Business

John E. Girouard • August 17, 2015

If you’ve been watching the news lately you have seen China’s stock market fall by a third in less than a month, and Greece’s economy plunge towards default. So far, China has wiped out $3.5 trillion in wealth, more than the total value of India’s stock market, and the Greeks have voted to reject austerity measures that would save them from default and ultimately remove them from the European Union.

It is no surprise that people have been asking me how I think Greece and China will affect the market. My response is why do you care? While this usually triggers a nervous response, scary times do not always make your portfolio scarce.

Greece is one of the largest exporters of sea sponges. When was the last time you invested in sea sponges?

In China, the reality is the Chinese stock market has simply fallen back to levels last seen in March, but it’s still up by more than 75 percent in the last year (Economist Magazine, 7/11/15).

China is slowly transforming and adjusting to a capitalist economic structure, while the European Union is in its infancy. Compared to the magnitude and vitality of the more mature American economy, Greece and China might as well be in the dark ages.

As an investor you probably think I should be more concerned. But if you consider the history of U.S. monetary policy you realize that while imperfect, we have historical heft behind our economy.

The real problem is not the things we cannot, nor will never, control such as terror threats, typhoons, interest rates, political uncertainty, or the untimely booms and busts that are a reality of modern investing. The real conversation is how does one protect one’s cash flow during those scary times.

Gone are the days where $1 million in retirement, when interest rates were 10 percent, meant retiring on $100,000 of income, and when rates fell to 4 percent grandma had to cut $60,000 out of her lifestyle. No longer can you cut the budget by visiting the grandkids less.

Now let me rephrase the question. How much short-term return would you be willing to give up for the possibility of sleeping soundly at night, knowing that you are not only financially secure but also financially independent?

Security during the scary times means first determining the amount of money you need to support your lifestyle, with and without work. Second, calculate the gap. Then take five years of the gap out of the market and place it in a secure non-market based account to draw on worry-free. Then set up portfolios of risk, or market based vehicles, in five, 10, 15 and 20 year portfolios, putting the most volatile allocations furthest in the future where risk can be better managed, and where over time the temporary volatility of Greece and China become simply a pimple on an elephant’s back.

The question you should be asking is not how the price of sea sponges in Greece will affect your portfolio, or how today’s problems affect tomorrow’s bottom line, but rather, how can you structure your portfolio to help achieve long term security even through the bumps and busts.

John E. Girouard is the author of Take Back Your Money and The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation, a registered principal of Cambridge Investment Research, and an Investment Advisor Representative of Capital Investment Advisors, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Georgetowner • July 22, 2015

Georgetown Business Association Welcomes New President, Veep

With the resignation of its president, Charles Camp, the Georgetown Business Association’s board of directors voted in a new president and vice president July 15, and then gathered at Dog Tag Bakery for its monthly reception.
The new GBA president is Sonya Bernhardt, formerly its vice president. Bernhardt is the CEO of Georgetown Media Group, which publishes The Georgetowner Newspaper and The Downtowner Newspaper.

The GBA vice president is Hope Solomon, who works at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and previously worked with the U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms. Solomon also is involved with the family business on P Street, Wedding Creations & Anthony’s Tuxedos.

“I wish Sonya and Hope and the GBA, of which I remain a corporate member, all the best in the future,” former GBA president Charles Camp told The Georgetowner Newspaper. Camp heads the Law Offices of Charles H. Camp, P.C., located on Thomas Jefferson Street, NW.

Meghan Ogilvie, chief operating officer of Dog Tag Bakery, which opened a little more than six months ago, thanked the GBA for its award of “New Business of the Year.” Ogilvie spoke about the bakery’s commitment to educate veterans on how to run a business, besides learning how to bake and make soup and sandwiches. The program runs through Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Education. The Dog Tag nonprofit on Grace Street was co-founded by Rev. Rick Curry, S.J., and Connie Milstein, both of whom live in Georgetown.

In: West End Cinema Re-opens as Landmark Theatre

West End Cinema, the independent movie theater at 23rd and M streets NW that closed March 31 after four years of operation, reopened July 17 as part of Landmark Theatres.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Landmark Theatres is known for showing documentaries, independent and foreign films, and operates 50 theaters — 229 screens in 21 markets — across the U.S. Its first spot in D.C. was E Street Cinema at 555 11th St. NW in Penn Quarter, and it also operates Bethesda Row Cinema. In 2016, Landmark’s footprint in D.C. will expand with new screens in the old Atlantic Plumbing building at 8th and V streets NW later this year, and at the Capitol Point project at New York Avenue and N Street NE, one block from the NoMa/Gallaudet U Metro station.

Previously known as the Inner Circle triplex, before Josh Levin revived the place as West End Cinema, the new theater in the West End neighborhood will have two screens, and its lobby service will include alcoholic beverages.
Landmark President Ted Mundorff said that the new venue will “bring even more films and events to the Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom and Georgetown neighborhoods.”

In: Baco Juice & Taco Bar

Baco Juice & Taco Bar is coming to 1614 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Owner Christopher Luceri promises healthful juices and smoothies as well as tacos, burritos and breakfast foods with a Mexican twist. He also wants to use the front of the property for a patio and outdoor seating, as the entrance is set back from the street. Baco’s other business location is in Pennsylvania.

OUT: Bandolero Closes After 3-Year Run

Bandolero, the Mexican restaurant at 3241 M St. NW, closed July 20 after opening three years to great fanfare under the direction of celebrity chef Mike Isabella. Not much later, Isabella left Bandolero and continued his work at Graffiato, Kapnos, G Sandwich Shop and other restaurants. He was succeeded by chef Tony Starr, who has worked at Zaytinya, Neyla and Georgia Brown’s. The previous restaurant in that space was the well-regarded Hook. Owners Jonathan and Bethany Umbel left this message for fans: “Dear friends, neighbors, and customers, Bandolero is officially closed. We’d like to thank all of our loyal patrons who have come to Bando and supported us over the past few years. It has been an amazing three years serving everyone! Gracias por su apollo, hasta que nos encontremos de nuevo. Sigan comiendo TACOS y bebiendo TEQUILA.” [Translation: Thanks for your support. Until we meet again, keep eating tacos and drinking tequila.]

OUT: Sandro Not Coming to 33rd & M

Sandro, a Paris-based fashion label that sells women’s and men’s clothing, will not be opening its first D.C. store in Georgetown, as previously reported. It has pulled out of its lease for the building at 33rd and M Street NW. The corner spot, across from Georgetown Cupcake, previously housed Red Fire Grill Kabob, which closed in 2013. Before closing four years ago, the Indian restaurant Aditi was there for 23 years. The building has stood empty for two years.

Malmaison Celebrates 2 Years on the Waterfront

Malmaison, the French restaurant at 34th and K Street (Water Street) founded by the Popal Group, will celebrate its second anniversary with “Fete de Malmaison” on Thursday, July 23. The restaurateurs promise “an evening full of music, dancing and champagne” — all with a close-up view of Key Bridge and the Potomac River.

Georgetown Exxon Safe for Now
A pending sale of the land on which the Georgetown Exxon sits, at Wisconsin Avenue and Q Street NW, has fallen though, giving residents more time for one of the few service stations in Georgetown.

The land, owned by D.C. gas station king, Joe Mamo, remains for sale. Still, the town’s gas stations are in their last years: Key Bridge Exxon at 3601 M St. NW is slated to be swept aside for condos. Across from the Four Seasons, the Valero property at 2715 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, is also set for condos. Both sites are owned by EastBanc Inc. Georgetown Shell, across the street from the Georgetown Exxon, is the only station not under threat of redevelopment.

Spa Director Lance Etchison Dies

Lance Etchison, who worked at BlueMercury from 1999 t0 2014 and was its spa director, died July 14 at the age of 45 at his Logan Circle home. The aesthetician was known for his facials and make-up and skin-care talent. “Etchison, according to close friends, died one day after undergoing cosmetic surgery,” reported the Washington Post. Most recently, Etchison worked at Sherber Rad, a skin-care and plastic surgery center, and volunteered with Canine Companions for Independence.

John E. Girouard • July 16, 2015

Pop quiz: Who does your financial advisor work for? The easy litmus test is to take a look at the fine print on the bottom of his or her business card.

Is your financial advisor a fiduciary? Is he or she faithful to the client first, without conflict of duty?

Wall Street banks are protesting a new Labor Department proposal that would require their advisors to disclose something that most people have never understood. Unless investment advisors are truly independent, they owe their alliance first to the companies they work for.

That might seem obvious, but most consumers are oblivious to the difference between an advisor who owes his job to a company — the shareholders — and an independent advisor who owes his job (and his income) to his clients.

As an independent investment advisor, I know my job is to protect my clients from their worst financial instincts, to reach realistic goals and to sleep soundly at night. I’m not worried about the stock price of a large Wall Street firm, stock options or year-end profit bonuses.

I rarely agree with the “titans” of Wall Street, but here they have a point. The proposal is a bad fix for the wrong problem. It’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Implementing it may be a nightmare for the big banks, but, worse, I cannot see how it helps consumers. Consumers, it turns out, are confused about how money and investing really works.

If you feel like a consumer who is financially illiterate, give yourself a break. You are in the majority.

Not surprisingly, Wall Street is unhappy about the rule. It will make it harder for the big banks to rake in a hefty profit by selling their latest financially engineered products. It will mean stacks of paperwork for them as they defend their recommendations and try to keep from being held responsible if they fail.

Proponents of the proposal claim it will save investors money by limiting conflicts of interest. The goal is to keep advisors from recommending products that will earn them and their company the most profit at the expense of the investor.

For independents like myself, this proposed rule is one I’ve been living with and refining for decades. I’m happier getting paid for what I know — like plumbers and auto mechanics — than for what I can sell.

After watching Washington regulate the financial industry for nearly four decades, I can confidently predict that by the time Washington gets around to closing loopholes, the lawyers working for the big Wall Street firms will have already identified some new ones and engineered products to take advantage of them. Trying to regulate Wall Street is like trying to pick up a beanbag chair: squeeze one end and the other end gets bigger.

The real problem is not how to control Wall Street. The real problem is how to educate the public, and public officials, about how Wall Street really works, how financial products are designed, how much it costs to manage your money, and how to tell whether one investment is better than another.

There is a simple solution. When you hire a real estate broker or retain legal counsel you have to sign a simple disclosure. Why should Wall Street be any different?

The author of “Take Back Your Money” and “The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation,” John E. Girouard is a registered principal of Cambridge Investment Research and an Investment Advisor Representative of Capital Investment Advisors in Bethesda, Maryland.

Kelly Byrnes •

Cat lovers, rejoice! Crumbs and Whiskers, Washington, D.C.’s first cat cafe, officially opened its Georgetown doors June 20 after months of anticipation.

For a $12 weekend cover charge and signature of a waiver, customers can spend an hour cuddling and mingling with furry friends in the mellow yet modern dwelling, located at 3211 O Street NW. The three-story site houses 20 vetted and vaccinated felines, all of which are up for adoption through partnership with the Washington Humane Society.

The cats are primarily between 1 and 3 years of age, and while some are a bit older, all are equally friendly, loving, and curious.

Crumbs and Whiskers caters to keeping both kitties and customers comfortable by supplying an array of throw pillows and cushions among the cat houses to allow for easier interaction between the two, as well as being stocked with as many mouse toys as there are lint rollers to keep both felines and humans happy.

Patrons can enjoy a selection of light refreshments from coffee and tea to shakes and cookies, which are prepared by Gtown Bites across O Street and delivered to Crumbs and Whiskers upon ordering.

Owner Kanchan Singh believes her business will be a success in finding forever homes for the cats who roam the cafe. The 24-year-old began her initiative as a Kickstarter campaign, which raised more than $35,000 by 700 backers.

Crumbs and Whiskers is open daily and online reservations are encouraged.
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Caitlin Franz • June 29, 2015

Casper has been selling mattresses online hassle-free since 2013. But starting today, potential bed buyers can now try out the company’s product at a pop-up location in Georgetown.

The Snooze Bar will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 14 through May 17 at 3330 Cady’s Alley, featuring mattresses made from latex, memory foam and support foam.

The pop up will also make appearances in start-up capitals Austin, Texas and San Francisco, California from May 27 to May 31 and June 10 to June 14, respectively.

According to Casper’s website, customers can begin their mattress testing excursion by checking in with a concierge. Then, they can enjoy a waffle before lying on a Casper mattress inside a tent at the pop-up. After the set time is up, potential buyers choose a souvenir pillowcase and are on their merry way.

Coffee is available during the day while cocktails are available in the evening. Appointments last for 30 minutes and can be made online at casper.com/snoozebar/dc.

Consumers looking for a more traditional shopping experience should head to a Casper showroom in Los Angeles or New York.

Casper ships mattresses for free and a twin-size costs $500 while a king-size will run you $950. Any purchase can be returned for free within 100 days of buying the mattress.

Sallie Lewis • June 22, 2015

On a sunny, spring afternoon, Iraklis Karabassis sits in his office at 3238 Prospect Street. Light floods in through an open window. Faint, soothing sounds of a cocktail shaker emanate from Peacock Café across the street. Fittingly, the fashion-focused Karabassis is well dressed, polished-yet-effortless in dark jeans and a striped button-down. His outward sophistication reflects the sharp mind and business savvy for which he is known.

“Georgetown has stolen my heart,” said the former owner of the Benetton at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, among many other Benetton stores, including the first-ever U.S. store in the former White Flint Mall.

Karabassis has traveled the United States and the globe extensively as head of IK Retail Group, a premier fashion retailer. But it’s his place in Georgetown that he returns to time after time.
“Thirty-two years after being here, don’t ask me why, but I love Georgetown,” he said of its village-like atmosphere. “I still find this uniqueness and mystique. If you live it, then you get it.”
Although his fondness for Georgetown is undeniable, Karabassis has concerns for its future.

On any walk down M Street, residents and visitors alike can witness the burgeoning presence of large mono-brands, such as H&M and Forever 21. For Karabassis, this raises the question of whether Georgetown is at risk of losing its homegrown charm and entrepreneurial spirit.

“We lost our momentum,” he said of Georgetown. “We became old and not innovative anymore.” He attributes this to the restrictions of the neighborhood, including high rents, limited parking and the difficulty in attaining a liquor license, all of which detract people from investing in local businesses.

“Everything starts, and ends, with the level of the investment,” he said, saying that Georgetown needs to attract the attention of innovative minds again and bring novelty back to the neighborhood. “We have to raise the bar.”

With their massive production, the mono-brands and their large, glitzy stores are certainly putting pressure on the market, while displacing more and more of the small boutiques run by creative, self-driven individuals. These small boutiques are what Karabassis believes keep the market interesting.

The neighborhood’s high rents may be one reason for this shift, but it’s also the fault of the consumer, he said. Many people today are looking for fast, disposable fashion — that is, stylish, trendy clothes at low prices. It’s about quickness of production and affordable price points — at the cost of creative quality and attention to detail. But, “the customer likes it, and we have to respect that,” says Karabassis.
Furthermore, the age of e-commerce has revolutionized the shopping experience, making it more convenient than ever for people to purchase their favorite clothes and accessories. Brick-and-mortar shops are suffering because educated, fashion-forward customers know they can shop their favorite brands online at a range of competitive price points, he said.

Even in the malls, Karabassis claims that the fashion factor has faded considerably, replaced by shops filled with teenager clothing, ice cream, cosmetics and Starbucks coffee. “Today, buying clothes is the last thing you think of when you go to the mall,” he said.

He recalled how the mall on M Street, Shops at Georgetown Park, was once “the jewel of Georgetown.” Now, lamentably, he added, it’s been “converted into big boxes.”

As president and CEO of IK Retail Group, Karabassis focuses on international brand management and development in the American marketplace. Over the past three decades, he has grown an impressive, far-reaching business with roots in Georgetown. Yet his familial roots reach far eastward.

Karabassis was born in the picturesque port city of Volos, Greece. After studying and majoring in geology in Italy, he moved to Paris for post-graduate work, where he became involved with the clothing brand United Colors of Benetton. It was there that he was tasked with bringing the brand to the United States.

By 2008, Karabassis had opened more than 100 Benetton stores in the U.S. and Canada. In March 2008, before the last recession, he sold his Benetton operation to the Benetton Group in Italy — an example of both his lifelong relationship with luck, and his ability to grab an opportunity when it presents itself.

Over the years, Karabassis also expanded the luxury Italian brand MaxMara, adding a number of American stores to its portfolio before selling his stake in May 2008.

As these two major sales went through, Karabassis made IK Retail Group the center of his business. He became increasingly focused on consulting for European retailers in the United States, representing different brands while helping to boost sales, control costs and strategically increase exposure nationwide.

“America is very difficult for Europeans to succeed,” said Karabassis with a trace of his Greek accent. “It’s very competitive, and everyone wants to be here.” The entrepreneur, who speaks four languages — Greek, French, Italian and English — is smart and sought after. He has built his career on proven results. If one is looking to enter the U.S. market, he is the man to call.

Karabassis helps clients of all backgrounds looking to penetrate the American market, and he is selective because he can be. With three decades of industry experience and expertise, he has created a reputation among Europe’s fashion community, gaining their trust by proving he’s adept at scouting trends, finding smart locations and making strong contacts that will help them succeed.

With the help of his team at IK Retail Group, including his wife and vice president of retail, Yasmine Karabassis, he is able to select clients with strong potential who need help entering or expanding in the United States. The team strategizes with clients on short- and long-term goals while managing myriad logistics: branding, personnel, store design, marketing, accounting and advertising, plus warehousing and distribution. It’s a complete package.

From 2008 to today, IK Retail Group’s portfolio has been filled with unique brands, from Piazza Sempione to K16, Leghilà, Freddy, Andrew’s Ties and Billionaire Italian Couture. The latter label, the work of two talented businessmen named Angelo Galasso and Flavio Briatore, features handmade, luxury menswear. Though not for everyone, everything in the brand is meticulously made, the aesthetic of which is a mix of Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Tom Ford, according to Karabassis.

Most recently, Karabassis partnered with Kiko Milano, an Italian cosmetics company expanding aggressively here in the U.S. The Greek entrepreneur has been tasked with finding all of their new locations and properly guiding the brand in America; for 2015 alone, Kiko Milano is set to open 30 new stores, totaling 150 by 2017, including one in Tysons Corner.

Though IK Retail Group works mostly through partnerships, it also owns retail concepts outright. One of these is called Emporium DNA, a multi-branded fashion retailer for men and women that has been a successful tool for market testing, with both domestic and international brands. It has three store locations: the Yale University campus in New Haven, the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas and 1666 Connecticut Ave. NW, near Dupont Circle.

In a career that has seen much success, two of the entrepreneur’s greatest accomplishments came with the development of the Collection at Chevy Chase and the Miami-based project, 1111 Lincoln Road. The Chevy Chase endeavor was one of the premier luxury retail developments in the nation, and Karabassis had a central role, as both a consultant, and in developing and leasing out the shops. In Florida, Karabassis worked with the internationally renowned Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron to transform and reimagine a mixed-use development project adjacent to the Lincoln Road Mall in Miami. “It was one of the most exciting moments for me,” Karabassis said of the job. “It’s really one of the top projects in America.”

Another arena in which Karabassis’s entrepreneurial spirit can still be strongly felt and seen is the restaurant industry.

In November 1992, he and Franco Nuschese opened Café Milano on Prospect Street. The celebrity-frequented Italian restaurant is one of the most famous in Washington — to see and be seen.
While Karabassis sold his share of Café Milano to Nuschese in 2012, he continues to flavor D.C.’s fast-growing culinary scene with Sette Osteria, his Italian restaurant located at 1666 Connecticut Ave. NW.

This April, Karabassis opened the second Sette restaurant — the former Café M, at 1634 14th St. NW — under the same name, but with a slightly different look. At a recent tasting dinner at the new location, guests dined on a sampling of creative dishes: creamy burrata with tricolor tomatoes, homemade pastas like spinach gnocchi with gorgonzola cream sauce, a saffron risotto with juicy beef short ribs and homemade tiramisu — bellissima!

In Italian, Sette translates to the number seven, which is often regarded as the world’s lucky number. Perhaps Karabassis can attribute a small bit of luck and timing to his success, but it’s the methodical, strategic approach to his work that drives his good fortune. His commitment to unique, expressive brands has never wavered, and he’s proven his success in a time of change.
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Kelly Byrnes Robert Devaney • June 18, 2015

Circulator Bus Now Runs Through National Mall

Navigating the National Mall is now made easier with a new Circulator bus route catering to the area, which launched June 14. The tourist-friendly route, which begins at Union Station, has 15 stops near main attractions, including the U.S. Capitol, National Gallery of Art, Lincoln Memorial and Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

“The DC Circulator’s expansion is a win for the District, its residents and visitors. This route will provide people with greater access to the nation’s most iconic monuments, memorials and museums while boosting economic activity in the District,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser upon announcement of the route.

The latest Circulator route marks the city’s sixth overall, featuring buses running every 10 minutes for a $1 fare. Weekday service runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. while weekend hours of service are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In: Hop, Cask & Barrel on Wisconsin Avenue

There’s new wine in an old bottle. Hops, Cask & Barrel has opened 1717 Wisconsin Ave. NW, occupying the former space of Wagner’s Liquors. The business is associated with Sherry’s Liquor of Woodley Park on Connecticut Avenue. Ryan Wegman, director of wine and outreach for the store, sent the Georgetowner an introduction: “HCB serves the liquid geek — a craft beer selection beyond predictable names (Deschutes and multiple growler taps), to wines outside the large labels already available (and classified growths for the connoisseur), and eclectic spirits no one carries, but we’ve imported directly (Brennivin!) or negotiated an allocation above everyone else’s (Pappy!) — hopcaskandbarrel. com.”

Out: Washington Post Shuts Down Gazette Newspapers

“The Gazette newspapers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties will print their final editions June 17 and 18 after more than 55 years of publishing,” reports the Washington Post. The Gazette, which began publishing in 1959, had a weekly circulation of half a million five years ago. According to Post Community Media, part of the Washington Post Company, the closing eliminates 69 jobs, including those of 12 reporters and two photographers by Aug. 11, with the required 60day notice given to employees.

Davis Kennedy, publisher of D.C.’s Current community newspapers, bought the Gaithersburg
Gazette in 1979 and built a group of Montgomery County papers under the Gazette banner that he sold to the Washington Post Company in 1993. The Prince Georges edition began in 1997. According to Post blogger Eric Wemple, Kennedy said he made an offer for the Gazette papers through a broker but was rejected; however, a Post spokesperson told Wemple they had no record of the offer.

Cats Roam at Crumbs & Whiskers

“U Got to Be Kitten Me.” (Yeah, we just wrote that quotation down, too.) The preview parties have already begun for Crumbs & Whiskers, Georgetown’s cat cafe at 3211 O St. NW, which officially opens June 20. Owner Kanchan Singh, and her friends and family, have fixed up the place with advisories on the wall, such as “Be gentle with cats” and “No flash photography.” Partnering with the cafe, the Washington Humane Society will provide vaccinated and vetted cats to Crumbs & Whiskers, which will act as a foster home for the cats until they are adopted. Crumbs & Whiskers is the city’s first cat café.

Man & Woman of the Year

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hit a record-breaking $1,810,930 at its annual Man and Woman of the Year gala, held June 13 at the J.W. Marriott. Man and Woman of the Year honors went to Kevin Rohalmin and Katie Simmons Hickey.

Caitlin Franz • May 11, 2015

Very few people can say they started their own business on their lunch break, but Christina Conrad of Boobypack did just that.

She said the idea came to her over one weekend hanging out with some girlfriends in a tiny New York City apartment.

“For the rest of the night ‘Boobypack- the fannypack for your rack’ is all I could think about,” Conrad said. “The next day I went into my day job at Time Inc. and during my lunch break started googling how to file for an LLC.”

The innovative product was inspired by her friends mentioning that they lost or damaged their phones at an outdoor music festival in Miami. Conrad wanted to create an alternative for ladies who wanted to go out without a purse—particularly for outdoor events.

But Boobypack’s mission does not end with the bra bag.

After starring on the popular ABC show Shark Tank, Conrad says she started to think about the bigger picture. “Our biggest take away from Shark Tank was that there are a lot of other markets out there interested in our rack packs,” Conrad said.

The company is currently working on a less revealing Boobypack for impact athletic activities, as well as a comfier version for travel.

“We’ve even had moms tell us it’s perfect for cruise ships, so that they never lose their room keys!” she said.

An unexpected use for the product is that it can store insulin pumps for diabetics, who have written to the company and posted pictures showing their special take on the Boobypack.

The company wants to work on improving its designs for all sorts of women while continuing to sell and distribute the original Boobypack products online.

“We’re a company made up of women, making a product specifically for women,” she said. “So female empowerment comes naturally to us. It’s in our DNA.”

Boobypack is super involved in the social media sphere, using hashtags like #believeinyourSHELFIE and #Girlboss frequently on Instagram.

“Being a Boobypack Angel means you’re a confident, active woman with a sense of humor,” Conrad said. “A #girlboss who believes in her #shelfie if you will.”

Robert Devaney •

“We give a second life to trees,” said Thomas Moser, founder of Thos. Moser Handmade American Furniture, whose company seems to treat every day as if it were Earth Day.

Celebrating his 80th birthday, Moser was at the opening of the company’s new store in Georgetown March 20 to say hello to Maine’s Congressional delegation and his clients and fans – and, we might add, to charm anyone talking with him.

The company’s chairs, tables and dressers of simple, timeless design are highly regarded, expensive, meant to last generations. Moser gets the attention of architects, designers and homeowners, as well as schools and libraries, even presidential ones.

Handcrafted and signed, company output is 85-percent residential. One Maryland house reportedly has more than 30 pieces. Moser has furnished parts of Georgetown University’s law library as well as that of Catholic University. The company’s products are on full display at the Park Hyatt on M Street in the West End and in its Blue Duck Tavern.

Aaron Moser, one of the founder’s sons, heads the company’s contract division, which serves offices and schools. He is as proud of the company’s 55 pieces at the George W. Bush Presidential Library as he is of Moser’s relationship with St. Timothy’s School, just outside Baltimore, and its students, who attend woodworking classes at the Maine factory.

“We’re not furniture purveyors,” the company founder says. “We’re craftsman.” His enthusiasm is infectious, and his brutal honesty and cheeriness fill a room.

The new Georgetown store on 33rd Street is “more like an art gallery,” the company’s “finest in the country,” Moser said, looking around the 5,000-square-foot space. Located a few doors north at the corner of 33rd and M Streets for 10 years, the Moser store is back after almost a three-year absence because Georgetown fits the company’s marketing demographics perfectly.

It is a little out of the way for Moser – the C&O Canal is down the street – but he loves its ambiance and is curious about the history of the building at 1028 33rd St. NW.

The building’s solid stone (from the Aqueduct Bridge which was replaced by Key Bridge in 1923) and brickwork lines up well with a Moser mantra, a reworded Shakerism: “Build an object as though it were to last a thousand years and as if you were to die tomorrow.”

“I learned woodworking from dead people,” said Moser, not skipping a beat in retelling how he became part of the handicraft revival of the 1970s.

Originally from Chicago, an Air Force veteran, he was a college professor teaching language and speech pathology. He taught in Saudi Arabia for a few years, setting up language labs at the College of Petroleum and Minerals.

After years of pursuing woodworking as a hobby – beginning with antique-hunting and making missing drawers for pieces: “We bought 26 grandfather clocks in parts.” He called the learning process a case of reverse engineering. “Parts of things show continuity.”

Soon enough, Moser was all in, starting his business in 1972 in New Gloucester, Maine, which, as of 2010, still holds a Shaker community of four. With his wife Mary’s support – they met when he was 14 years old and she was 12 – a career reinvention from academic to woodworker took place. Married for 58 years, the couple has four sons: Matthew, Andrew, Aaron and David.

“I wanted to recapture the craft of the early-19th-century artisans,” Moser said. “I venerate the 19th century.” He liked what Americans produced before factories began to dot the nation in the second half of the 1800s. He said he is “fascinated by Shaker design, the honesty of material, the economy of labor. The Shakers prayed to God with their hands.”

Other influences on Moser include Stickley, the Arts and Crafts movement and Bauhaus design. “My work is derivative,” he said. As for the classic Windsor chair, “the best ones are in America.”

“We are the antithesis of Ikea,” says Moser CEO Bill McGonagle. “We like to say our furniture lasts as long as the time it took the tree to grow.” He joined the company in 2012 after working for another Maine Tom: natural products maker Tom’s of Maine.

As for the Moser company’s environmental soundness, McGonagle noted, “We have a small footprint.” There are about 200 employees.

“It’s how we source the wood,” which grows no more than 600 miles from the factory and office in Auburn, Maine, he said. “We don’t throw any wood away. We use half of what we buy. The remainder craftsmen buy for their art. Scraps move on to being firewood or sawdust used as bedding.”

The company uses domestic hardwoods only: no teak, no mahogany.

And Moser’s favorite kind of wood? “Cherry,” he said. “It reveals what God put there.”

Robert Devaney •

Hops, Cask & Barrel, associated with Sherry’s Liquor of Woodley Park, 2627 Connecticut Ave. NW, is set to take over the closed Wagner’s liquor store at 1717 Wisconsin Ave. NW, as first reported by the Georgetown Metropolitan.