Roller derby and rollergirls news and commentary blog

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Dayna Steele: Rock To The Top - Blog Business Success Radio

Entrepreneur, broadcaster, and author of the best selling and highly motivational book Rock To The Top: What I Learned About Success From The World's Greatest Rock Stars, Dayna Steele shares success secrets from legendary rock stars including Van Halen, Aerosmith, and KISS. She shows how you can use their ideas and techniques to become a business rock star.

Dayna Steele is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, August 7, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Entrepreneur, broadcaster, and author of the best selling and highly motivational book Rock To The Top: What I Learned About Success From The World's Greatest Rock Stars, Dayna Steele shares success secrets from legendary rock stars. You will learn:

* How show business techniques can be applied to business

* The power of networking and getting help where needed

* How to build and protect your brand and its image

* How to organize a business as if it were a rock stage stage show

Dayna Steele (photo left) is an entertaining and inspiring motivational keynote speaker and the author of the best-selling business book Rock To The Top: What I Learned About Success From The World's Greatest Rock Stars. She reigned for years as Houston's “First Lady of Radio”, building a large army of fans known as ‘Steeleworkers’ at rock radio station KLOL-FM.

Her past awards include Local Radio Personality of the Year by Billboard Magazine and Talkers Magazine's 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts. Her radio broadcasts took her from the war zone in Bosnia to the opening of The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas to concerts and interviews with countless bands and rock stars around the world.

Steele also created the highly successful e-commerce venture The Space Store. Her latest venture is Smart Girls Rock, an online community to encourage girls to make smart the new cool.' She also created Operation National Anthem, a series of videos from US soldiers serving in Iraq, to be played at events prior to the singing of the national anthem. For that website, Reader's Digest named Dayna one of the "35 People Who Inspire Us" in the May 2008 issue.

My book review of Rock To The Top: What I Learned About Success From The World's Greatest Rock Stars by Dayna Steele.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with entrepreneur, broadcaster, and author of the best selling and highly motivational book Rock To The Top: What I Learned About Success From The World's Greatest Rock Stars, Dayna Steele as she shares success secrets from legendary rock stars including Van Halen, Aerosmith, and KISS. She shows how you can use their ideas and techniques to become a business rock star on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Dayna Steele, Rock To The Top, success secrets from rock stars, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 1:51 PM

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Monday, August 20, 2007

Debbie Rice Interview

Former WSL RollerJam star jammer Debbie Rice completed an interview with my good friend Heather Burke of Raven Entertainment Productions. Debbie talked about her time skating with WSL RollerJam and what she is doing now with Bont.

Some roller derby related interview highlights:

HB: Why was Roller Jam something you wanted to do?

DR: It was an adrenaline rush - it allowed me to
showcase an all around look at skating, not just speed,
but agility, team strategies, etc..

HB: Did you have an interest in roller derby prier to
becoming a Roller Jam skater?

DR: Nope, didn't know a thing about it.

HB: Did you find it difficult to learn to skate on the bank
track?

DR: I had raced on bank tracks in speed skating, so it
wasn't too difficult at all.

Continue reading Debbie Rice's interview.

Tags: WSL RollerJam, roller derby, Debbie Rice, Bont.

Labels: Debbie Rice, WSL RollerJam

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 12:12 PM

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan: Roller Derby Marketing - Blog Business Success Radio

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan, Texas Rollergirls roller derby star and author of Rollergirl:Totally True Tales From The Track, shares secrets of operating and marketing sports teams, and branding special events, as my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success.

The show airs live on Thursday, January 25, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan discusses how all female roller derby leagues share ownership among the skaters in a cooperative business model. She also provides ideas on marketing, promoting, and branding special events. You will learn:

* How a cooperative ownership model works and how it can be successful

* How to market special events for sold out successes

* How to brand a special event to widen its appeal

* How to multiply and continue the success of one event over and over again

A founding member of the Texas Rollergirls, Melissa Joulwan (photo left courtesy: Celeste Danger) gets (and gives) bruises as Melicious, number 11 on the Hotrod Honeys. In 2005, she was voted Fan Favorite and in 2003, she won the Miss Texas Rollergirl title at the annual Whammy Awards.

Her most recent journalistic gig was as the sole writer for You Decide, a syndicated monthly feature that appears on KQED.org, Salon.com, and other public broadcasting station sites. Her work won the Grand Prize at the 2004 Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism, as well as the 2004 Golden Dot Award for Best Non-Commercial Online Journalism from George Washington University.

Melissa has published articles on fitness and nutrition, music, culture, and the rise of Roller Derby for mainstream magazines, alternative publications, and web-zines, including Paste, Carbon 14, the Austin-American Statesman, Chemical X, ACE Fitness Matters, and others.

As spokesperson for the Texas Rollergirls, Melissa (photo left courtesy: Rebecca Davis) appeared on Good Morning America in August 2004, where she schooled Diane Sawyer on becoming a Rollergirl. She's also been interviewed for other broadcast media, including the Today show, The Early Show, and National Public Radio. Her interviews with print media include The Associated Press, The New York Times, SPIN, Inside SPORT, and Drill.

In 1996, Melissa launched Go, girl!, an online zine dedicated to getting women involved in sports; it had a monthly readership of 17,000. From 1998 until relocating to Austin in 2001, she worked as a copywriter and Creative Director for Organic, Inc., in San Francisco, leading creative teams to extend well-known brands online. Her clients included Sony Playstation, Macys, Nike, Blockbuster, Hard Rock Cafe, and Home Depot. She also lead brand development projects for Internet start-ups, and taught all-day seminars in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles on Writing for the Web and User-centric Web Design.

My review of Rollergirl:Totally True Tales From The Track

Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan's blog: Blog*Jam

Listen Live, Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time, by clicking the media player.

If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.

Let's talk with Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan and learn about special event marketing, promotions, and branding, and how they can boost your business to the next level, on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan, Rollergirl, marketing special events, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 7:44 PM

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Sunday, January 21, 2007

Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track by Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

Rollergirl

Totally True Tales From The Track

By: Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

Paperback
288 pages
30 black and white photographs
ISBN: 978-0-7432-9715-6
Publisher: Touchstone Paperback/Simon & Schuster

The new wave of edgy women roller derby skaters, and their uncanny knack for business organization and promotion, are served up in punk rock defiance by skater turned author Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan in
Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track. In a volume packed with action, photos, and real life thrills and spills, all female roller derby for the new millenium is captured in all of its pain and rolling glory.

All female flat track roller derby is not what tradtionalists in any sport had envisioned for athletic competition. Combining provocative outfits, alternate name personae, and a flair for the dramatic, the women owned roller derby leagues have turned the concept of league ownership and management upside down.

Skating as "Melicious" in the top ranked Texas Rollergirls league, Melissa Joulwan (photo left courtesy: Celeste Danger) is a major part of that women's sport revolution.

The traditional sports ownership model usually involves an owner, an ownership group, or the team owned by a major corporation. Roller derby had a similar history, with the difference that one man owned the entire league, including all of the member teams. When that single ownership ended, the entire sport disappeared along with it. Using a skater owned cooperative business model, the leagues are operated by the skaters for the skaters. With over one hundred similar leagues in business, the loss of one doesn't endanger the entire sport. As Melissa Joulwan makes very clear, the women are now doing it for themselves.

Combining business and marketing savvy advice, and anecdotes about life on and off the flat roller derby track, Melissa captures the essence of being a rollergirl named "Melicious" (action photo left courtesy: Michael Osborne). These athletic and smart women provide the league marketing and public relations, as well as being the talent that attracts legions of adoring fans.

In an industry where the talent is clearly the product, the women of modern roller derby understand that each bout (as they call their games) is a special event. As a result, the book oozes with ideas for special event marketing and promotions.

For me, the importance of the book is the powerful blend of edge of the seat sports action with leading edge business ideas. The cooperative business model is one that is worth consideration for startup businesses; and for employee takeovers of their employers' companies. The multiple ownership spreads risk, provides more financial possibilities, and stronger committment to success. As Melissa demonstrates so clearly, the pool of creative ideas for promotion and marketing are multiplied exponentially.

For a cutting edge blend of women's sports and business know how, I recommend you take a roll around the track with roller derby skater turned author Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan in
Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track. You will find the bumps and bruises stylish and great for your business.

PS: My Mom read the book first and she loves it. She is planning to read it again.

Tags: Melicious Joulwan, Melicious, Rollergirl, business books.

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 4:33 PM

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Sunday, December 31, 2006

New Year's Derby Eve

Auld Lang Syne

Words adapated from a traditional song
by Robbie Burns (1759-96)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

And there's a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne

Meanings

auld lang syne - times gone by
be - pay for
braes - hills
braid - broad
burn - stream
dine - dinner time
fiere - friend
fit - foot
gowans - daisies
guid-willie waught - goodwill drink
monie - many
morning sun - noon
paidl't - paddled
pint-stowp - pint tankard
pou'd - pulled
twa - two

Tags: Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne, New Year's Eve, song lyrics.

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 7:24 PM

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Saturday, December 30, 2006

Women's Flat Track Derby Association WFTDA Rankings

The official Women's Flat Track Derby Association WFTDA Rankings of all female flat track roller derby leagues were released on December 8, 2006.

12/8/2006 WFTDA National Rankings

Division One and Two WFTDA Member Leagues

Rank Div Region League Team Name City ST

1 One West Texas Rollergirls Texecutioners Austin TX
2 One West Tucson Roller Derby Saddletramps Tucson AZ
3 One West Rat City Rollergirls Rat City All-Stars Seattle WA
4 One West Arizona Roller Derby Tent City Terrors Phoenix AZ
5 One East Mad Rollin' Dolls Dairyland Dolls Madison WI
6 One East Minnesota Rollergirls (all stars) Minneapolis MN
7 One East Carolina Rollergirls CRG Travel Team Raleigh NC
8 One West Kansas City Roller Warriors (all stars) Kansas City KS
9 Two West Bay Area Derby Girls BAD Girls All Stars Oakland CA
10 Two East Providence Roller Derby Rhode Island Riveters Providence RI
11 Two West Sin City Rollergirls Neander Dolls Las Vegas NV
12 One East Gotham Girls Roller Derby GGRD All Stars New York NY
13 Two East Boston Derby Dames Boston Massacre Boston MA
14 Two West Rocky Mountain Rollergirls 5280 Fight Club Denver CO
15 Two West Duke City Derby Mueñcas Muertas Albuquerque NM
16 One West Rose City Rollers Wheels of Justice Portland OR
17 One East Atlanta Rollergirls ARG All Stars Atlanta GA
18 Two East Philly Rollergirls Liberty Belles Philadelphia PA
19 Two West Dallas Derby Devils (all stars) Dallas TX
20 Two West Houston Rollergirls HaRD Knocks Houston TX
21 Two West Assassination City Roller Derby ACD Special Ops Dallas TX
22 Two East Windy City Rollers (all stars) Chicago IL
23 Two East Ohio Roller Girls (all stars) Columbus OH
24 Two West Pikes Peak Derby Dames Slamazons Pikes Peak CO
25 Two East Dixie Derby Girls (all stars) Huntsville AL
26 Two East Detroit Derby Girls (all stars) Detroit MI
27 Two East Grand Raggidy Rollergirls (all stars) Grand Rapids MI
28 Two East Big Easy Rollergirls (all stars) New Orleans LA
29 Two West Alamo City Rollergirls (all stars) San Antonio TX
30 Two West East Texas Bombers (all stars) Tyler TX

For more information on the Women's Flat Track Derby Association WFTDA and their events, skate on over to the official Women's Flat Track Derby Association website.

Tags: Women's Flat Track Derby Association, WFTDA, league rankings, rollergirls.

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 7:04 PM

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Friday, December 29, 2006

Lonestar Rollergirls TXRD: Hellcats vs Putas Del Fuego

The all female banked track Lonestar Rollergirls TXRD skate their first 2007 banked track roller derby regular season bout at the Crockett Center on Sunday, January 7.

The banked track roller derby matchup features the 2006 Calvello Cup Champion Putas del Fuego meeting the Hellcats.

Putas Del Fuego

2006 TXRD Calvello Cup Champions

Hellcats

Tickets are $15.00 in advance and are available for purchase online.

Doors open at the Crockett Center at 6:00 pm and the bout begins at 7:00 pm local Austin, Texas time.

2006 - 2007 TXRD League Schedule

02/11/2007 Holy Rollers vs. Rhinestone Cowgirls
02/25/2007 Putas del Fuego vs. Cherry Bombs
03/04/2007 Rhinestone Cowgirls vs. Hellcats
03/15/2007 SXSW bout (skater roster TBD)
03/18/2007 Holy Rollers vs. Cherry Bombs
04/01/2007 Putas del Fuego vs. Rhinestone Cowgirls
04/15/2007 Cherry Bombs vs. Hellcats
04/29/2007 Holy Rollers vs. Putas del Fuego
05/12/2007 Playoff bouts #1 & 2
06/09/2007 Playoff bout #3
06/23/2007 2007 Calvello Cup Championship

For more information on the banked track TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls and their events, roll on over to the official Lonestar Rollergirls TXRD website.

Tags: Lonestar Rollergirls TXRD, Putas Del Fuego, roller derby, Hellcats.

Roller derby posted by Wayne Hurlbert at 8:27 PM

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