s Editorial Page. After all, the editorials are the “meat” of the magazine. In addition, we redesigned the pages and photos of each editorial page by removing the black/red header at the top of each page, making each photo background the same, and enlarging the title of the editorial with a more professional and sophisticated look. Please understand that I am a creature of habit. Change of any type does not come easy. For example, with all of the ways to keep your calendar online, I still use the same paper “Day Runner” that I have been using since April, 1984.Yes, 30 years later, you can ask me who I had an appointment with 25 years ago and I can put my hands on that very page in no time and give you the answer. But, I am happy with all of the changes in the magazine and want to express my appreciation to my wife Barbara (Creative Director/Associate Publisher) and our new design team of Lavinia Menchaca and Rafa Saavedra for the amazing job they did with the recreation of every page and helping us not skip a beat with the delivery of the April issue! “Kudos”, guys! In this, our May/W.B.E.A. (Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance) Issue, we honor Ms. Connie Rankin with ITRA Global/Customized Real Estate Services. Connie is a proud WBE and well-deserving of the cover honor. She is also someone who believes in changing things for the better.The success Connie has with her commercial real estate company is a testament to her skills in creatively dealing with the economic highs and lows and the multitude of changes that the real estate industry has been going through over the years.You will enjoy her story. Good Reading, Good Sales, and Great Success to You All! Steve Levine President/Executive Publisher, Small Business Today Magazine [ MAY 2014 ] www.SBTMagazine.net 3