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 Team helps motivational speaker revive learn-to-paint business
Story by Wendy Dosher-Smith, Special to The Herald Once 2,500 Tupperware employees lined up in front of canvasses during Conni Gordon's ``longest-ever art class'' and she was featured in the 1989 Guinness Book of World Records as the ``most prolific art teacher'' on the planet. But these days entrepreneur, art teacher, author, motivational speaker, television personality and Miami Beach resident Conni Gordon, 81, and her art business need help. Enter The Conni Gordon Makeover Team.
Business Monday enlisted the help of eight specialists - everyone from a lawyer and banker to a marketing expert and image consultant - to help Gordon reinvent her business and her professional image.
During her long career, Gordon has taught her ``Conni Gordon Method'' of painting to corporations such as IBM, Chevrolet, Hewlett-Packard and JC Penney. A little painting and a pep talk has been her corporate niche. Gordon has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and even taught notables such as Tony Randall, Sammy Davis Jr. and former President Jimmy Carter to make quick and easy paintings. But after a few major setbacks, including a franchise agreement gone bad and steady client IBM's departure from Boca Raton in 1998, Gordon's business slowed. Now she is worried it might be stalled for good. ``I'm at the stage in my life where I really need help,'' says Gordon. Gordon's assistant, Christina Hero, 21, nominated her for the Business Monday Makeover. She said her boss needed an ``updated look'' for a new half-hour TV show, ``Create with CONNI,'' that recently began airing on Cable TAP, and guidance on whether she should try to franchise her instruction method.
``Her business has done so well in the past and to see it go down now for no apparent reason seems a waste,'' says Hero. Gordon's wanted to explore franchising so that other art teachers - or ``Conni clones'' as she calls them - could continue her four-step method for creating a painting in less than 15 minutes.
Gordon also wants to increase her corporate speaking engagements, which can bring in from $5,000 to $10,000 per session, to at least one per month. Other goals include raising money for charity through painting parties, selling her current stock of 30,000 art books (Gordon has written 25 instructional books), generating ideas to sell her two latest works, How to Think Creatively and Oops & Ahas-1001 Speaker Tips, and renovating her 5,000-square-foot home/studio in Miami Beach. During the makeover process, which began in November, The Herald arranged meetings with specialists who volunteered their time to help put Gordon's business on a better footing.
While Gordon is on track with some of her business ideas, she needs guidance with others. Among her recent successes are her new TV program and an upcoming fundraiser at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center called ``Creative THINK & Paint-ALONG with Conni.'' While the fundraiser helps put her name on the map, it is not a paying engagement and won't help bring her back to the $50,000-plus yearly income she averaged in the 1990s. More on track for revenue building is an appearance at the national convention of radio executives of Miami-based Jefferson-Pilot Communications in February. Because her business in large part depends on making public appearances, the first thing Gordon needed was a personal makeover. For years Gordon has worn a signature blonde wig with a black headband. Mark Holloway, owner of Miami Beach-based DV8 [the salon], decided to give her a more modern look, dying her hair red to match her dynamic personality and to bring out her blue eyes. To add drama, he gave her false eyelashes.
Miami-based ImageWorks President Carla Harris, a professional shopper, wardrobe consultant and image counselor, chose an outfit for Gordon's on-air appearances from Lisa Todd in Coral Gables. The look is polished, she says, but not too stuffy. Then the business itself needed a more contemporary look. Gordon's marketing materials - including her business card and website - were dated. Her inventory of art books, first published in 1958, were stuck in the 1960s. For help, The Herald went to Miami Beach illustrator and graphic artist Barry Zaid. He came up with an updated logo using an artist's palette and a big C, which stands for Conni and create.
Zaid chose stencil lettering for her new business card because it is crisp and communicates Gordon's accessible approach to art. ``I wanted to create something that looked fresh and colorful since her methodology is three dabs and you got a piece of art,'' Zaid says, ``and I wanted the logo to reflect that. I see Conni as someone who releases inhibitions through the artistic process. People who thought they couldn't paint learn they can. It frees people up to try other things and it can be a life-changing experience.'' Once the aesthetic details were addressed, attorney Steven Kozlowski met with Gordon and assessed her business needs and the steps necessary to franchise a business. 
IN NEED OF A PLAN Kozlowski was most concerned with Gordon's disorganized business plan and her possible lack of protection for her intellectual property. ``Ms. Gordon has several ideas for the future of her business, including a desire to franchise or attract investors, but will require much assistance and organization to turn these ideas into goals and move the goals into reality,'' Kozlowski says. Although Gordon believes she holds a patent on her four-step art process, she is not entirely sure. Kozlowski says Gordon needs to take inventory to assess the level of protection she has for assets such as her instructional books and ``Instant Art'' method. ``Ms. Gordon should have a clear and well-documented description of all of the copyrights for these instruction books as well as any expiration dates,'' he says. Gordon should hire a copyright search service, he says, to identify exactly what copyrights she owns, as well as hire an intellectual property or business attorney familiar with intellectual property assets to help secure whatever copyrights she does not already own. There is also the possibility that Gordon's copyrighted material may have been reproduced without her permission, especially with the boom in Internet piracy. ``Music isn't the only thing that gets pirated over the Internet,'' says Kozlowski. Since 1959, Gordon had operated most of her ventures through a Florida corporation, Conni Gordon, Inc. But in 2001 she dissolved the corporation and now she operates as a sole proprietor.
``The dissolution of her company may have contributed to the unorganized state of her affairs,'' says Kozlowski. He suggests she reincorporate as Conni Gordon, Inc. because as a sole proprietor she does not enjoy the same benefits of limited personal liability as a corporation. Plus, says Kozlowski, it may be more attractive for an investor to put money in a company rather than fund a sole proprietor.
Alan G. Randolph, senior vice president, business development for Mellon Bank in Miami-Dade County, says there's no black and white answer on how Gordon should go about finding an angel investor. But he adds, ``A good candidate for an investor would be someone who is looking to get into a second business.'' BUSINESS PACKAGE Gordon, he says, needs to think about why someone would want to invest in her business and then package it accordingly so it will be appealing. She also could approach mass marketers such as Wal-Mart or Target about selling an instructional painting video in their stores, Randolph says. Both Randolph and Kozlowski suggest that once Gordon finds someone to invest, she hire an attorney. That way she can make sure no one takes advantage of her and that she is complying with all disclosure requirements. The sale of an interest in a business, even a small business, is regulated by state and in some situations federal law, Kozlowski points out. REINVENT YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE The same advice goes if Gordon decides to franchise: hire an attorney. ``A potential franchisor like Ms. Gordon would not want to find themselves at the mercy of a disgruntled franchisee seeking legal action,'' says Kozlowski.
Meanwhile, Ana María Fernández Haar, chairman of AMF Holdings and a marketing expert, told Gordon that her book inventory was not generating cash because it isn't being marketed and sold properly.
Gordon's books have seen more publishers than cats have lives but now she is self-publishing and she's not moving her books. `DEAD INVENTORY'
``At the moment [the books] are dead inventory. While they might not look cutting edge, their content is timeless and the lessons clearly illustrated,'' says Fernández Haar, who took Gordon's publications home and studied them. ``They have value. They can easily be sold at demonstrations, seminars and bookstores.'' Later on, Fernández Haar suggests that Gordon update the look of her books.
But Fernández Haar says one of Gordon's first priorities should be sprucing up her Miami Beach living space/art studio, which is in disrepair. If the premises are organized and made more attractive, Gordon can begin to generate cash immediately and will have a place to negotiate and ``showcase'' her business.
``It could be a gem where Gordon could teach, do group events, sell books and entertain celebrities, community leaders and journalists in a fun salon-type environment,'' says Fernández Haar. ``Add good classical music, tea, poetry and maybe even wine and we have another SoBe landmark in the making.'' PRIME REAL ESTATETerry Santini, a Davie certified public accountant who met with Gordon, says that Gordon's Miami Beach property is prime real estate. ``Conni has some great assets in real estate, which hopefully can be her imprint on the artistic world if through her charitable inclinations [it] is earmarked for an art school.''
For suggestions on organizing Gordon's studio, The Herald looked to Craig Badinger, president of Chaos To Comfort - a Miami Beach firm that organizes businesses and homes. ``Conni's organizational problems,'' he says, ``are common to entrepreneurs. Administrative tasks tend to stay on the back burner, since they're not the money makers. But they also tend to nag, distract and rear their ugly heads by creating a quagmire when you can least afford the time.''
Adds Badinger: ``Gordon has 50 years of experience, which means 50 years of experiences that are mentioned in magazines, newspapers and personal testimonials. It also means not everything has made it to the computer age.'' Gordon's filing system has overflowed into boxes and her desk is piled high with papers.
Badinger recommends a major overhaul of her archiving system, a reorganization of her desk and work areas, and the creation of a database to record each of her training session and convention jobs.
Most file materials, he says, should be organized by date, including media clips and public relations efforts, testimonials and thank-you notes and convention records. Other records, he says, should be filed according to category, including office expenses (contractors, staff, service providers) and ideas. Business development leads should be filed by category and then by name. Gordon should compartmentalize her work areas, putting all like items together and consolidate and reorganize her library of reference books by topic, Badinger says. He also suggests designating a storage room for her inventory, including books, pamphlets, art kits and greeting cards she sells. Though reorganization can often be daunting, Badinger advises Gordon to ``keep breathing and take it step by step. Each step gets you closer to the goal.'' For her part Gordon is pleased with both the business and personal aspects of her makeover.
``My new look?'' Gordon says. ``Old friends pass me by, not recognizing me at first. The general reaction is extremely favorable.'' And there is one detail Gordon really likes: appearing on television with her own hair. ``Being wigless on TV is a joy,'' says Gordon. ``It's hot under those lights!'' TO REACH CONNI* In 2003, the Champagne region produced more than 293 million bottles of bubbly.
* The French are the biggest Champagne drinkers, accounting for 59 percent of consumption.
* The United States is the No. 2 importer of Champagne, behind the United Kingdom. The United States imported 18.9 million bottles in 2003 and 14.8 million bottles in the first nine months of 2004.
Illustration:color photo: Conni Gordon (4-a), Conni Gordon with Barry Zaid (a), Conni Gordon with Wendy Doscher-Smith (a), Craig Badinger (a), Mark Holloway (a), Terry Santini (a), Carla Harris (a), Steven Robert Kozlowski (a), Alan G. Randolph (a), Ana María Fernández Haar (a), Barry Zaid (a)
photo: Conni Gordon with Tony Randall (a), Conni Gordon with Mark Holloway (2-a)
PHOTOS BY CANDACE BARBOT A NEW LOOK: Conni Gordon is shown here with a new hairstyle and makeup by Mark Holloway. Carla Harris helped her select clothing lent by Lisa Todd. Gordon is wearing a Carter Smith long coat of Shibori silk with pearl beads ($1,210), a Harari silk tank top ($165), and Harari silk pants ($285). At top right is Gordon's new business card designed by Barry Zaid. NEW CLOTHES Gordon hams it up at a wardrobe fitting with Miami-based ImageWorks President Carla Harris, a professional consultan who chose an outfit for Gordon's on-air appearances. MODERN ART For help in giving Conni's business a much needed modern look, The Herald went to Miami Beach graphic artist Barry Zaid, right, who helped redesign her business cards and promotional material.
HAIR RAISING Gordon clowns under a drier at Miami Beach-based DV8 [the salon]. Gordon's hair is dyed a new red to match her dynamic personality and bring out her blue eyes. FADING GLORY Once featured in the Guinness Book of World Records as the ``most prolific art teacher,'' entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker and television personality Conni Gordon, 81, needs help.
CELEBRITY This picture of Conni (right) with actor Tony Randall hangs in Gordon's studio in Miami Beach. Gordon has taught her ``Conni Gordon Method'' of painting to corporations and celebrities. PHOTOS BY CANDACE BARBOT/HERALD STAFF BEFORE AND AFTER: Business Monday enlisted the help of eight specialists - from a lawyer and banker to a marketing expert to stylist Mark Holloway, above, - to help Conni Gordon reinvent her business and her professional image. CANDACE BARBOT/HERALD STAFF THE CONNI GORDON METHOD: Businesswoman Conni Gordon, left, proudly holds up the painting created by Herald reporter Wendy Doscher-Smith during a demonstration of Gordon's painting method at her studio in Miami Beach. Source: January 3, 2005
Section: Business Monday
Edition: Final
Page: 18G
Memo:See microfilm for information on the makeover team
COVER STORY
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