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Articles by Dan Almasi
First phase of redevelopment of Richardson Olmsted Complex complete, Hotel Henry set to open April 30
Buffalo State hospitality and tourism majors will have the opportunity to work at Hotel Henry this fall semester James Janik/The Record From left to right: Monica Pellegrino, Executive Director of the Richardson Olmsted Complex, Mayor of Buffalo Byron Brown, Howard Zemsky, president of Empire Economic Development, Paul Hojnacki, president of the Richardson Center Corporation Board, Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Executive, Rene Jones, vice chair of M&T Bank Dan Almasi, Executive Editor March 30,...
Dynamic mix of alt-rockers stirs up Kerfuffle, signals summer at Canalside
Dynamic mix of alt-rockers stirs up Kerfuffle, signals summer at Canalside Van McCann of Catfish and the Bottlemen rocks out at Alternative Buffalo's Kerfuffle. (Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News) By Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News By Dan Almasi Kerfuffle, the annual daylong music event held at Canalside, no longer feels like a buzzy, new event.
At Marco's Italian Deli, Sangwiches are more than sandwiches
Four Marco’s Italian Delis across Buffalo and its Northtowns serve fresh, flavorful Sangwiches. It only made sense, though, to stop by the Hertel Avenue location – in our city’s Italian heart – to try a couple. A friend and I were pleasantly greeted by the voice of Frank Sinatra and the smell of fresh, warm sesame-seed bread.
At longstanding Tudor Lounge, downtown dive bar meets music club
Near the corner of West Tupper and Franklin streets downtown is a treasured hole-in-the-wall that you might never hear about or even know is there. And that’s unfortunate. Because with dirt-cheap drinks, frequent live music, open-mic nights for music and comedy, and storied decades of service, Tudor Lounge lands squarely at a delightful, dying-breed destination: dive bar meets music club.
Maximum Productivity Is In. Here Are Four Founder Tips On How To Attain It
How is one to be productive with all these push notifications pulling us away? Today more than ever, The Art Of Getting Sh*t Done we call productivity is a constant and growing focus of our daily lives.
10th annual Buffalo Beer Week celebrates area’s craft brewing boom
When the inaugural Buffalo Beer Week was celebrated in 2010, there were just three breweries in the Buffalo area: Flying Bison Brewing Company, Pearl Street Grill & Brewery and Buffalo Brewpub. Now, with 38 breweries throughout Western New York – and with more on the way – the 10th annual Buffalo Beer Week has grown to feature more than 100 events between Sept. 13 and 22 as a celebration of the growth and evolution of the local craft beer and brewery community and industry.
These Must-Read Tips From 9 Elite Venture Capitalists Will Change The Way You Run…
Not all founder advice is equal. By Dan Almasi, staff writer The best founder advice often comes from experienced venture capitalists. After all, the name of the game for investors is identifying startups with bright prospects. They protect their interests through an uncanny ability to spot startup-damning warning signs from a mile away. And many of the world’s best VCs have built successful startups of their own. Of course, venture capitalists know how to put their money where their mouths are.
At Brawler’s Back-Alley Deli, a downtown breakfast and lunch hideout
On a brisk Friday late afternoon, three friends and I searched downtown for a spot to grab food and drink before the Mumford and Sons concert at KeyBank Center. Big Ditch Brewing Company was packed to the gills, Deep South Taco was overflowing, and Tappo projected a 90-minute wait. So we gave up our search and began hiking toward the venue. Tight on time, we had forfeited the food hunt but decided to stop by Pearl Street Grill & Brewery for a quick beer before heading to the show.
In Allentown, The Alley Cat stakes claim as a no-nonsense drinking haven
In the heart of Allentown is a chameleonic, quirky, anything-goes watering hole called The Alley Cat. On weekend nights, packed crowds clamoring for its signature $7 beer-and-shot combo jostle for position at the long, wooden bar. During weekday afternoons, The Alley Cat serves as a community hangout where friends toss darts, sip $4 bottles of Labatt Blue or $3 cans of PBR and get pups out of the house (leashed dogs are welcome inside, apparently).
Poor Work-Life Balance Landed Me In The ER. Here’s What I Had To Learn To Bounce Back
Everyone dreams of having a work-life balance. That’s usually why entrepreneurs become entrepreneurs in the first place—to shrug off the nine-to-five yoke and give themselves more free time. But I’ve spent over a decade running my own businesses and living in the entrepreneurial world, and I’ve rarely seen anyone achieve that balance right away. In fact, most people start by throwing themselves into their business—to the detriment of everything else in their life.
Before Following Other's Advice, Ask Yourself These 4 Questions To See If It's Sound
As an entrepreneur and an “OG” digital marketing professional, I get a lot of advice. Something about marketing makes many people feel like an expert. Even though they would never give their accountant unsolicited advice, most feel comfortable doling it out to a marketing professional. I regularly get tips on where to advertise, what color schemes to use, who to target, what copy to try, amongst endless other suggestions.
Looking For A Long-Term Career? Here’s Why Clean Energy’s A Good Place To Start
What constitutes a “career” has changed drastically over the years. With the rise of the gig economy, especially, the days are gone where an employee would work for only a few companies over their entire career. Gone are pensions, corporate ladders, and even the security of saving reliably for retirement. Many prominent companies are trying desperately to hire people as contractors and prove that they are not employees.
Reinventing Yourself: 7 Steps To Transform Who You Are Into Who You Want To Be
Humans are not meant to stop growing. In fact, no living thing on earth is meant to stop growing. We are all alive, reaching for the sun. Progress in life is all about reinventing yourself. I am going to preface all of this by saying that reinvention is not the same thing as endlessly seeking reward or achievement. There is a difference.
How To Be More Disciplined With Your Goals: 7 Simple Strategies You Should Learn
Anyone can make a list of goals. But only a few learn how to be disciplined enough to achieve them. I grew up in a home and a family that constantly reinforced the importance of self-discipline. Every single night, I’d watch my dad set the timer on the coffee maker and put his oatmeal in the refrigerator for the next morning. By 5:30 a.m., he’d be awake. By 6:00 a.m., he’d be in the gym. By 7:00 a.m., he’d be knocking on my bedroom door, making sure I was awake.
How Netflix, Apple, And Tesla Have Inspired Me-And What All Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Their Tactics
In many ways, there has never been a better time to build something big. Aspiring entrepreneurs today have at their disposal more success stories, blueprints, and cautionary tales to inform their decision-making than ever before. If you are thinking about starting a business in 2019, there exists a variety of models to emulate.
If You’re Working To Move The Needle, Make Sure It’s The Right One
Information overload is a very real hazard when picking up a new hobby or skill. Every activity, from marketing to entrepreneurship, is home to many distinct (and often competing) schools of thought. A quick Google search will supply you with books, articles, webinars, and Youtube videos that all purport to have the best perspective. In the midst of this avalanche of information, the traditional advice is to just “do something.” Get the ball rolling, and tweak your strategy from there.
5 Steps To Craft A Memorable, Attention-Grabbing Sales Pitch
We’re all being bombarded with a constant stream of information. Every single minute, we have some news article, video, email, text message, tweet, or photo competing for our attention. When you give a sales pitch, you’re battling that information overload for your audience’s attention. You’re trying to get the people in the room to focus on you—not their phone, not their email, not their dinner plans.
Minutes - Tech, Business, Money, People, Leadership
Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as being “too productive.” I like to think about this in two ways: First, you are being “too productive” the moment that your input becomes disproportionate to your output. Let’s use writing as an example. I know a good many writers who feel all sorts of productive simply because of how many books they’re able to read in a day, week, month, or year. Now, let’s say you are an incredibly productive reader.
Designing Less Invasive Tech, The Internet Of Things, Mental Health Strategy, And More
What Is Up To The Minute? A collection of our favorite pieces of writing from the past week. A thought leadership showcase. A wealth of knowledge. Your new weekly go-to source of insight from voices big and small across industries.. 1.
Up To The Minute: Thought Leadership on diversity as strategy, avoiding “the rabbit hole,” and competing in saturated markets
What Is: Up To The Minute? A thought leadership showcase. A wealth of knowledge. Your new weekly go-to source of insight from voices big and small across a wide range of industries. 1. Founder & CEO of Real Life E Time Coaching and author of several time-management books Elizabeth Saunders: “Going down [an] internet rabbit hole is usually due to one of three factors: environment, avoidance, or addiction.” You do it without even thinking about it. I do it without even thinking about.
How To Ride The Emotional Rollercoaster Of Self-Employment (From A Serial Entrepreneur)
Entrepreneurship has been seriously glamorized. Everywhere you look, people are extolling the values of hustling, grinding, and burning the candle from both ends. If you just put in the work, the story goes, you’re going to be riding in Lambos and rolling in money. Yeah, maybe. The reality is that entrepreneurship is an emotional rollercoaster—it’s either going to kill you or make you stronger. Most entrepreneurs out there are wrestling with this flux day-in and day-out.
Up To The Minute: The Latest Thought Leadership On AI, IBM, Business Strategy, And More
What Is: Up To The Minute? A thought leadership showcase. A wealth of knowledge. Your new weekly go-to source of insight from voices big and small across a wide range of industries. This week’s featured topics include how to approach founding a startup with a close friend; a potentially fatal flaw in Google’s innovation strategy; a founder Q&A; and more. Check it out: 1.
Here’s Everything People Are Saying About Apple’s Event And The Services It Announced
In an effort to provide a comprehensive understanding of Apple’s recent keynote event––wherein Apple unveiled five new products, flew in a slew of celebrities, and decorated it all in lots of pomp and circumstance––Minutes has assembled a wealth of relevant perspectives via tweets, editorials, and more. Lots of conflicting analysis. Many differing opinions. One article detailing it all.
3 Category Queens Who Are Changing The Way We Think About Designing A Product
Most of us can’t go a single hour without reaching for our iPhones. But nobody even knew why they needed an iPhone until Steve Jobs told them. And he did it by creating a brand-new category: a touch-enabled “smartphone” that can connects to the internet and doubles as a media player. Rather than simply solving the problem of, “What should a phone be capable of?” Jobs redesigned the problem by showing us, then conditioning us, to equate smartphones with his product. He owned this niche.
At Allentown’s Cafe 59, a low-key, modern foodie haven
Cafe 59 is a cool spot perfect for any-occasion lunch, dinner or drinks, and without the “this place isn’t for everyone” attitude and atmosphere of many other bar-restaurants which could be described as "cool.” A true Allentown community hub, it strikes me somehow as nearby long-standing staple Towne Restaurant’s trendy younger cousin.
At JP’s Checkers, familiar faces and a facelift
As its one-year anniversary approaches, JP’s Checkers is settling in as the clean-cut, modern reincarnation of a Hertel Avenue classic. When the lights went out at Checkers, which was long celebrated as a North Buffalo community staple, the home of the go-to Turkey Trot afterparty, and the quintessential dive bar, former Del Denby Tavern bartender Jamison Phillips swooped in to turn them back on.
This Simple Mindset Shift Turns Unproductive Teams Into Highly Effective Organizations
My job is to make teams more effective. I am one of approximately one hundred Scrum Alliance Certified Enterprise Coaches (CECs) in the world. For the past 10 years, I have consulted and trained teams at dozens of companies, including PayPal, State Street, edX, Carbonite, and many other enterprises. These are not small teams. In many cases, I am working to solve systematic problems that can impact layers within organizations affecting hundreds of different team members.
Up To The Minute: The Latest Thought Leadership On Social Media, Blockchain, And Data Strategy
What Is: Up To The Minute? A thought leadership showcase. A wealth of knowledge. Your new weekly go-to source of insight from voices big and small across a wide range of industries. Here at Minutes, we know how tough it is to keep up with Seth Godin’s latest copywriting tips, what Gary Vaynerchuk is currently preaching to millions of aspiring entrepreneurs, and Jay Baer’s hot new take on influencer marketing. And the big names aren’t the only ones offering great insight, either.
Are We Witnessing A Social Media Copyright Revolution? F*ckJerry And Barstool Sports Backlash Suggests So
Unvirtuous, pilfering social media empires are falling—and it seems like copyright law and order are finally being established in the Twitterverse and on Instagram, Facebook, and elsewhere. Maybe. When I saw the angry, comedian-led mob assembling on my Twitter timeline, berating and incriminating Barstool Sports and FuckJerry (AKA Jerry Media) for using content without permission, credit, or compensation, I was overjoyed.
Stressed? Here Are 4 Mindfulness Habits I Use As A Startup Founder To Stay Grounded
The startup world does a terrific job painting the picture of success at the end of the journey. The big exit. The IPO. The offer to get acquired. Or the slow and steady road that eventually leads to an accumulation of other companies—until eventually either (repeat): exit, IPO, or getting acquired. It’s a game of decisions. And for those of us playing the game competitively, it’s hard to do much else than be entirely consumed by the journey.
As Hertel heats up, Sterling Tap & Wurst adds to its lineup
Every great city neighborhood needs a gastropub. And as Hertel Avenue moves steadily toward that designation with each new business and facelift of an existing one, Sterling Ave Tap & Wurst checks the box. Technically, a gastropub is “a pub specializing in high-quality food.” To me, though, a gastropub is a safe bet offering all the night-out-necessities.
4 Ways To Nail Your Brand’s Voice On Twitter
When you run a company, crafting a distinct and recognizable voice helps you differentiate your brand from your competitors. Your brand’s voice is the purposeful expression of a brand through words that engage your target audience. Whenever your business launches an advertisement, updates your website, or speaks at a conference, you showcase this voice. This voice is determined largely by your word choice, sentence structure, and tone.
Why The Hardest Step You’ll Ever Take As An Entrepreneur Is The First One
It was almost one in the morning, and we were standing on the balcony of his apartment. “What do you have to lose?” I said, and the moon overhead agreed with me. I was talking to Drew, one of my closest friends and soon-to-be co-founder.
Up To The Minute: The Latest Thought Leadership From Lolly Daskal, Jeff Bullas, William Craig, And More
What Is: Up To The Minute? A thought leadership showcase. A wealth of knowledge. Your new weekly go-to source of insight from voices big and small across a wide range of industries. Here at Minutes, we know how tough it is to keep up with Seth Godin’s latest copywriting tips, what Gary Vaynerchuk is currently preaching to millions of aspiring entrepreneurs, and Jay Baer’s hot new take on influencer marketing.
Trees Or Mansions: The 1 Check-In Exercise I Use To Stay Grounded As An Entrepreneur
If there’s one mistake I pinpointed at the end of 2018 about my routine, it was my obsessiveness toward work. Our company, Digital Press, had been experiencing rampant growth for almost a year straight, hiring 2-3 new full-time employees month over month. I was on a plane every two weeks, either flying to Atlanta to work with my co-founder (our company is entirely remote), or heading to a conference to speak.
How World-Class Chefs Epitomize Thought Leadership (And How You Can Do The Same)
Have you ever tried explaining something over and over again, using a bunch of examples and “for instances,” and still failed to effectively illustrate your point? Then, somewhat out of the blue, you come across the most unassuming parallel that perfectly sums up exactly what you’re trying to prove, leaving you stuck asking, “Why couldn’t I think of that?” Well, that happened to me recently.
Up To The Minute: The Latest Thought Leadership From Seth Godin, Christy Wright, Gary Vaynerchuk, And More
What Is: Up To The Minute? The biggest, most influential business thought leaders are full of exactly that—thoughts. And here at Minutes, we know how tough it is to keep up with Seth Godin’s latest copywriting tips, what Gary Vaynerchuk is currently preaching to millions of aspiring entrepreneurs, and Jay Baer’s hot new take on influencer marketing. That’s why we’ve decided to dig up, collect, and share the best recent thought leadership in one go-to place. 1.
The Story So Far leads unique quartet of pop-punk bands to Town Ballroom
There’s so much depth to both “Proper Dose,” the pop-punk-transcending album recently released by rock band The Story So Far, and the tour supporting it that lands Nov. 13 at the Town Ballroom. Joining the six-piece California-based band are three other equally notable acts within the pop-punk scene: Turnover, Citizen and Movements.
Psychedelic indie-rocker Segall performs masterful acoustic show in Iron Works
Buffalo Iron Works became a music-lovers’ hedonistic haven on Sunday evening as psychedelic indie rocker Ty Segall stopped by, drawing a spirited crowd of incorrigible canonizers. Wielding only a glass of blood-red wine, a fluttering falsetto voice, an acoustic guitar and an awe-inspiring ability to play it, Segall’s solo set was masterful musical minimalism.
5 things to know: Ty Segall goes acoustic at Buffalo Iron Works
Few modern rockers effectively capture the timeless sound and soul of pure, unadulterated rock 'n' roll. When done right, rock 'n' roll needs no synthesizers, atmospherics, or hi-fi production. Ty Segall does rock 'n' roll right — and he'll perform it in its purest form when he plays an acoustic set at Buffalo Iron Works on Nov. 4 with William Tyler, an indie-folk guitarist. Grungy, psychedelic, indie, punk, lo-fi.
The Glitch Mob transports Town Ballroom to another dimension
“It’s not a rave,” I explained to my girlfriend. And it wasn’t. But after a stimulating onslaught of dreamlike, richly layered songs, the reviews were. The Glitch Mob brought The Blade 2.0—a monstrous digital music-making mechanism comprised of MIDI pads, electronic drums and lighting towers—to Town Ballroom on Saturday night.
Trust the ‘process’: 5 things to know about the Glitch Mob for Town Ballroom show
Scene-pioneering electrogaze outfit the Glitch Mob will make a stop during its “See Without Eyes” tour at the Town Ballroom on Oct. 13. While bassheads will certainly get their fix, the Glitch Mob - edIT (Edward Ma), Boreta (Justin Boreta) and Ooah (Josh Mayer) is more refined and technical than rave-style EDM music.
Trio of indie rockers serenade Alt Buffalo’s Birthday Show
An eclectic trio of talented music groups serenaded Alternative Buffalo 107.7 at the beloved alternative rock radio station’s fifth birthday show on Monday night. Cool-and-moody pop-rock headliners The Neighbourhood took the foggy Buffalo RiverWorks stage to close out the celebratory evening, and floated lush, provocative dark pop fantasies to a well-warmed-up crowd.
Singer Ben Barlow gets personal in Neck Deep’s emotional concert at Town Ballroom
Donning red-and-black tartan slacks, a black, red rose-accented velvet coat and a black cap, the blonde Welshman connected well with an incorrigible crowd of pop-punk patrons from the outset.
Neck Deep headlines powerhouse bill at Town Ballroom
Welsh pop-punk five-piece Neck Deep and three notable sidekicks will play angsty, mosh-pit-prompting music on Sept. 25 at Town Ballroom (681 Main St.). Trophy Eyes, WSTR, and Stand Atlantic round out a powerhouse bill on "The Peace and The Panic USA Tour 2." Breakthrough effort “A Part of Me" (featuring Laura Whiteside) from Neck Deep’s debut 2012 album, “Rain in July,” tells the modern age-old story of a torrid high school romance.
Underrated Mt. Joy puts on flawless show in first Buffalo appearance
Tralf-goers were treated to an uplifting dose of indie-folk on Tuesday. In its debut Buffalo show, Spotify-darlings Mt. Joy pleased a mostly mellow, but always-attentive crowd of music lovers. Hailing from Los Angeles via Philadelphia, the five-piece up-and-comers’ spirited and soulful lyrics, which hit varying notes from matter-of-fact poignancy to carefree charisma, paint thoughtful, sepia-toned pictures of modern-day Americana.
Tūk Tūks to double-deckers: 5 ways to tour Buffalo breweries
For those looking to stop by several of Buffalo’s many drinking destinations in afternoon or night, there are many fun, unique and safe transportation options. Whether you want to zip from Buffalo RiverWorks to Lafayette Brewing Company in a sputtering, open-air motor cart or hit up Lakeward Spirits and Pressure Drop Brewing at the Barrel Factory before busing to Flying Bison Brewery, the booze cruise chariot of your choice awaits.
Here are reasons you need to be at Cobblestone Live!
Cobblestone Live! is back in action for year two. The two-day live music returns on Friday and Saturday with more than 30 bands and artists performing on five stages - outdoors and inside - throughout downtown's Cobblestone district. This is something to celebrate for many reasons. Music. Local and national acts. Indie rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, funk, jam bands, DJ sets. All during one event, for one price, too.
Kesha seizes the spotlight with energetic set at Darien Lake
As a mid-summer streak of gorgeous weather continued to bless the region, "The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore" tour hit up Darien Lake on Sunday for a weekend encore performance. Each set had crowd-pleasing highlights, but the party didn’t start ‘til Kesha walked in.
Beck rewards fans with memorable concert after downpour temporarily stops show
Buffalo knew pure "Mellow Gold" was in store when Beck was announced as the headliner of Rockin’ at the Knox. But while gold was struck in the undefinable musician's decades-long and genre-spanning performing prowess, so too did lightning. It warned us in the distance, sent dark, gray skies and wind gusts as fair warning, then arrived in full force with heavy rain three songs into Beck’s set Monday night outside the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
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