Jake Sandoval

With over a 100 year history in the legal arena Martindale-Hubbell® is the go-to-source for information on choosing an attorney, legal topics, and more for both attorneys and consumers. Martidale-Hubbell contains profiles for over one million lawyers and firms in the United States, Canada and 160 other countries.

Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ help the consumer looking for legal services, better identify, evaluate, and select an appropriate attorney. Peer Review Ratings™ rate lawyers on ethical standards and professional ability. Lawyers who have attained an AV Preeminent status steroids have been rated by their legal peers as having achieved and demonstrated outstanding legal ability in their field and the highest of professional ethical standards.

Attorneys and their firms value the AV Preeminent rating as it signifies that new clients can proceed with confidence.

Other criteria used to select legal representation as suggested by Martindale-Hubbell can be found in Top Factors in Choosing an Attorney.

What methods did you use to select your attorney? Share your experiences with us in the comments.

We’ve heard it time and time again; the same business hacks. Set and write down realistic goals; don’t check your email first thing in the morning; if you touch it, deal with it; and always be closing. You know what they are and yet they haven’t quite worked for you.

So what should you do?

Look to the top successful entrepreneurs to see what works for them.

1. Write easysteroids down your fears.
   Jotting down your fears gives them voice and shape. Compartmentalizing your own fears and potential risks makes them seem less ominous.
2. Be wrong.
   Contrary to what you may think, being wrong only ends up being bad if you don’t learn anything. Failure is simply an outcome you didn’t expect. Learn from the mistake and move forward.
3. Delegate.
   You don’t need to be an expert on all aspects of your business but do need to understand all aspects of your business. Don’t hide from tasks you don’t enjoy. Delegation is key, but effective delegation means you’ve taken the time to understand what others are doing.
4. Be strategically lazy.
   Exponential income growth is your key to business success. Find ways to be lazy by multiplying your efforts off of other opportunities, ideas, or trends; freeing you up to do what you want.
5. Time is not money.
   Time is your most valuable asset. Treat it with value or it will be worthless. Richard Branson can charge more than $100,000 for one speech because he’s made his time incredibly valuable.

What game changing business hacks work for you? Share your experiences with us in the comments.

SOURCE: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/244151

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We rarely think of plumbing as a science evolving and benefiting from innovations in technology. But times have changed. Technology is not only evolving in our professional lives, but technology is impacting our kitchens and bathrooms and playing an increasingly important role with design trends in plumbing fixtures.

Plumbing fixtures that make the bathroom or kitchen more sanitary, efficient, and environmentally conscious are now becoming more commonplace in the residential industry. Although only representing a small portion of current plumbing sales in today’s market, as the buying population gravitates toward high-tech living spaces, future-forward plumbing options will continue to gain popularity, eventually becoming “must have” options in design.

Other factors such as higher water bills and increasing water supply concerns are also impacting design and fueling the necessity for solutions such as low flow toilets, water efficient showerheads, and water saving bathroom faucets.

Paula Quan, sales representative for Bobier Sales, a leading plumbing Manufacturer Representative Company in the state of Arizona since 1954, recently presented at a National Kitchen & Bath Association seminar at the Monark Scottsdale showroom.

Just as Bobier brings its manufacturers the product knowledge to promote their products, Paula brought to us a few of the latest design trends in plumbing fixtures positioned to meet growing demands.

Technology in the kitchen

Source: Brizo

Water filtration systems

As concerns mount over the safety of tap water, especially in regards to lead, homeowners are investing in home water filtration systems for drinking water, cooking, and even bathing. Some filtration systems are designed to be plumbed so filtered water is dispensed through a second, smaller faucet rather than the main kitchen faucet, including on demand hot water for tea drinkers or cooking.

Refrigerator manufacturers have stepped up to meet this need with built-in filtration for drinking water and ice. Options include easy-to-install inline filters that connect directly to a refrigerator’s water line or whole-house systems that eliminate the need for a water softener.

High Efficiency Faucets

Plumbing fixture manufacturers have developed faucets to address green needs. Such fixtures can be identified by the WaterSense® label and significantly reduce the amount of water used on a monthly basis by 30%. These high efficiency faucets perform at such a high level you will not notice the reduction in water flow. They are available for the kitchen, bathroom sink, and shower.

Source: Delta

Sensor Faucets

Sensor faucets provide the best of both worlds. Imagine a hands-free faucet that only dispenses a set on this web amount of water. These sensor faucets are programmed in advance and adjust for temperature and flow timing according to those settings. This is a great faucet for children or the elderly. If worried about burned hands, preset the temperature to a safe heat.

Source: Brizo

Pullout/pulldown faucets

Pull out/pull down faucets have been around in residential kitchens with several models being developed after the commercial spray down faucet. New secure docking mechanisms with heavy duty magnets are the upgrade. Aligning with a more industrial articulating faucets have hit the shelves. These models are a spin off from the spray down faucets also found in commercial kitchens.

Another handy plumbing fixture has been the pot filler. The need to reach across a stovetop has always posed a safety factor when using this fixture to fill large pots of water. Deck mounted pot fillers are the modified, much safer version of this handy, kitchen essential.

Top down faucet mounting

Top down faucet mounting has been developed for the kitchen and will prove to be a favorite with remodelers. Making installation of faucets behind farm sinks so much easier. Although not developed for bathroom fixtures yet, it’s on the horizon.

Technology in the bath

Source: Toto

Touch Faucets

Touch faucets in the kitchen have been available for several years now and are noted a favorite to combat germs and bacteria as well as general tidiness. Today’s faucets offer improved touch technology and have made their way into the bathroom allowing your elbow, wrist, or other body part to start or stop the flow.

A bit of insight into why infrared sensors in public bathrooms don’t always work. It’s your clothes. Since the sensor uses light, Paula said, if you are wearing black, it won’t “see” you. The next time you encounter a temperamental plumbing fixture, place a light colored object (paper towel) in front of you and see if it makes a difference. I did and it does!

If you’re not interested in faucet tricks, then you may like capacitive technology. Rather than relying on motion-activated, infrared sensors which have a tendency to cut out mid-rinse, capacitator technology uses a 3-inch sensing zone around the spout. When a hand approaches the spout from any direction and gets within 3-inches, the water starts to flow and will continue to flow as long as the hands are within range. Nice feature for parents with small children.

Lighting Technology

You have most likely seen the infrared sensor with color changes that track temperature. Such recent plumbing fixture developments are now found in other fixtures as well. Users can now find the commode in the dark with LED technology and displays moving to toilet bowls as well as visual indicators of water temperature in showers and faucets.

Technology in Showers

Revamped designs have brought us shower heads that dispense larger water droplets to compensate for the required decreased flow. Larger droplets of water give the feeling of more water with less pressure. Something sure to please you or your clients.

Source: Delta

Handheld showers have stepped up with multi-function and pause features. Anyone who has bathed a child or family pet with the handheld shower understands this much needed fix.

A big trend in master baths is to rival the master bedroom in both size as well as high tech devices. A shower is no longer simply a shower. Technology is being applied to this bathing space with new water saving “smart” fixtures, Bluetooth enabled and connected to the internet. There are showerheads that play music, custom showers with body sprays, handheld showers, multiple shower heads, steam showers, and digital controls.

Source: Delta

Pay special consideration to the location of body spray jets and use a little group think on installation. Paula’s words of wisdom — it is a must to have the homeowners stand in the shower and mark at what height they want the jets. The shower heads do pivot, but in only a 20-inch radius, which may not be adequate if there is a large height differential between bathers. The designing for the sexes tip: put two jets at one height for the man and then the other two at a height for the woman. Put each set on different controls to allow for spray options.

If the thought of jets protruding from gorgeous large format sleek tiles make your clients squirm, suggest the new pop outs that can be pushed back in when not in use keeping a nice aesthetic on streamlined surfaces. Pop out models also allow for a larger 50-inch radius on the spray.

Source: Kohler

As trends come and go so has the desire for oversized-Jacuzzi tub. Much smaller freestanding tubs and tub fillers are now the rage. A trend more affordable on space to accommodate the ever growing financial and space requirements of the McShower. Eliminating the large, tiled frame required for massive Jacuzzi tub saves a ton on tile work as well as freeing up much required wattage for the shower toys in a remodel. A little preplanning is required for the drain and water supply line placement before the concrete is poured. Any wall mounted faucet can be used on a free standing tub and a valve and hand spray is recommended so the water can drip into the tub.

So what do you get when you put a group of kitchen and bath designers in one room? A lively discussion on the pros and cons of rain showers and shower rooms without doors. Consensus: rain showers should only be used in designated spa showers with a sauna. They are far from ideal as the primary showerhead since the bather is totally submerged in the waterfall or totally not, making it difficult to comfortably perform many showering tasks. As well, doorless showers photograph wonderfully, but standing wet and naked in a cold room isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Source: Kohler

Smart Toilets

Also not wanting to be left out in the cold, the lowly water closet has some notable new features competing for the bathroom budget. Enter toilet smart technology. Not only delivering a powerful flush with less water, but these tidy-mighties are designed to scour and clean the bowl in the process!

Touch Toilets

And here is a feature many are sure to enjoy, a touchless toilet. The user waves their hand above the toilet to flush it. And once finished, the toilet lid automatically closes without slamming. I can see pint-sized potty-training magicians having a blast with this feature.

Improved Mechanisms

There’s more to plumbing fixtures than fun, sexy designs and sleek metal surfaces. Ceramic valves have been the mechanism of choice to regulate the release of water but they haven’t always proved reliable. Over time these valves lose their grease layer through hardening and the ceramic surface gets scratched, resulting in that annoying dripping and ultimately freezing up entirely. These new ceramic valves are a girl’s best friend with diamonds molecularly bonded onto the surface in lieu of the ineffective grease layer. The diamonds polish the surface at each use, keeping it smooth and operating at peak efficiency. Although I don’t think this is what Biancѐ meant when she said to put a ring on it.

Another game changer is that valves are beginning to utilize a universal roughed in mechanism. Changing out fixtures will no longer require extensive plumbing work with this one-sized fits all upgrade. Opening up a whole new world of design possibility for your next remodel.

What type of new technology are you using in your kitchen or bathroom project? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

Feature Image Designed for Brizo by Richard Herb

Internet businesses Testosterone Boosters – Which is… are plenty. You have to be visible in order to be a viable contender. You don’t need a website, costing you tens of thousands of dollars, loaded with bells and whistles. What you do need is a website that is intuitive, user friendly, and mobile responsive.

In today’s market, an internet presence is not only for ecommerce resellers like Amazon, service providers also need an online presence to be found in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Internet users, comprising 87% of the U.S. population, look to search engines to obtain contact details, find hours of operation, and to check credentials of internet businesses. And, with 64% of Americans owning a smartphone (Pew Research Center, 10.2014), your site needs to be on a mobile friendly (responsive) platform.

What do you look for as a consumer? One of the biggest mistakes internet businesses make is trying to tell the world what is so cool about their business. Of course they do because they are darn proud of what they do and how well they do it. But that’s step 2. Step 1 is all about focusing on what your visitor needs to know in order to qualify your internet company as one that can give them what they want. They are trying to compare your qualifications to your competitors to narrow down their choices. Make it easy for them to find a compelling reason to hire you and stop simply contributing to the white noise.

1. Have a clear message. Your visitors do need to know what you do. They also need to know what your role is in the marketplace and how what your company offers differs from your competitors.
2. How your customers will benefit. Focus on your potential contribution and end results, not your process. Visitors are interested in your process; however, initially they want to know that you understand them and the challenges they face and that you have the ability to give them the results they want.

In summary, give your site visitors the information they want and need to qualify you as a top internet business they would like to work with and then make that information easy to find.

http://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/

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Gone are the days of simply selecting the color of your standard 4×4 ceramic tiles. Style choices for walls, floors, and exteriors evolve each year with hot new designs, style, colors, and shapes coming from as far away as Italy. So what tile trends will your interior designer be endorsing and what should you expect to find at your tile shop?

What better way to find out what is new and trending in tile then healthymanviagra.com to rub elbows with members of the Arizona chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) at their networking mixer. NKBA is a non-profit trade association that promotes the professionalism of the kitchen and bath industry. Needless to say by mingling with these kitchen and bath pros, I’m sure to get the best in insider information.

The evening was hosted by a design industry gem, The Tile Shop. The Tile Shop is located on Priest in Tempe and has an internet presence at TheTileShop.com. As part of the evening’s presentation The Tile Shop’s tile expert, Steve Morgenthaler, and Mark and Jason of Patterson Remodeling & Custom Tile held a Q&A to talk about popular trends promoted at the exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings held in Bologna, Italy this past fall.

TEXTURES

FRAGMENTED
The Italians are playing with shapes and modularity. By mixing and matching geometric shapes on square and rectangular tiles, patterns pop with a high impact, kaleidoscopic effect. This distinct look is a great way to bring life to small spaces from a kitchen backsplash, feature walls, or flooring. Geometric shapes, although very much a contemporary design, have been used to enhance living spaces for centuries.

Use these tiles alone or combined with ceramic or porcelain tiles to create beautiful, dramatic effects in traditional spaces or to add a fun textural effect to the walls of contemporary spaces. As these patterned and fragmented tiles will be taking over floors and walls in a big way going forward.

WOOD
Wood-look tile has clearly been established as a true favorite in both residential and commercial spaces. America’s love affair with wood and the easy care of porcelains ensures that this trend won’t change anytime soon. In fact, wood-look tiles just keep getting more realistic and better with each new product introduction.

The most dominant shift this year in wood-look tile is toward some very creative patterns and textures:

• Wonderful new tile shapes being inspired by age-old patterns as Italian companies produce chevron and herringbone tiles across all scales to create patterns that are easy to install.
• Weathered, distressed finishes ranging from barn wood details to aged painted planks.
• As painted wood flooring grows in popularity, tile will follow suit with whitewashed looks, brightly hued geometric patterns, and gorgeous floral designs on classic wood grain textures.
• A new idea in wood is the cross grain. Most wood-look applications show the grain, but some manufacturers are showing interest in highlighting a new perspective. Think of a tree stump cut against the grain—that’s the cross grain. The rings and textures will create a whole new wood-look going forward.

Look for tile planks in all sorts of interesting patterns, especially herringbone and chevron. You’ll also find wood-look tile making a strong appearance on the walls.

BRICK
Last year the hexagon was a title industry favorite; this season it’s all about brick. Just as exposed brick walls have become the renovator’s favorite, brick tiles, polished to rustic finishes, and in designs ranging from interpretations of aged brick walls, oozing mortar spills and remnants of paint. Painted brick with its strong retro look has a contemporary flair with graphics, text, and metallic highlights as well as being a natural complement to natural surfaces like concrete and wood.

Brick-look porcelain tile is easier to maintain than actual brick so look to see this retro material on floors as well as walls from your country kitchen to your contemporary loft.

TACTILE EFFECTS
Cement, like wood or brick, isn’t a new idea for floors and walls. But this trend is showing its softer side as it hits its stride with highly textural elements:

• Pairing of cotto and concrete resulting in earthy, dimensional hues, and multi-faceted color variances. This rustic and slightly aged look lends itself well to classic designs rather than being exclusively modern.
• Softer, warmer hues, making it suitable for all kinds of design. Concrete has broken the barriers between contemporary and traditional design with its warm grey, taupe, and beiges.
• Look for a variety of different shapes and sizes ranging from mosaic, planks, hex, and large format tiles making concrete a go to favorite in design.

A genuine warmth emerged in tile introductions this year, lending a softness to the hard, cool surface. Designs with distressed and tactile effects such as sandblasting, stripped wood, and fabric patterns as well as warmer shades, watercolor finishes, and velvety textures. A welcome reprieve and fresh contrast from the minimal aesthetic of recent years.

STRONG LINES
Thick, thin, vertical and horizontal, straight, intersecting, flat and three dimensional, linear designs have the ability to add movement and depth to a space. Marble looks with classic white backgrounds and gray veining is more realistic than ever, making it possible to achieve classic high-end looks in every imaginable format. Porcelain tile is ready to deliver in the years ahead.

3D APPLICATIONS
Technological advances have brought us three dimensional surfaces in tile. Folds, wavy ridges, concave and convex geometry, and asymmetrical profiles. These sculpted surfaces draw the eye and give a strong tactile, rhythmic surface to contemporary spaces.

Neutral colors dominate but these three dimensional patterns are anything but neutral. Finishes and materials include porcelain, glass, and soft buttery textures making them a go to effect for kitchens, bathrooms, fireplaces, and high impact walls.

Three dimensional tiles, as beautiful and intriguing as they are, do present a unique design challenge when it comes to corners and edges. Although in some instances materials can be mitered, matching of pattern is highly difficult and not always successful.

COLOR

GRAYSCALE
Despite gray’s recent rise in popular culture, gray has always been a go to neutral for contemporary designers. Italian tile introductions embrace these shades ranging from crisp, cool slate tones to the dusty, warms combinations of grays and beiges. A textural suede-like interest, hued variations, and embossed patterns generate a calm and relaxing timeless appearance, pairing perfectly with everything from neutrals to bright, bold color palettes.

ALL IS NOT GRAY
No longer limited to the backsplash or tub surround, tile is replacing paint and wallpaper as a top pick for wall coverings. Intense pops of color and metallics lend a design toward the dramatic. Even in small doses, colorful tiled walls will play a supporting role for those that dare.

OBJET D’ART
With a passion for graffiti this is one trend that’s easy to embrace as portrayed by several Italian companies. Transforming the energy of street art and pop culture into printed tiles creating objets d’art. Andy Warhol graphics and spray painted surfaces not to your appeal? Use images of family, travels, and special moments to mark milestones and create a bit of whimsy on the walls of your home. Maybe a motivational message next to the office coffee dispenser to add a little perk to the pick me up.

SIZE AND SHAPE

The simple rectangle is being challenged in both size and scope. With the improvements of tile manufacturing technology in general, production has pushed the envelope with thin, oversized porcelain slabs in sizes up to an unheard of 5.25′ x 10.5′. Homeowners, with a long standing distaste for grout lines, are installing larger tiles on floors, walls, countertops, and furnishings, bringing an entirely new levels of challenge to the installer. Proper preparation and installation is a must with oversized tiles to prevent long term tile cracking and buckling, and substrate failure. You’ll want these sleek, sexy surfaces around for years.

For those with a passion for smaller, whimsical tiles, the emergence of various shapes and geometric patterns include hexagons, triangles, stars, and diamonds allowing for a myriad of possibilities on backsplashes, floors, and walls. The only thing holding you back is your imagination.

The future holds promise for clever design and new developments in tile. I look forward to seeing where inspiration leads your next project.

Ciao!

Head on over to our Facebook page to check out our gallery from The Tile Shop & NKBA mixer event. Lots of great shots of wonderful tiles and talented NKBA members!

What tile trends do you love the most and what are you using most on your projects? Share your experiences with us in the comments.

SOURCES: Images: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/top-10-tile-trends-2016

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It seems every week a new e-mail scam comes along aimed at small business owners. The newest is specifically targeting lawyers and law firms, with subject lines reading “Ethics Complaint” or alternatively “Bar Complaint”. The emails contain links that may lead to a website that will download ransom-ware onto the user’s computer. If you receive any email with those topic lines, practice safe email precautions, and delete this them immediately. Any official complaint will not be sent through email. To read the full press release click here.

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Design trends, products, and technologies.

Architectural and interior design and beauty are the main criteria for blog posts in +Design. When we find something inspired, creative, or fresh, our team is dedicated to providing our readers with news from the design community.

Everything for the love of design.

Topics range from refurbished urban structures to sleek and supple furniture designs. Whatever the project or product, our team is dedicated to researching and discount Adobe Photoshop CC reporting on all things stunning.

No great home is truly complete without art.

Whether it’s a dramatic Pop Art print, mixed media on canvas, or a framed photograph, art in a home reveals much about its inhabitants and their style. While there is no shortage of good sources for purchasing original artworks, it takes a seasoned design team to help select the right pieces for your space.

Sesshu Design Associates worked hand in hand with Costello Childs Gallery and Horizon Art to select pieces for four spaces in the Paradise Valley Designer Showhouse.

Luxurious linens from The Linen Tree in cream, ivory, and soft taupe bring together the trio of hues that harmonize beautifully throughout the rest of this spacious bedroom in the Paradise Valley Showhouse. The bed from Town Studio is upholstered in cream-colored fabric with sleek, high-gloss night stands. Framed paintings above the bed and its foot, lends interest and emphasizes the soft blues throughout the space adding a touch of playfulness.

The same levity found itself in the adjoining office infused with shades of purple in the art as well as in the textural silk rug anchoring the aproned contemporary desk from Alexander Sinclair.

The private areas of the home centered around a central gallery wherein the design team elected to best showcase the space as a private art gallery with deliciously thick wool rug underfoot.

My passion for design began early in life. I built houses in Legos, Lincoln logs and forts outside from scrap wood. I loved to rearrange the furniture in my bedroom and the living room or anywhere else my mom would let me. Space planning and what works and what doesn’t became second nature to me through simple trial and error.

When I turned 12, my Christmas gift was redecorating my bedroom with new bedding, window treatments, fresh wall colors and new flooring. I was in heaven! As soon as I took the interior design class my high school offered, I knew exactly what I was going to do.” ~ Tanya Shively, ASID, LEED AP

Tanya’s firm Sesshu Design Associates, Ltd. is a proud sponsor of the April 5th VIP Broker’s Open and Designer’s Showhouse.

Credit: Simon Photographic