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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 2007)
6 JUStpUt, JANUARY 1Ç)^2.Q7 northwest You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello working with her daughter, whom she said would Change isn’t inherently gixxl, but for the own bring a fresh outlook and younger attitude to the ers of Bella Casa Realty, the parting of ways is a | company, Lyon kxiks to a future of being out on her welcome change. About five own. “I’ll he able to give 100 years ago, Oregon natives Terri percent on both the buying and Popejoy and Celia Lyon left the selling ends,” she said. world of corporate real estate to start their own business. This Whip It Good month Lyon left Bella Casa to “Many days 1 stop and work for Meadows Group, while think, '1 can’t believe I get paid Popejoy brought her daughter, to do this.’ It is so much fun,” Niki Robins, on board as her new business partner. said Christian Messer of Whiplash Design. “It was time for a change,” said Lyon, who has He said he had been waiting tables for 10 years worked in real estate since 1990. “I gained the expe when he happened to pick up a Portland rience of being a principal broker and learned about Community College catalog and decided to join managing a real estate company, but 1 also learned the Sylvania graphic design program. He opened that I don’t want to be a manager—I want to be Whiplash Design around September 2001. “It was working and giving all my attention to my clients one of the worst times to start a business,” said and get back to the business of selling real estate.’’ Messer, who works solo hut hopes to bring an employee on to do prixluction work in 2007. Despite the <xlds, Messer is able to offer clients what he calls “sophisticated and fierce design.” He attributes his sophistication to his fluid style. “If a client wants soft anJ calming or dynamic, thax’s what they get," he said. Fierce refers to his passion for rhe work. “I don’t let a project leave my hands that I’m unhappy with.” Messer believes g<xxl design is important, espe cially for small, gay-owned businesses like his own. “With me you get one-on-one personal attention and someone that’s on your team that’s kxiking at the bigger picture,” he said. Thinking ahead, Messer works to make his designs compatible. “For example, if someone wants a logo, 1 make sure it’s compatible with anywhere it could he reprixluced, whether on a billboard or painted on a football field or quick and easy on a Web site,” he said. New to Whiplash is a marketing element. Celia Lyon has left Bella Casa Realty, which she “A year ago I had a [Portland Area Business started with Terri Popejoy nearly five years ago. Association] colleague, an independent travel Popejoy, who has been in realty for 35 years, agent, frustrated with the Internet bixim and said she started Bella Casa because she prefers people not using travel agents anymore. I knew doing more personal rather than corporate real there was a way they’re surviving," said Messer. In estate. “We’re more hometown," she explained. honing his marketing research skills to help her, Popejoy said Bella Casa’s biggest success has been Messer found that most agents survived by fixiusing “our ability to put more support into our communi on a particular niche. “So then 1 started doing that ty because of owning our own business." for my own business,” he said. “The whole reason Together, Lyon and Popejoy have contributed why I went into marketing is that 1 would produce to several queer organizations. Basic Rights so much work hut never know if what we were Oregon, Human Rights Campaign, Our House of doing was working, since there was no way of gaug Portland, the Portland Area Business Association, ing.” Messer adds, “To me, marketing and graphic rhe Lesbian Community Project, the Hambleton design go hand in hand.” Project, the Bella Boys baseball team and Portland’s For more information visit www.whiplashde- Gay and Lesbian Community Yellow Pages have sign.com. benefited from their support. Lyon and Popejoy have also provided sig nificant sponsorship to the Portland Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. “I’ve supported the film festival since its inception," Lyon said. "My ex-daughter-in-law is a lesbian, and she and her girlfriend came to me 10 years ago saying, ‘We want to start a festival and have no money.’ I will continue to he supportive forever." Popejoy said she would also con tinue giving community support. “We have a great community that has a lot to offer people,” she said. “1 speak highly of it to those moving here— Portland as a whole is a great town." Christian Messer cracks the whip on your marketing needs While Popejoy kxiks forward to through Whiplash Design. z---------------------- X business watch E squire M otors , inc . Stow ISM COMPLETE FOREIGN CAR SERVICE & REPAIR EUROPEAN & ASIAN • Quality Services Guaranteed • Serving Downtown Portland Since 1968 www.esQuiremotors.com 1853 SW Jefferson • Portland 503.226.6269 business cards • BOSCH' newsletters • bro full-service printing Tel 503.281.8688 • Fax 503.249.1440 • www.impress-usa.com ■D avid W. O wens « P. 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