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Sanders McConnell On HSA Rewards And Eric Blumthal On Smarter, Faster Corporate Communications

May 18, 2009 by admin

Sanders McConnell with My HSA Rewards describes the tremendous benefits of Health Savings Accounts and shares a fun, easy way to supplement your HSA with tax deductible Cash Rewards . . . earned from everyday purchases you’re already making.

Count 5’s Eric Blumthal highlights the challenges of traditional corporate communications, and discussesÂ his company’sÂ unique approach for helping clients accelerate workforce adoption of change.

Count 5’sÂ service operates “above the noise of e-mail,” and breaks down key communications into digestible chunks of information — substantially increasing retention, whileÂ simultaneously providing the measurement and accountabilty so critical toÂ succesful change initiatives.

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Atlanta Business Radio Interviews Margaret Gearing, Susan Frost, Bob Greenberger, Jason Jones and Kelly Resignola

May 13, 2009 by admin

Please click on the POD button to listen to the latest Atlanta Business Radio show podcast broadcasting live each Wednesday at 10am EDT from the Business Radio X studio in Atlanta, GA, USA. Here’s how to listen to the podcast of our show.First click on the title of the show you are interested in. Then there should be a player in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Now just press play and the show you chose should start playing.

You can also download the show to listen on your mp3 player. We are now available on iTunes, click this link and you can find all our past shows. Press SUBSCRIBE and you will automatically get the latest show when you sync your iPod to your computer.

We opened the show with EOS Marketing and Communications’ President Margaret Gearing and COO Susan Frost. EOS is a full service, woman owned advertising agency. They combine the depth of experience of a large agency with the nimbleness and flexibility of a boutique. They bring a fresh collaborative working relationship to all their clients. To learn more please go to their website www.eosmarketing.com

Next up we had on Bob Greenberger with Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, Certifed Public Accountants and Business Advisors. HA&W are the largest independent CPA firm in Georgia and one of the largest in the US. Bob shared some great small business tips and some compelling reasons to give his firm a call. To learn more please go to his website www.hawcpa.com

Next up Jason Jones with CresaPartners Corporate Real Estate Service Providers joined us. Jason explained that his ability to create competition among building owners ensures that his clients get the best terms on their leases. He said now is a great time to renegotiate your lease and that he would love to help you get the best rate. He shared a success story where he is in the process of saving one of his clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jason is also a guest columnist with Business to Business magazine where he does a podcast on leadership called Battlefield to Business. The link to his podcast is here and the link to his website is www.cresapartners.com

We closed the show with Kelly Resignola owner of Tastings, a wine experience company that is located in Decatur. Tastings unique concept lets you taste wines by the ounce, the glass or by the bottle. This lets you try before you buy. This friendly neighborhood wine bar has a huge wine selection. They are a fun restaurant that has trivia night but they can also create a custom intimate experience for your group. Enjoy their food and cheese along with their wine every day. They open in the evening every day and for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. To learn more please go to their website www.awineexperience.com or friend them on Facebook.

A big thank you to Brian and Jessica at Cafe Intermezzo for allowing us to have our last Atlanta Business RadioX Casual Networking Mixer there. Here are some pictures from the event. Also thanks to Erik Wolf and Stephanie Frost from Zero G Creative who co-hosted the event with us.

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

Atlanta Business Radio Interviews Sanders McConnell with My HSA Rewards, Neil Gass with Sunbrook Academy & Steve Cook with ADHL

May 6, 2009 by admin

We opened the show with Sanders McConnell who is with My HSA Rewards, an innovative firm that helps you energize your Health Savings Account. His company was created in order to painlessly help you put more money into your HSA. As you know a HSA is a tax advantaged way to pay for your health care expenses. My HSA Rewards helps you grow your account by earning rewards when you purchase stuff from their qualified merchants. To learn more please go to their website www.myhsarewards.com

Next up we had on Neil Gass, the CEO of Sunbrook Academy along with his VP of Franchising Scott Sutton. Sunbrook is one of the premier preschool and early childhood academies in the metro Atlanta area. They have been around for years and have a very successful business model for potential franchise owners. They currently have 8 academies in the area and are looking to expand throughout Georgia and the Southeast. To learn more please go to their websites www.sunbrookacademy.com and www.sunbrookfranchise.com

We closed the show with the dynamic Steve Cook, President of America’s Discount Home Loans. ADHL is one of Georgia’s largest home loan lenders. In addition to offering low rates and fees ADHL also offers a Quick Close guarantee. Steve explained that with record low rates and brand new loan programs from the Obama administration, now is a great time to buy a home, especially for the first time home buyer. To learn more about Steve and his company please go to their website www.americasdiscounthomeloans.com

A big thank you to Brian and Jessica at Cafe Intermezzo for allowing us to have our Atlanta Business RadioX Casual Networking Mixer there. Here are some pictures from the event. Also thanks to Erik Wolf and Stephanie Frost from Zero G Creative who co-hosted the event with us.

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

5/5/09: Talking Social Media + the Workplace with Stephanie Lloyd and Sean Nelson

May 5, 2009 by admin

Here at GFR, we talk about social media from time to time. Okay, it probably comes up every week in some way, shape, or form but this week we tackled it head on. We decided to do this not only because it’s a big topic in the news but also because a lot of companies are struggling with how to balance using social media as a marketing tool with the perils of revealing too much personal or sensitive information to the public via their employees or associates.

Stephanie Lloyd is a recruiter here in Atlanta with Calibre Search Group. She says that a lot of people just don’t use basic common sense when it comes to their online identities. A good exercise she says every job candidate should go through is to Google themselves. Potential employers could do this and it’s always a good idea to see what your digital identity looks like.

Sean Nelson wrote the book on LinkedIn quite literally. He began using LinkedIn to expand his insurance business and promote his book but through that, he’s become an expert on how to effectively use LinkedIn. Now, he teaches others how to do the same. His take on social media is that you must have a strategy and purpose for using it. You wouldn’t attend a networking event without a reason and likewise, you shouldn’t just be haphazardly using social media. LinkedIn is a great business tool and both Sean and Stephanie agreed that it’s basically your online resume so it should closely match if not mirror your actual resume or CV. Sean discussed the importance of joining groups and answering questions to expand your direct network beyond people you already know. He says he spends about 5 hours per week online which he thinks is adequate and it can be easily integrated into your schedule.

In addition to discussing some of the pitfalls of social media, we also discussed why it’s an important tool and that companies should begin to take a proactive role in coaching their employees on how to use it. Used properly, it can be an amazing vehicle for promoting your company in a very positive and genuine way. Zappos is a textbook example of a company that has embraced social media and even incorporates Twitter into its corporate website. Stephanie pointed out that if companies simply try to pretend it doesn’t exist, the conversation will be happening regardless. By engaging in a positive way, a company has the opportunity to guide the discussion about their brand rather than others doing it for them.

All in all, we agreed that social networking is a new tool but in a few years time will be just as natural as using email or the telephone. It’s simply a shift in the way we communicate and most agree, a positive one at that.

Have a stellar week and we’ll see you next Tuesday at 10am!

Follow Stephanie Lloyd on Twitter here or Sean Nelson here.

Carlos Quintero & Nancy Sutherland: Making The Leap From Sales Manager To Sales Leader

May 4, 2009 by admin

Co-authors Carlos Quintero & Nancy Sutherland with Sales Effectiveness, Inc. share highlights fromÂ over 20 years ofÂ field research brought to life in their new book: Catalyst5 (Catalyst to the 5th Power) . . . Making The Leap From Sales Manager To Sales Leader.

The book’s unique story line chronicles the challenges and lessons learned of “Chris Houser” — a newly dubbed (and decidedly frustrated in the beginning)Â Sales Manager –Â as he reaches out to Mentor “Joe Garson,” who helps him understand the five key roles of an effective Sales Leader, and grow quite nicely into his new set of responsibilities.

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Tune In Live Mondays 10am Eastern

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4/28/09: The Franchise Show with David Asarnow and Stan Friedman

April 28, 2009 by admin

What a great show we had today! We were joined by two great guests–both of whom are very successful in the franchise arena. David Asarnow, CEO of Clix Portrait Studios and Stan Friedman, President of Retrotax helped to break down the process of becoming a franchisee and what they, as franchisors, look for in potential business owners.

They both agreed that you must do something you are passionate about. You don’t want to own a restaurant if you hate food preparation for example. However, you don’t have to have much experience in something you know you will be passionate about. You can still be successful owning a portrait studio franchise even if you’ve never been a professional photographer. As with anything, it’s a lot of hard work and persistence. Just because you are buying a “turnkey” operation, you still have to do the leg work to find your customers, connect with the community and grow your business.

And, unlike starting a business from scratch, a franchise offers you the opportunity to be in business for yourself but not by yourself. As cliched as that might sound, it’s nice to have the support of a corporate office as well as a community of franchisees. You have a road map and systems already in place as well as operations manuals and proven methods for being a profitable franchisee. And, the franchisor can project with much more accuracy how long it will be before you will be profitable since they’ve already done it before.

For more information, listen to the podcast and let us know what you think. Thanks to both David and Stan for joining us! Have a stellar week!

Atlanta Business Radio’s Women In Business Special

April 22, 2009 by admin

What a fun show we had today…a studio filled with successful businesswomen. It went so well we are looking to do this every couple of months or so. We opened the show up with the PeaceLoveMom ladies Lori and Suzanne who have been celebrating motherhood with their funky t shirts and apparel since 2005. They try to create designs that will both empower and inspire mothers everywhere. PeaceLoveMom represents a collaboration and true celebration of motherhood. Please go to their website www.peacelovemom.com to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift.

Next up we had on Grace Choung,owner of the Kai Medical Spa. Kai provides a large selection of treatments for pampering, relaxation, beauty and results. With locations in Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Johns Creek (and a new Brookhaven location coming soon) Kai has a skincare boutique with the very latest in body products from around the world. Services are designed for both women and men and combine medical-grade products to achieve the best results in the shortest time. To book your appointment or to learn more please go to her website www.kaimedspa.com

Next we had on Gail Dunn, Atlanta’s Auto Advisor. Gail has worked in the automotive industry for years and is uniquely qualified to be the owner of Women’s Automotive Connection. Gail’s mission is to help women take control of their automotive service and repair transactions by empowering and educating her clients. Her Automotive Boot Camp For Women is an entertaining and unique program that educates women on vehicle service, maintenance, mechanical and collision repair. So if you have that fear of getting taken advanage of by some unscrupulous mechanic you should contact Gail. Her website is www.womensautomotiveconnection.com

We closed the show with Grayson Campbell, your Private CFO from our good friends at oXYGen Financial. Grayson prides herself in her ability to focus on total client service. She is in contact with her clients monthly to stay up to date with their needs and ever changing situation. She knows that people get overwhelmed by their finances and she works hard to be that trusted resource. She hosts regular shopping excursions with her clients and prospects in order to help them network and learn more about finance in an environment that is relaxed and fun. Please go to Grayson’s website www.oxygenfinancial.net to RSVP to her next event and to learn more about how she can help you.

Quick reminder to RSVP for our next Atlanta Business RadioX Casual Networking Mixer which will be held at Cafe Intermezzo in Dunwoody on Wednesday April 29 from 6-8pm.

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

4/21/09: Small Business Strategy with Todd Schnick & Don Rigby

April 21, 2009 by admin

We love small businesses. That’s our target audience after all. But you might wonder why we like them so much. As we talked this morning with Todd Schnick of Intrepid Group and Don Rigby of Integrated Marcom, we were reminded again of the many reasons small businesses are so much fun and so much easier to work with than their larger counterparts.

Todd really likes working with small business owners because they can be, in his words, “bold and fearless.” What might take months of red tape to cut through in a large organization, a small company can accomplish in record time. They are simply more agile, more willing to change, and typically, the executives are making most of the decisions. That’s important in an ever-changing business landscape like we are in right now. His company, Intrepid, helps companies benefit from their small size by being able to have a dialogue with customers and respond accordingly.

Similarly, Don enjoys working with startups and small businesses because he believes that with a little focus, they can really differentiate themselves in this new business environment. His company, Integrated Marcom, can help them do that through the various tools and processes they use to make the small business seem larger because they can more efficiently manage their business relationships. More efficient relationship management means that they can manage more relationships.

Great advice from both Todd and Don and another great show for GFR! Have a stellar week!

NineSigma’s Skip Davis On Leveraging “Open Innovation” For Your Organization

April 20, 2009 by admin

NineSigma VP, Skip Davis gives us a primer on Open Innovation, previews some exciting new research on the topic (to be released April 27, 2009), and shares exactly how and why Open Innovation is fast becoming such an important business practice for organizations large and small.

The High Velocity Radio Show is Brought To You By:

The DeSai Group and www.innovationROI.com

Tune In Live Mondays 10am Eastern

CLICK HERE to receive email notifications of the latest High Velocity Radio Show podcasts!