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Small Business Spotlight: Retired Giant Tiki Barber Extends His run with Key Business Pivots
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Retired running back Tiki Barker is elusive and quick on the gridiron and in the boardroom.
Barber played ten seasons in the NFL with the New York Football Giants. Since retiring, he has followed his passion for business in which he earned his degree from the University of Virginia.
“What I learned, obviously from my football career but also my early business career, is that relationships are invaluable,” he told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight.
When the market crashed in 2008, the three-time Pro Bowler had to get out of an affordable housing partnership he entered with billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross after he retired from the league in 2006. But, the relationship he formed and maintained with The Related Companies chairman and Miami Dolphins owner led to an opportunity years down the road when Ross invested in Thuzio – the events company Barber co-founded in 2012.
“How you manage those relationships are of paramount importance for things down stream,” Barber explained.
He finds it liberating to find new ways of doing business. That realization came when Thuzio was forced to make a halftime adjustment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It moved online and hosted private virtual business talks with celebrity speakers, including “Shark Tank” star and FUBU founder Daymond John, retired New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott and executive chef Josh Capon. Barber and his partners later changed the business model to make all virtual events free because their presenting sponsors were willing to pay a premium for more viewers.
“More importantly, you want qualified eyes,” he said, adding, “You want to know who your audience is.”
The “Tiki & Tierney” co-host told WCBS 880 they create events for their sponsors to target specific business executives and groups who are likely potential clients. For example, sports betting operator DraftKings sponsored a Thuzio virtual talk with Barber and retired New York Mets captain David Wright.
“We have this aggregation of business executives who you specifically want to talk to and we’re bringing them together over a shared passion for sports or food or wine or business information,” Barber said of Thuzio’s appeal to sponsors.
The company hosts about 35 virtual events a month, which he said would be near impossible for them to pull off in-person. Thuzio grew from eight employees to 15 in the pandemic amid rising demand for content.
Barber’s business mindset has been shaped by his mentors and experiences in the NFL. The Giants great told Connolly and Carousso he was inspired by Jon Gruden’s motivational tactics. Gruden was the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where his twin brother Ronde Barber played cornerback and won a Super Bowl in 2002.
“We all have things that disrupt our lives,” Tiki said, noting the hardships suffered in the pandemic. “Sometimes, you have to get up and fight for yourself and fight forward for your country and as an individual. And, that’s essentially what (Gruden) was saying.”
Barber tries to portray positivity and enthusiasm among his employees, because, as Barber recalled Gruden’s message, “It’s not just for you, it’s for people who are around you.”
Football is a team sport and the ex-Giant used it as an analogy in business throughout the Small Business Spotlight conversation. Giving the play-by-play of his Giants team record 95-yard touchdown run against the Oakland Raiders on December 31, 2005, he emphasized the blocking by his teammates that catapulted him into the end zone that Saturday night.
“Understanding that it takes everyone even those who don’t show up on the big screen in order to be successful” is the mantra that guides Barber’s post-football career.
Watch Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso’s conversation with Tiki Barber on the Small Business Spotlight video above.
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NY State Sen. Gustavo Rivera to Gov. Cuomo: Acknowledge Your Mistakes
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — New York officials aim to fix inequities in its vaccine distribution after a damning report this week that showed white New Yorkers received 48 percent of the city’s COVID-19 vaccines while Blacks received 11 percent of the doses, 15 percent went to Asians and another 15 percent to Latinos.
New York State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-NY-33), the chair of the health committee, called on Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) to listen to his public health experts in the wake of nine state health officials resigning over the Governor’s public disparagement of experts’ guidance in responding to the pandemic, as reported by The New York Times.
“If you have made a mistake, Governor, acknowledge it, and then, try to move forward and build from that and listen to folks who are experts who can help you make better choices in the future,” Sen. Rivera addressed Gov. Cuomo on The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez. “Sometimes, he just doesn’t,” he added.
Lopez also asked him about the recent report from New York Attorney General Letitia James that showed the Cuomo administration undercounted nursing home deaths “by as much as 50 percent.”
“The reason why this data is so important is for us to make better policy to make certain that we can avert unnecessary deaths,” sad Sen. Rivera, noting he chaired 30 hours of hearings on the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes last summer without cooperation from the Cuomo administration.
Hear Lopez’s full interview with Sen. Rivera on The 880 Weekly Rewind podcast above, plus how former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s presence looms large over Super Bowl LV, and “The Good Life” of legendary singer Tony Bennett whose wife revealed was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease four years ago.
Neil A. Carousso produces The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM on WCBS Newsradio 880.
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‘I’m a little bit biased:’ Tiki Barber playing favorites for Super Bowl LV
By Neil A. Carousso and Joe Connolly
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Tiki Barber, who played ten seasons for the New York Football Giants, is playing favorites ahead of the big game.
The three-time Pro Bowl running back opened up to WCBS 880’s Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso after recording a Small Business Spotlight interview about his events company Thuzio, which is set to publish on Wednesday.
“I’m a little bit biased,” Barber admitted, revealing, “Bruce Arians, who is the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was roommates with my father at Virginia Tech and so I’ve known him since I was born, basically.”
The “Tiki and Tierney” co-host on CBS Sports Radio and CBS Sports Network said he grew up with Arians who started as a quarterback for the Hokies and won two Super Bowls as the wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2005 and 2008.
“The thing that I look for, that I’m looking for, is how these two teams are coached and how are they prepared to take on these extraordinarily amazing challenges in competition.”
Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid coached against Barber’s Giants as the long-time leader of their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles. Reid won his first Super Bowl as a head coach last year when the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20.
“We have two amazing stories at the head coaching position whether it’s Bruce’s long journey or Andy Reid who is now in the top four, five of all time because of how successful he’s been,” Barber said. “I think that story besides all the great ones with the players that’s the one that I look to and it gives me the most interest mainly because I have a personal connection.”
Barber has another connection to this year’s Super Bowl: His twin brother, Ronde, was the star cornerback for the 2002 Bucs championship team. That was Tampa Bay’s only Super Bowl appearance until this season.
“That was the last time they won a playoff game was back in 2002 as crazy as that sounds,” said Barber.
While the 2002 Buccaneers were known for their impermeable defense, the 2020 Bucs are riding on their high-flying offense orchestrated by their 43 year old quarterback, Tom Brady, who has won six Super Bowl titles in his nine appearances in the big game as a member of the New England Patriots.
Brady’s first of three Super Bowl losses came at the hands of Eli Manning and the Giants – one-year after Barber retired, which he humorously brought up with Connolly and Carousso.
“Tom Brady’s two years younger than me. I’m retired for 14 years; he’s still playing,” Barber said, laughing. “It’s unreal how successful he’s been.”
In fact, this week, when Brady was asked if he’d be up for playing past age 45 he said, “I would definitely consider that.”
Tiki told WCBS 880 he never thought any team was just “one player away,” noting the team sport. “That’s never true until this year.”
Watch Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso’s conversation with Tiki Barber about Super Bowl LV above.
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Small Business Spotlight: Brooklyn Startup Puts Local Stores Online
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A Brooklyn startup has made shopping local in the pandemic easier and it is helping connect small retailers with customers online.
ShopIN.nyc is “the everything store,” as founder and CEO Maya Komerov describes it, for a variety of hometown products.
“People really want to shop local, but the truth is it’s not convenient,” Komerov told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight.
When the pandemic hit, she saw small businesses struggling and large e-commerce companies like Amazon were thriving. Boasting the slogan “Shop Brooklyn Not Bezo$” on its merchandise, Komerov told WCBS 880 she doesn’t like to think of ShopIN.nyc as in competition with Amazon, but they are making it easier and cheaper for small businesses to sell online.
“A single store cannot provide that,” she said of e-commerce. “That’s a fact and that’s something that we need to change immediately and that’s the technology that we built to make that change.”
It is free for businesses to join and the startup pays owners within 24 hours for sales on its website.
Komerov has a background in technology. She sold her first company, Blat Lapidot Business Applications – a Salesforce partner in Israel – in 2017 before moving to New York. She went to the drawing board for ShopIN.nyc in April and launched in July. They currently support 70 stores on the site and house their products in its Brooklyn warehouse for delivery. Thirty New York City stores are waiting for approval.
“They don’t need to go and bring stuff from a warehouse in New Jersey and have all those trucks,” said Komerov, explaining ShopIN.nyc’s appeal. “We build technology to allow the stores to work in a decentralized warehouse to serve the neighbors.”
ShopIN.nyc delivers products the same day an order is placed in one box with the stores’ branding on the package. They pay delivery workers $25 an hour – higher than the $15 minimum wage in New York City.
The e-commerce startup separates itself from other online sites in that it invests in communities throughout New York, including supporting schools.
“Online shopping should be part of the community just by connecting all the stores that are already part of the community together,” said Komerov. “We build more and more tools to allow the money to come back.”
By achieving this, ShopIN.nyc is localizing e-commerce and bringing the neighborhood to the customer.
See how ShopIN.nyc is helping local businesses connect with customers on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight video above.
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Major Winter Storm Expected to Bring Over a Foot of snow to NYC Area through Tuesday, Blizzard-Like Conditions
By WCBS 880 Newsroom
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – A high-impact winter storm that arrived Sunday night could bring well over a foot of snow to New York City, and even more to the northern suburbs and New Jersey, before it departs on Tuesday.
While the city and nearby suburbs could see 12 to 18 inches, even more may be in store for inland New Jersey and the Hudson Valley suburbs, according to WCBS 880 meteorologist Craig Allen. Eastern Long Island and the Jersey Shore are likely to see less than the city and surrounding areas as snow mixes with rain.
The National Weather Service is forecasting as much as 18 to 24 inches in the city, eastern Nassau, northern New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley and southwestern Connecticut.
A nor’easter begins to take shape on Monday. Wind and snow will increase in intensity on Monday afternoon and evening. Near-blizzard conditions are possible, creating hazardous travel conditions.
“We are dealing with our second major snowstorm of the season the first one was pre-Christmas with 10.5 inches of snow for the city and this one could double it in some locales,” WCBS 880 meteorologist Craig Allen said.
Wind gusts of up to 50 mph are possible at the height of the storm Monday. There is a likelihood of power outages.
It will also be very cold. The low Sunday is 26. The high Monday is 34 but the wind will make for RealFeels in the single digits.
A winter storm warning has been issued from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Tuesday for all of New York City, Nassau County, eastern Suffolk County, northern New Jersey, the lower Hudson Valley and southwestern Connecticut.
Eastern Suffolk County and the Jersey Shore are under a coastal flood warning and winter storm watch starting Sunday night through Tuesday. Snow is forecast to mix with sleet and rain along the coasts, pushing the snow totals down there.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that there will be no in-person learning at public schools on Monday and Tuesday. Students will pivot to all-remote. He said a decision hasn’t been made yet for Tuesday. The Learning Bridges childcare program is also canceled Monday.
All Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of New York, will be closed Monday for a traditional snow day with no remote learning. High schools within the archdiocese operate independently, so families should check with their schools about closings.
“While we are all looking forward to kicking off Catholic Schools Week, the safety and well-being of our teachers, staff and families are always primary, and this is a serious storm that will impact the entire metropolitan area,” said Superintendent of Schools Mr. Michael J. Deegan. “All schools in the archdiocese have provisions for ‘traditional snow days’ in their calendars, and Monday will be exactly that, with no online instruction and all school buildings closed. We will launch our annual celebrations Tuesday.”
Alternate side parking is canceled Monday and Tuesday in the city. Open Restaurants is also canceled Monday. Vaccine appointments scheduled for Monday will be postponed.
“Everyone stay off the roads, we’re going to say it 100 times,” de Blasio said, adding that the city is expecting five inches of snow by Monday morning. “The Monday vaccine appointments will be postponed. We’ll get them done as quickly as humanly possible, but it’s just not going to be safe out there on Monday.”
A Code Blue alert has also been issued for Monday in the city. A hazardous travel advisory will be in effect on both Monday and Tuesday as well.
The city Department of Sanitation has issued a Snow Alert starting Sunday at 7 p.m.
City Sanitation Commissioner Ed Grayson said over 2,000 plow vehicles and 270,000 tons of salt are on hand for the storm.
“This is definitely shaping up to be a challenging and unpredictable storm,” Grayson said. “Very dangerous conditions out there that we’re prepping for, and we’re pulling out all the stops. We’ll have all hands on deck. Our workforce has been split into two 12-hour shifts beginning this evening at 7 p.m. And we will be out there in full force throughout the storm.”
The department has already pre-applied liquid brine to more than 400 miles of city roadways.
Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell said its downed tree and tow truck task forces will be on alert.
“Our Emergency Operations Center is going to be activated virtually and it will bring together all of our agencies, private partners, stakeholders so we can respond accordingly as the event continues to unfold,” Criswell said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed state agencies to prepare emergency response assets, anticipating up to a foot of snow in New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley.
“Another storm system is set to impact New York with potentially heavy snow, strong winds and possibly coastal flooding downstate,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I have directed state agencies to prepare all emergency response assets and they stand ready to assist any of our local partners who may need help in the coming days. We will also be closely watching the response of utility companies to ensure any power outages are addressed immediately. In the meantime, I am urging all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their local forecasts and to begin preparing their households for this latest round of winter weather.”
After the storm moves out, Wednesday will be breezy and cold with a high of 34. RealFeels will be in the teens.
Thursday is sunny and not as cold, with a high of 40.
Neil A. Carousso produced and edited WCBS Chief Meteorologist Craig Allen’s snowstorm video updates.
