GRAND Magazine - September/October 2013 - (Page 52-53)

making a difference GRAND Sponsor: ClearSounds Communications keeping people connected by rIcHArD J. ANtHoNy, sr. G RAND Magazine is fortunate and proud to have the support of some outstanding companies and organizations. We thought you might like to get to know them better. So here is the inside story of one of our sponsors, ClearSounds Communications. ClearSounds Communications is the leading developer and manufacturer of advanced listening devices for the hearing impaired. The company, founded in 1982, also provides audio listening devices for people who simply want a superior sound experience. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Michele Ahlman, the president of ClearSounds. Here is an excerpt of that interview: What accounts for the passion you have for your family business? I’ve seen the effects of hearing loss in my own family—the frustration that turns to irritation and the Richard J. Anthony, Sr. serves as executive Vice president of GrAND media. He is a consultant, teacher, author, tV producer/host, and entrepreneur. 52 GRAND september october 2013 strain hearing loss can put on relationships. It doesn’t have to be that way. That’s what motivated us to create new assistive listening devices using cuttingedge technology to provide advanced solutions to individual needs. Who in your family has hearing problems? My dad, grandparents, and aunt. They are members of a large and growing community of people who struggle with staying connected with family, friends, and coworkers because of diminished hearing. the company didn’t start as a manufacturer, right? The original company, HITEC Group International, was started by my mother, Madeline Uzuanis, as a distributor of amplified communications systems. I started helping after school, and my dad—who, like thousands of his generation, lost his hearing after military service—eventually earned an MBA and left his job to help my mom. Why did you decide to produce your own line of assistive listening devices? My parents are both entrepreneurs—the type who are never satisfied with the status quo. We weren’t satisfied with what was “available,” so we decided to create our own line of user-friendly assistive hearing Click image to watch ClearSounds Teen Hearing Challenge. devices designed around the lifestyle needs of our customers. . . . That’s the kind of disruptive innovation we see in ClearSounds’ future. What else is the company doing to make a difference in the community? We see ourselves as educators and advocates as well as providers of products. A program we’re especially interested in is our Teen Hearing Challenge, an outreach program to educate teens on the dangers of loud noise and how to protect their hearing. click here to read the full interview/article. september october 2013 GRAND 53 http://www.clearsounds.com/ http://www.clearsounds.com/teenhear http://www.grandmagazine.com/news/?p=16720

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - September/October 2013

GRAND Magazine - September/October 2013
Contents
Congratulations 2013 GRANDparent of the Year Honorees!
Hooray for Grandparents, Ingenuity, and ICE!
GRAND Magazine Best of the Web Awards
Rockin’ the World
Leaving a Legacy
Don Miguel Ruiz: Our Sacred Agreement to Grandchildren
Keepsakes from the Heart
Do Kids Under 5 Get Too Much Screen Time?
Let the Learning Games Begin!
Falling into the Grandma Zone
A Special Grandmother
Ducky Butt, Not Tucky Butt!
GRAND Sponsor: ClearSounds Communications
Terrific Tech Gadgets for the Whole Family
The ABCs of Grandparenting: Who’s Teaching Whom?
Can Bribery Warm a Cold Shoulder?
Keep Your Marriage from Becoming a Casualty of Caregiving
Hidden Treasures

GRAND Magazine - September/October 2013