#CINspiration
CINspirational People: Mike LaRosa
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
It’s really not very likely if you have lived in Cincinnati long, that you are unfamiliar with the name LaRosa’s. LaRosa’s Pizzerias have been part of our local community since Buddy LaRosa opened his first location in 1954. They have been a part of education, work, and celebration parties. They have given to charities and schools. They are where families congregate, and where neighborhoods gather. And now they are in the Great American Ballpark. LaRosa’s Pizzerias are no doubt one of the traditions you think of when you think about our great city.
Of the business he founded, Buddy told Fox 19’s Tricia Macke,”You have the zest and the energy to do something you love. And it’s not work. It’s passion, and I always tell kids and I told my kids, try many things until you find something in life that you have passion and a zeal for and then go for it. Give it 110%. Then it’s really not work, everything you do adds to that love, and the love just gets deeper. Just like relationships with the family, your love just gets deeper then you have family, the family gets bigger and then they have grandkids, and that’s what my business is.”
Wow, wouldn’t that be wonderful if all of us were doing work that is our passion?
I met Michael LaRosa, one of Buddy’s children who is now CEO of LaRosa’s Pizzerias, years back (actually on several occasions) when I was working on the Inclusion Leadership Awards Event and we were honoring the company for how they welcomed diverse employees with differing abilities.
Michael and I spoke again the other day for a CINspirational People profile. Mike very much personifies the generous and inspirational nature we have come to know and love about his family.
Lisa: Your family is very involved in our local schools. Why is that important to the LaRosa’s?
Michael: When my dad grew up in a broken home and those early experiences with positive adult role models in his schools really shaped him. What he got outside of the house between his teachers, coaches and others at school is what made him the caring man he is; and so we always wanted to support early schools. Our focus is to support in our community wherever children are being developed.
We have a Pizza Achievement program that any local teacher teaching grades K to 8 can enroll in, and we provide them with award certifications to give to their students for whatever the teachers want to recognize.
Lisa: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Michael: I have had a journal for more than 15 years, where anytime I am somewhere and impressed or influenced by someone, I will write a permanent reminder. I keep it near me, as there are times when I am looking for inspirational and it will always be there.
There is a quote in my journal that I had found somewhere in 1984 that says:
“Welcome every day with a smile! View today as a gift from God filled with golden opportunities. Be a self-starter and let your first hour awake set the theme for a successful day with your positive mindset. Today will never happen again, so go make the most of it!”
The idea is that today is never going to happen again so let’s make the most of it.
Lisa: What has been one of your greatest challenges that you have overcome?
Michael: My older sister was born with a heart defect in the 1950’s and I was very responsible early in life for keeping her in a good place. If she got overly excited, her condition caused her blood pressure to elevate to the point of causing her to be unconscious. My parents told me that whatever my sister wanted to do, that I needed to support her, and prevent her from getting overly excited.
From six years old and up, I was at her beck and call. If her situation was concerning, she would get purple lips. That reality changed when she was about 13 and a doctor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center was one of first to do open heart surgery on little kids. They did a repair on her that changed her life dramatically.
As a child, that had a huge impact on me. It taught me to value life. Nothing is ever guaranteed because things can happen in a moment and it is gone. That lesson I learned because of my relationship with my sister. She is doing wonderful now.
Lisa: What are three things for which you are grateful?
Michael: Firstly is my relationship with Jesus. I was raised in a faithful family and that is for whom I am most grateful.
I am grateful for my parents and grandparents and anyone who influenced me, their guidance and leadership. I love all the people who have had a hand in making me who I am. I appreciate all of that and they make me want to do that for others. My grandparents came from Europe as immigrants. They worked hard and took risks.
And, I am grateful for Coach Bill, my junior and senior high school football and wrestling coach, and teacher. I was an introvert who was unsure of myself and anxious in situations. He taught me to believe in myself and be confident. I try to do that in my role today with other people because it is so important.
CINspirational People: Ron Harper
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
I have known Ron Harper for years, from back when he worked in radio. Ron is gifted with the most incredible voice that can be modified in so many ways, and he 
uses his gift as both a voice talent, writer and producer and website video producer.
Please learn more about Ron below.
GTGA: What is something people may not know about you?
Ron: I co-wrote an episode of Laverne and Shirley. Actually I wrote the scene for WKRP, but the agent I had at the time wouldn’t present it to Hugh Wilson. By the magic of Hollywood, it landed instead in a Laverne and Shirley. It was a learning experience. Not entirely fun.
GTGA: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Ron: The neighborhood where I grew up in Ft. Worth was full of creative and enterprising brats like me. The two brothers across the street would buy candy and soda and resell them in a “snack bar” on their front porch every summer. The rest of us were hired on and actually made some money for a few days “work”. The rest of the time we were writing or performing neighborhood plays. A few of us approached the management of a large shopping center and convinced them to let us use their community room and stage for one of our productions. We probably did 4 or 5 performances and donated the ticket sales to the local foodbank.
GTGA: Do you do any volunteer work? Please explain.
Ron: A few years ago I worked with an organization that would invite emerging leaders from around the world to the US to get a feel for how business is done and American life and culture. I got to meet radio personalities from Poland, the manager of a racetrack in Hong Kong, and a woman who had escaped the KhmerRouge in Cambodia as a young woman. Each one had a remarkable and compelling story.
GTGA: Tell us about one of your simple pleasures.
Ron: I learned to cook from my Mom when I was young, and I still like doing that very much. My wife says that’s one of the reasons she married me…and I don’t let her in the kitchen.
Besides that, we have two cats each with very different personalities. The female calico is a daddy’s girl, and the male shorthair is a mama’s boy.
Cincinnati’s Kelly Richey Talks About Her Inspiration
I’d like to introduce you to Kelly Richey. Kelly is a Cincinnati based musician, writer and educator who has been described as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out”. Having shared the stage with many legends, she has been listed as among the top 100 gifted guitarists by the Truefire Community in 2011, and frequently draws comparisons to blues guitar icons Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Kelly has been teaching guitar almost as long as she’s been playing; with over three decades of teaching experience under her belt, she is a deeply dedicated and inspirational guitar instructor who has taught well over 1,000 students to date.
Additionally, in 2009, Kelly founded Powered By Intention, a Coaching Consultancy designed to educate, motivate, and inspire people to identify their life’s true purpose and achieve the life of their dreams. And, she is president of Music4Change, Inc. a Cincinnati nonprofit organization committed to music education in today’s schools as a vehicle for human expression, cultural understanding, and academic achievement. Three specifically aligned programs offer live performance, lecture, interactive participation and facilitate learning opportunities for youth.
As if all of that weren’t enough, Kelly is a gifted writer and shares her talent as a facilitator for another nonprofit called Women Writing for a Change.
On Kelly’s website, she candidly shares her own, very personal story – her journey as a person who has dyslexia and ADHD, and how they impacted her determination and success, and desire to help others succeed.
“Having a reading disability has caused two dynamics for me: 1) I have an insatiable appetite now for learning and 2) I have a passion for teaching and helping others learn. Nothing excites me more than to work with my students and clients… teaching, coaching, consulting,” she wrote.
“Had I not gravitated towards music and discovered books in audio form, I honestly don’t know what I would have done. My life would have turned out much differently, I’m sure. What I know now is that there is no cookie cutter mold to learning. I’m proof that even someone with severe dyslexia can learn to play a musical instrument….For many years having dyslexia negatively affected my self-esteem. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s that I began to realize I might actually be rather intelligent.”
Please continue reading to learn more about Cincinnati’s music legend.
GTGA: What is something people may not know about you?
Kelly: People mainly know me as a guitarist, singer/songwriter, recording artist, performer and guitar instructor, but there is an entire “other” side to my life. I am a life coach and hold certifications as a Dream Coach and True Purpose Coach; I’m trained in Voice Dialog; and I recently became certified as a facilitator for Women Writing for a Change. It is my deepest desire for my life’s work to weave together elements of musical performance and recording by teaching one-on-one and workshops, and life coaching and facilitating writing workshops for personal growth and community building.
GTGA: Tell us about a challenge that you overcame in life and how it impacted you.
Kelly: I am dyslexic, so learning to read has presented me with a series of challenges throughout all stages of my life. My dyslexia left me unable to succeed in school, as much of the understanding and support provided in schools today simply did not exist when I was in grade school. Thanks to books in audio format, I’ve managed to work my way through hundreds of books over a lifetime committed to learning and self-education.
Here is an article on my blog, How Dyslexia Made Me a Better Teacher, that addresses this in more depth.
GTGA: What are some of your simple pleasures?
Kelly: A great cup of coffee, conversation with a good friend, healthy places to eat out, and a good power-nap.
GTGA: What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Kelly: One of my favorite childhood memories is listening to my grandmother tell me stories.
GTGA: Name three things on your Gratititude List.
Kelly: If I had to list three things I was most grateful for, they would be: all the great friends I’ve collected throughout my life, many of whom have been profound teachers; good health and strong constitution; and the ability make a living doing what I love.
GTGA: What is an accomplishment you achieved of which you are proud?
Kelly: Overcoming learning disabilities and finding a way to build a successful and sustainable career doing what I love.
GTGA: Tell us about someone who has been a positive influence on your life and why.
Kelly: My Uncle, Rev. Bob Brown, was one of my biggest influences. He was the preacher for the church where I grew up. My uncle was a passionate preacher, teacher, storyteller and community builder. Our church was the first church to integrate, and it was burned to the ground when I was 5 years old. He was a leader in civil rights; he believed in separation of church and state; and he felt the church should be relevant if it was to serve in meeting the needs of people in their individual communities.
GTGA: What is a motto you live by?
We must first be in integrity with ourselves in order to be in integrity with others.
CINspirational People: Dior Betts
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
Meet a very special young man whose dedication to his classwork, positive outlook on life, and goodwill to others has not gone unnoticed. Dior Betts, son of proud 
parents Ericka King-Betts and Darrell Betts Jr., is his class’ first Student of the Week this year.
From his words:
“Hi! My name is Dior Betts. I have 3 brothers named Simeon, Aaron and Darren. I have a pet dog named Naina and she is a two year old Yorkie. My favorite food is pizza. My favorite snack is Cinnamon Rolls and my favorite color is blue. Lastly, my favorite thing about summer and winter is cruising in the summer and partying in the winter.”
From his teacher:
“Dior was chosen this week as student of the week for his positive attitude and hard work. Dior comes in each day ready to learn. He is also always willing to help those around him and is a great role model at Colerain Elementary.”
Way to go Dior!
NOTE: I also heard that Dior’s brother, Simeon, was named Athlete of the Week. Congratulations to him as well!
CINspirational People: Kenneth Collopy
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
Today I am highlighting a very long time friend who I have known since a little girl when he was my mom’s and my hairdresser, Kenneth Collopy, owner and artistic director of Perfections Hair Salon in Montgomery.
After having trained under the Artistic Director of Antoine’s of New York City, Kenneth’s 55 year career has including cutting and styling hair of many celebrities including the BenGal cheerleaders, Bob Braun, soap opera stars, Elizabeth Taylor, Dianna Ross, and more. It was his long time friend and client of more than 40 years, Carl Linder Jr., who had the biggest impact on Kenneth’s career and life.
Please learn more about Kenneth below.
GTGA: What do you love most about what you do?
Kenneth: It gives me the chance to be artistic and meet some incredibly wonderful people, especially Carl. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss him.
GTGA: In what ways did Carl Linder Jr. influence your life?
Kenneth: He really impacted my entire life. We talked about everything from religion and politics, to business, to life and relationships.
Carl had cards that he would pass out with different quotes on them. One of them was, “Be nice to people on the way up because they are the same ones you will meet on the way down.” Another was about old friends being gold and new ones being silver.
More than just carrying around those sayings, I have never met anyone walk the talk the way that Carl did.
He always made it very clear to me that I was his close friend and he has helped me out many times. I’d watch him talk to his gardeners and he spoke to them no different than he would the President.
Carl was my mentor professionally and in life; and contributed to most of my success. He was the neatest, most loving and generous person I have ever met outside of my father. You could walk in feeling down and you always left Carl with a smile.
GTGA: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Kenneth: Carl always told me to concentrate on my persistence. You have got to believe in what you are doing and put your all into it. Most people give up too soon. If your heart is not into what you are doing, then do not do it.
GTGA: What are some of your simple pleasures?
Definitely fishing and working in my yard.
GTGA: Of what are you most proud?
Kenneth: I am so proud of my family including my wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I am most grateful because I feel like I have been the most fortunate person I know. Uncle Carl used to say, “I never worked a day in my life and gee, I am lucky. But the harder I work, the luckier I get.” There is a lot of truth in that. If you are negative, then you won’t see the positive. People who recognize the best if life, grab it and go for it.
I have experienced depression all of my life and may never know what it is like to not experience that (with professional help) but I still count my blessings. Depression is a chemical condition. It is very difficult but you learn to live with it and know you are not living in this moment.
I always say the best is yet to come. And I am 72.
