angishields, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Nicole Mahoney with Break the Ice Media

February 1, 2021 by angishields

High Velocity Radio

Nicole Mahoney with Break the Ice Media

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In 2009, Nicole Mahoney founded Break the Ice Media, a Rochester, NY marketing communications agency focused on the travel and tourism industry. Whether it’s a destination adding to the economic impact of their community, an attraction enhancing the visitor experience, or a business creating jobs for the travel & tourism industry – Break The Ice Media helps their clients create impact!

As CEO, Nicole is responsible for working with clients to understand their marketing needs, developing strategic marketing plans and leading a team of professionals to execute those plans. Her dedication to the tourism industry keeps her team informed on current trends and best practices, regularly attending tourism conferences and travel shows.

In 2016, Nicole launched the weekly podcast Destination on the Left, interviewing tourism professionals from around the globe on creativity and collaboration in the industry. In 2019, she introduced the Destination on the Left Virtual Summit for tourism marketing featuring presentations from previous podcast guests in a new and innovative format. Nicole was recognized as 2019 small business-person of the year by the Small Business Council of Rochester.

Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn and follow Break the Ice Media on Facebook.

Dr. Erica Gamble with The Wig Dr.

February 1, 2021 by angishields

GWBC Radio

Dr. Erica Gamble with The Wig Dr.

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Dr. Erica Gamble had a passion for wigs at an early age. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and always witnessing her Grandmother Bessie, Aunt Bea, and mother Rosa snatched up in fashion and powerful wigs, which she called “hair hats”, lead to the Wig Dr.’s Inception. Having an earned a Doctorate Degree in Organizational Behavior and Leadership, coupled with over 20 years of Leadership and Higher Education success, brought Dr. Gamble to her passion.

She is currently studying Trichology (science of function and disease of the human hair) and adding it into her current practice. Dr. Gamble will soon hold a Dr. of Health Sciences (D.H.Sc.) with a concentration in Trichology.

The Wig Dr. specializes in quality wigs and hairpieces for men, women and children. They provide solutions for hair loss due to Chemotherapy and Alopecia. They carry a variety of wigs, as well as doing special orders. If there is a particular wig that you have in mind their wig specialist will work with and for you to create the vision.

They also provide wig wash and repair services, in addition to free shipping on domestic orders. Visit them at 4880 Lower Roswell Road Suite 50 Marietta Georgia 30068.

“Hair is an accessory and I believe it is important for people to look and feel their best each day. This all starts with prayer and “good hair”– Dr. Erica Gamble

Follow The Wig Dr. on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:19] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open for Business. And this is going to be a good one. Today, we have with us Dr. Erica Gamble, The Wig Dr. Welcome.

Erica Gamble: [00:00:29] Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:31] Well, before we get too far into things, tell us about The Wig Dr. How are you serving folks?

Erica Gamble: [00:00:36] So, The Wig Dr. is a wig boutique and a hair loss center located in Marietta, Georgia. And, basically, our goal and our mission is to help people to look good and to feel better, especially those who are going through any type of hair loss, whether it’s a chemotherapy – I’m sorry – a cancer diagnosis, they’re going through chemotherapy, aging, medication, alopecia, or any other autoimmune diseases that may cause hair loss.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] So, your business is geared to people going through that kind of a traumatic experience rather than, maybe, just people who want to have a variety of wigs just for fashion?

Erica Gamble: [00:01:20] So, it’s twofold. I do service people as well who are looking for, perhaps, a new look or some people have just been wearing a wig for years. There’s also people who, obviously, use wigs for costume and dramatics. So, yes, I do service those people as well. However, I will say, probably about 85 to 90 percent of my clients are medical needs in terms of the wigs.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:50] Now, how did you get into this line of work?

Erica Gamble: [00:01:53] Honestly, I moved from Cleveland, Ohio in 2006 to Atlanta, Georgia. And at that time, I was wearing wigs, but I also didn’t have a hair stylist. And so, it was very hard for me to find someone that I was happy with, that I wanted to become my hairstylist. And so, I thought, “You know what? I will just continue to wear wigs until I find somebody.” And so, I essentially had an overflow of wigs in my home. And so, I would get a lot of compliments. People would ask, “Hey, where’d you get your wig? Your hair looks nice. I love the color.” And I would explain to them that it was a wig. And so, I came up with an idea. I said, “You know what? Maybe I’ll open up a small boutique to service people. People are interested.” So, honestly, I just jumped right in and that’s how I got started.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:50] So, you started out just because you had collected wigs over the years and you felt like maybe there’s other people out there that might want some of these wigs as well?

Erica Gamble: [00:03:03] Absolutely. Absolutely. And then, necessarily didn’t know where to go or, you know, maybe they didn’t have the knowledge or insight on, “Hey, where do I go buy that? How do I pick the color? What’s right for me?” So, I figured, “Hey, here’s a teachable moment and I turned it into a business.”

Lee Kantor: [00:03:21] Now, how did you kind of learn about the business side of it? I mean, buying wigs for yourself as a kind of a retail customer. But if you’re selling it to other people, now, you either have to manufacture your own wigs or partner with other people to do that. And how did you kind of learn the business side and the industry side of things?

Erica Gamble: [00:03:41] So, what I did was actually there was another wig boutique in my area and I decided one day to take a ride there. This wig boutique have been in business since 1969. So, there was a lady there, the owner of the boutique. And honestly, I went in there looking to see what does she sell, how does this work. I talked to her about it. I wasn’t sure how candid she would be with me about giving me the information. But what she did was, she shared some of the vendors that she uses to actually make and manufacture her wigs and sale.

Erica Gamble: [00:04:22] And so, I started making phone calls to these manufacturers to develop relationships. It did take some time because, obviously, the manufacturers and the vendors wanted to make sure that, (A) I was a legitimate person, but (B) they don’t necessarily let everybody in. And so, I had to sort of introduce myself, let them know what my goals were, and what it is that I was looking for. So, I would say, it took about a year to a-year-and-a-half to build those relationships. But, now, we’re six years in. So, it worked out pretty good.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:58] So, are people who sell and buy weaves, are those people customers or potential customers or is that a different type of client altogether?

Erica Gamble: [00:05:12] That is a different type of client altogether. Because I don’t sell hair weave or extension. So, hair weaving, really, you have to have a hair stylist to kind of take care of that aspect of it. So, that’s not something that I specialize in. I did and I do have access to hair extensions. However, keep in mind, many of the clients that come to me are either completely bald or will be bald, so hair extensions and hair weaves are not options for them.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:50] But do you have any kind of partnerships with people in that business because their customers might eventually become your customers?

Erica Gamble: [00:05:59] Yes. I do. I do have relationships with some of the extension vendors and manufacturers, so I do have access, I do have a relationship. So, if a need existed or if someone came to me and that’s something that they were interested in, I still would be able to service them. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:17] Now, are you seeing people losing their hair as a growing problem? Is there more of that happening nowadays?

Erica Gamble: [00:06:25] Yes. There has been a tremendous amount of hair loss, I would say, since the beginning of 2020, which, obviously, the pandemic happened. And a lot of that created shock, tension, obviously, with people losing jobs, people staying home with their children, people not knowing, you know, maybe perhaps what direction their lives would go in. And so, that’s called shock hair loss. And there have been studies and research that shows that shock hair loss has been linked to the coronavirus pandemic, also known as just mere stress. So, yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:11] So, now, what is it like for your clients? Is this something – if they’ve never had a wig before, this is something they’re nervous about, like what is kind of their emotional state when they first meet you? Are they eager or is this something that they’re kind of, like, begrudgingly doing?

Erica Gamble: [00:07:31] I would say a combination of both. Obviously, when you’ve been diagnosed with some sort of cancer and the doctor tells you that you’re going to lose your hair, you know, that becomes a thing. You know, you’ve never been without your hair. Most of the clients that I see that are diagnosed have never, in their life, put a wig on their head, so it’s foreign. They are very concerned. It is very emotional. Most oftentimes after they make their appointment and they come into my boutique, lots of tears, lots of just emotional factor, and a lot of not understanding. So, it is definitely not a happy time to change a look for a lot of the people that I serve because it is, you know, attached to something else.

Erica Gamble: [00:08:26] Many of them are open to it because by the time they come to me, they’ve been diagnosed and typically they start losing hair three to four weeks. So, that may have been a little bit of time for them to actually process, you know, that this is actually going to happen. So, by the time they get to me, they’re already of the understanding that this is inevitable, “I am going to lose my hair and so here we are. But a lot of times, they don’t necessarily buy right away. They want to bring family members. And sometimes they put the process off until they actually see the first, you know, maybe few clumps of hair in their sink. So, it’s not a very easy process for many.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:07] Now, are your wigs for men and women?

Erica Gamble: [00:09:11] Yes. I do service men, women, and children. Because, obviously, men and children go through the same types of things that women do so it’s not gender specific at all. Right now, I’m at about 10 percent male. And males are a lot different to service because, oftentimes, if a man is told he’s going to lose his hair, men deal with that differently than, obviously, women. So, I do have some men who do want to wear a wig because they are professionals, they’re continuing to work, they don’t want to show up without hair. And so, there’s different circumstances.

Erica Gamble: [00:09:55] I also service older clientele of men – they used to call them toupee back in the day – they were used to wearing hair pieces. And those things have evolved so much that now they come because they want to look better and they want a better quality of hair and a hairpiece.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:14] Now, walk me through what happens, like, say I come in and I want a wig. What does the process look like? Is this something that takes a lot of time? And once I decide, does it take a long time to get it. Like, is it custom fit to my head? And how does it adhere to my head?

Erica Gamble: [00:10:31] So, you make your appointment. Typically, when I make appointments, I make the appointment for about an hour to an-hour-and-a-half, especially if this is a first time wig wearer. So, those are questions that I like to ask before you come in. So, I’ll kind of gauge how much time we may need to spend. I have a showroom. And so, in my showroom, I have lots of wigs, lots of different wig styles, lots of colors, different manufacturers, and also colors.

Erica Gamble: [00:11:04] So, the process really starts with a person coming in, they sit down and we talk. You know, most oftentimes I already know why you’re coming. But just to break the ice, tell me a little bit about you, your lifestyle. Are you going to be wearing this wig or hairpiece every day? Are you working? Are you just wearing it to a doctor’s appointment? All of that matters. So, just really taking a pulse on their lifestyle.

Erica Gamble: [00:11:31] From there, we start looking at styles. What style of hair? How do you wear your hair? What type of style? Then, we start looking at wig styles that kind of match your lifestyle. Once we do that, then we can narrow it down, then we get to color. Colors are the most trickiest aspect to a wig because there are some people who are very, very specific and particular about the color of wigs that they have, especially if they’re blonde or redhead, because those are the hardest to match. If the wig is not in stock, the wig can be ordered. If it’s available, depending on where the wig is coming from, it can take anywhere from three days to seven depending on if it’s in stock. Once the wig comes in, we fit it and make sure that everything is right, we inspect the wig. And then, the client can take the wig home or they can leave out that day with the hairpiece.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:29] And then, how does it attach to your head?

Erica Gamble: [00:12:35] Wigs are glueless, so you can just place a wig on your head and it fits according to your size. So, there are three sizes, so there’s petite, average, and large, depending on where you fall. If you’re any of those, stock or semi-custom wigs come in those sizes. So, it would just fit. You just actually put it on. There’s a small tightening mechanism in the back of the wig and you can adjust it to fit. You don’t have to use glue or adhesive. But some people choose to because it gives them a little bit more comfort and security. I would say, probably 85 percent of my clients do not use glue, adhesive, or tape. One of the reason is because of the damage. My men clients, I would have to because, obviously, men have – it’s just different for men. And so, most of my men will use tape or adhesive to keep the wig on.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:36] And then, once it’s on, you can run, you can move around and feel pretty confident that it’s going to be secure?

Erica Gamble: [00:13:45] Yeah. You can swim. You can exercise. You can do your normal activity. Obviously, of course, with anything, sweat and all of that, does come into play. You have to gauge that. If you’re the type of person that sweats and you know that, then you have to take a little bit more care and concern, knowing that maybe you have to add a little bit more extra adhesive. Or make sure that when it loosens up, you’re prepared for that. You have what you need at home so that you can re-glue or reassess where the tape needs to go. But outside of that, yeah, it’s business as usual.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:20] This must be very rewarding work because of the impact you’re having on these folks’ self-esteem and confidence.

Erica Gamble: [00:14:28] Yes. It makes me feel good when a client comes in after realizing that (A) this is not an option, (B) this is something that I have to have, and then (C) once it’s embraced, once they get it on, they look at themselves, you know, it is what it is. And, yeah, it is rewarding because they can get back to some sense of normalcy, although it’s a wig and it’s something foreign that’s on your head. Eventually you’ll get used to it just like a pair of pants or new shoes. You break it in and you move forward. But, yes, my goal is to make sure that they’re comfortable, they’re educated, and that they actually understand what’s happening once they leave my boutique.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:14] Well, what compelled you to get involved with the GWBC? Why was it important for you to join them?

Erica Gamble: [00:15:23] It was important to me because I always feel like in business that we should be connected. And once I was introduced to the organization, I started to connect with other women who were also a part of the organization. They shared with me a lot of things that have helped them, a lot of resources that were provided to them, and how beneficial it was. And so, for me, that was a no brainer as a business owner, the importance of connections in the community. And so, since I joined and become a member and involved, there are tons of resources and opportunities that are helpful for me in my business. And also ways for me to share with other women and invite them to, perhaps, join in and see what great benefits that they can have for themselves and for their business as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:21] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Erica Gamble: [00:16:27] Absolutely. Thank you for having me. And I hope that if there’s someone out there who has a need, they can connect with me. And if not, connect with someone in this field who is about education and about supporting those who have hair loss needs, because this is really a struggle and a battle for many. So, thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:48] Now, if somebody wanted to get a hold of you, do you have a website?

Erica Gamble: [00:16:53] I do. They can go to www.wigdr.com, and that’s www.wig, W-I-G-D-R,.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:05] And then, you have a retail establishment as well, right, in Marietta?

Erica Gamble: [00:17:09] Yes. I’m located in East Cobb. Yes. And I’m on Lower Rosswell in the Parkaire Shopping Centre in East Cobb in Marietta. So, they can also make an appointment and visit me there as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:22] Well thank you again for sharing your story today.

Erica Gamble: [00:17:26] Thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:28] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you all next time on GWBC Radio.

About GWBC

The Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC®) is at the forefront of redefining women business enterprises (WBEs). An increasing focus on supplier diversity means major corporations are viewing our WBEs as innovative, flexible and competitive solutions. The number of women-owned businesses is rising to reflect an increasingly diverse consumer base of women making a majority of buying decision for herself, her family and her business.

GWBC^® has partnered with dozens of major companies who are committed to providing a sustainable foundation through our guiding principles to bring education, training and the standardization of national certification to women businesses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Vaishali Nikhade with The Uncanny Link

February 1, 2021 by angishields

Bay Area Business Radio

Vaishali Nikhade with The Uncanny Link

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Vaishali Nikhade is a business psychic and the go-to expert for entrepreneurs and business owners who would like to see and take control of their future in order to avoid confusion, panic and uncertainty.

By marrying her science, intuition and business skills, she reveals to her clients how the outcome of different decisions will unfold in the future. Bottom line, they are able to peek in the future while being in present time to get back on track with their business goals. For example, she prevented a client from losing an investment of $150,000 in a bad venture and helped another client get a $35,000 raise for bidding a contract.

Vaishali is the host of the popular podcast ‘The Uncanny Link‘ when physics meets metaphysics or science meets ‘woo’ and has appeared on nearly 50 top podcasts talking about her intuitive expertise.

Connect with Vaishali on LinkedIn and follow The Uncanny Link on Facebook and Twitter.

TMBS E142: Dr. Huma Haida, National Brain Injury RMT

January 30, 2021 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

TMBS E142: Dr. Huma Haida, National Brain Injury RMT

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Every year more than 3 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). While those are the reported cases, it is estimated that the actual number is two-three times higher. A TBI occurs from the sudden jarring of the brain such as in a car wreck or fall.

Dr. Huma Haider:

Raised in Pakistan, the single mother of two children, Huma left everything behind and moved to Chicago to complete her medical training.

Her medical career led her to Houston where she founded the National Brain Injury Institute.

She is pioneering a technique and protocol to activate a 20-year-old imaging technology called Diffusion Tensor Imaging.

Now serving patients in all 50 US states, Dr. Huma Haider is a rare gem.  She’s someone who genuinely cares for people who are suffering from this terrible injury.  

For more information, please visit, and click PRESS ROOM: https://www.nationalbii.com/

TMBS E141: Fred Litwin Author, JFK Conspiracy Theories

January 30, 2021 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

TMBS E141: Fred Litwin Author, JFK Conspiracy Theories

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Compelling New Book Debunks JFK Conspiracy Theories

“There was only one gunman.”

November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas

Dallas, TX — In his timely and powerful new book, On the Trail of Delusion, author Fred Litwin turns the tables on conspiracy theorists with a rock-solid and well-researched scenario of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination that debunks the conspiracy theories of district attorney Jim Garrison, exposes the nonsense behind Oliver Stone’s film JFK, and offers restitution for the lives that were destroyed through false claims.

“On the Trail of Delusion is nothing less than a masterclass on the craft of investigative writing. Brimming with new details about the toxic “Garrison investigation,” the lunatic “Permindex” conspiracy theory, and other JFK-related nonsense, Fred Litwin’s book is a must-read for all history buffs Highest recommendation.”
Gus Russo, Author of Brothers in Arms (with Stephen Molton) and The Outfit

“When I first saw the Zapruder (assassination) film, I thought, that doesn’t make sense! I knew people had seen the film, and I began to wonder why the backward head snap didn’t bother more people. What was really going on? From that moment on, I was a teenage JFK conspiracy theorist. But once I began to research, and the more I looked into it, the more I realized that there was only one assassin. The head snap was due to a neuromuscular spasm, and I was well on the way to recovery from conspiracy thinking.”

Litwin visited every institution in the United States that held primary papers on Garrison. His book is the product of those years of meticulous research, full of photos, as well as copies of official documents, memos, and even personal notes from Garrison and others. “I knew the Garrison investigation was a fraud, but I never realized just how bad it was.

“I wrote this book to expose the full truth about Jim Garrison and the danger of conspiracy thinking. Several authors have tried to rehabilitate Garrison, and I wanted to use primary documents to show just how deluded he was.”

“The book reads like the finest investigatory thriller; the facts are clear and this treatise is definitive. This is an impressive—and important—document on many levels, not only about the assassination but also about power in America.”

Grady Harp, Top 50 Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer, 5 stars

The “assassination plot” on JFK isn’t the only conspiracy theory to grip America. Even today we have them.

“You see it on both the right and left,” says Litwin. “It just keeps on going, and it puts people into tribes. This tribal thinking makes people immune to any sort of real discussion. If we could just get the fact-based truth from the news media, without the slant…This “opinion-based” news comes from a failure in education, for really educating people on how they can actually evaluate claims of this sort. We’ve taken a back seat in logic and reason.”

Litwin’s book touches on many topics that are relevant today, such as Russia’s toying with our political system, and the criminalization of gays.

But mostly, it talks about how one deluded man, Jim Garrison, turned a crime investigation into a wild ride of deluded thinking and unfounded conspiracies.

“This book, in part, is a warning,” says Litwin. “We have to evaluate people very carefully before we vote them into office and positions of power. In this case, we had a district attorney who ultimately ruined people’s lives. He was live a wrecking machine.”

“This book is a perfect example of good reporting—something too often elusive in the scores of books about the JFK horror story. This book is REAL! I loved every minute of it.”  Hugh Aynesworth, Author of November 22, 1963: Witness to History and JFK: Breaking the News

Litwin’s book will inspire historians, fans of JFK, or anyone looking for a good true crime read. It will certainly become a necessary addition to any JFK library.

About Fred Litwin: Fred Litwin is the author of several books, and has written articles for the National Post, the Ottawa Citizen, and the Toronto, among others. His 2015 book, Conservative Confidential: Inside the Fabulous Blue Tent details his journey from left-wing, anti-nuclear activist to becoming a gadfly on the right.

Litwin has been interested in the JFK assassination since he was young, and his latest book is the result of his incessant research into the topic, which debunks conspiracy theorists and proves there was only one gunman: Lee Harvey Oswald.

Litwin is a marketing professional, who worked for Intel Corporation, and organized the launch of the Pentium II in Asia. In 2000, he founded Northen Blues Music, a cutting-edge blues label. The company has released over 70 CDs and has garnered 12 Juno Awards and over 40 Blues Music Award nominations.

In 2007, Litwin started the Free-Thinking Film Society to showcase films on liberty, freedom and democracy. The Society has now shown over 100 films and also organizes book launches and panel discussions.

An avid volunteer, Litwin is on the programming committee of Kehillat Beth Israel synagogue in Ottawa, the Chairman of the Board of POGG (Peace, Order and Good Government), a small think tank in Ottawa, and sat on the Board of Directors of the Blues Foundation in Memphis from 2003-2009.

He has also done a lot of work with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs in Ottawa.

Fred lives in Ottawa with his partner and is currently at work on his next book. Visit his website at http://www.OnTheTrailofDelusion.com

HWW E27: Ann Bennett, Tweaks to a Client Getting Brand

January 30, 2021 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

HWW E27: Ann Bennett, Tweaks to a Client Getting Brand

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3 Simple Tweaks to a Client Getting Brand

This is what makes the difference in you STANDING OUT in an overcrowded marketplace, getting the visibility you want, and making the impact you desire. You can’t afford to be mediocre you have got to be memorable.

Here’s what it does for you:

You can identify your “It factor” that thing that makes people see you and want to be with you.
How to use your quirks to powerfully pull people to you and explode your visibility.
How to make offers that ignite your prospect’s passion and moves them to take action, right now.

FREE OFFER FROM ANN BENNETT

How to Create a Client Getting Brand
http://bit.ly/cgbrand

Renegade Branding
296 16^th Place #A
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
646-345-6671
annpbennett@gmail.com
annbennettmarketing.com
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube |

“Ann Bennett is the founder of Ann Bennett Marketing, an International Speaker, Best Selling Author, Coach, and Brand Profit Builder. Ann uses her marketing and branding genius to help women entrepreneurs (and a few good men) build their STAND OUT personal brands and boost their profits.

Ann works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs who do transformational work so they can liberate and ignite their unique genius, authentic voice and build a profitable brand platform.

Ann has 25 years of experience in visual and graphic design and has brought her talents to many major magazines from Popular Mechanics to Vogue; “Where the Devil Really does wear Prada”.

Ann’s personal slogan and the cornerstone of all her programs is, “It’s smart to fit in…but it’s brilliant to stand out.”

About the Business

An award-winning graphic designer for Vogue Magazine and brand profit builder Ann Bennett has helped many talented entrepreneurs illuminate, translate and amplify their unique brands so they can STAND OUT and get noticed and known. And make a big impact and make bank. Ann helps entrepreneurs build a Head Whipping Brand Identity that positions their influence and explodes their profits to 6-figures and beyond. Her life’s mission is to impact entrepreneurs to own, honor and unleash their Rebel Voice, become an outer Rockstar by amplifying their brilliance and skyrocket their profits. And get unruly, get rich and change the world.

About the Host

Karen M. Fisher
Senior Loan Officer
NMLS ID# 180167 – AZ MLO Lic# 0911886

Summit Funding, Inc.
5151 E. Broadway Blvd., Ste. 700
Tucson, AZ 85711
Branch NMLS ID# 1464335 – Summit Funding, Inc NMLS ID#3199
AZ Lic# 0925837 – Equal Housing Opportunity

(520) 447-2279 Direct Phone
Karen.Fisher@SummitFunding.net
www.OurNeighborsOurHeroes.com

As a Senior Loan Officer, I originate residential home loans (1-4 Units) for purchase or refinance transactions for owner-occupied, second homes, or investment properties. I am licensed in the State of Arizona; however, I can connect you to great mortgage loan officers anywhere in the United States or Canada. I have been a loan officer for just over 20 years. In the prior 17 years, I was a Realtor, an Associate Broker, Branch Manager, and Designated Broker. My beloved husband Scott and I have been married for over 37 years, we have an awesome daughter Allison who is engaged to her Gonzaga University sweetheart, Enrique. I love to read, travel, hike, golf, camp, entrepreneurial ideas, inventions, animals, and children. My key to success is to focus on excellence, not perfection, and being growth-minded.

Co-Creating the Show Concept

January 29, 2021 by angishields

Katie Bosarge with Davidson

January 28, 2021 by angishields

Learning Insights

Katie Bosarge with Davidson

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Katie Bosarge has been with Davidson for over 10 years and has enjoyed a variety of roles with the company.

She currently serves as the Public Relations Communications Manager on the Communications Team.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for Learning Insights. Brought to you by TrainingPros. When you have more projects than people, TrainingPros can provide you with the right L&D consultant to start your project with confidence. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:27] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Learning Insights. And I’m excited about this one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor at TrainingPros. Without them, we could not be sharing these stories. Today on Learning Insights, we have Katie Bosarge. And she is with Davidson. Welcome, Katie.

Katie Bosarge: [00:00:45] Well, thank you very much for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:47] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about Davidson. How are you serving folks?

Katie Bosarge: [00:00:52] Well, we are a small defense contractor here in Huntsville, Alabama. And we have employees throughout the whole nation. And most of our missions support the US government and helping to keep our nation safe.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] And so, you’ve been dealing with kind of a remote workforce for a while then?

Katie Bosarge: [00:01:08] We have. It’s been a little unusual, but most of our workforce has been working remote probably up until about a month or so ago. So, we’ve had to really pivot and learn different ways to communicate. Of course, Zoom, and the teams and all kinds of different things like that. But our employees have really, really stepped up, and done a great job, and really kept the mission on track. And we’ve been successful so far.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:32] Was that something that — I’m sure at the time, and especially in your industry, where security is so paramount that to securely be able to have your employees elsewhere and to be able to give them the equipment they need and the resources they need in order to effectively work and communicate together, was that a difficult challenge when the pandemic hit, and all of a sudden, now, everybody’s scrambling to figure this out?

Katie Bosarge: [00:01:59] Well, it has been a challenge for a lot of people in our industry, but we have a unique system within our company where we can remote in from remote locations, I guess, into our computer system is the best way to explain it to where it is secure. So, we’re still able to do the work that we need to do, and to serve our customers and serve our nation seamlessly. That has been, actually, for us, not a terrible time period. It’s been not as enjoyable because you don’t see people in the office every day, but we have been able to continue with our work and stay on mission.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:33] Now, were you able to kind of create some of those serendipitous moments and those kind of accidental collisions when you’re meeting people remotely? Were you able to figure any of that out?

Katie Bosarge: [00:02:45] It was very challenging. We have been able to do a little bit through the online platform – Zoom, WebEx and things like that. It’s not the same, though. It’s definitely not the same. But we have been able to accomplish that to a certain degree.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:00] Now, you’ve recently been awarded one of the Best Workplaces. How important is that for you in terms of maybe recruiting and attracting new talent?

Katie Bosarge: [00:03:14] Oh, it has been invaluable. Everyone recognizes that is the gold standard. And for us to be able to put that on our recruiting and use that when we’re trying to bring new employees to our company, it has been a wonderful, wonderful new aspect that we can promote to them, to the new employees in recruiting. We are just really, really honored that our employees thought that highly of our company for us to achieve that certification. But it has definitely been a help for us.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:42] So, now, combined with this remote world that we’re in, at least, right now, has that enabled you to open up to get talent in places maybe you weren’t looking before because, now, you’ve got the world as your oyster?

Katie Bosarge: [00:03:57] That is true. I’m not in the recruiting department directly, but I would imagine that has opened up a lot of things. Of course, some of our work is of a more secure nature where we will need the people to be on site in specific locations once that is a possibility again, but we do have some of our work that could possibly be 100 percent remote. And that would open us up to a lot of different possibilities, people living in different places that could remote in to get their job done.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:30] Now, do you have any advice for folks out there who are trying to keep the company culture going during a time when we’re not seeing each other face to face?

Katie Bosarge: [00:04:40] It is very challenging, but it’s important to really focus on your smaller teams. Not the whole company as a whole, but just on your smaller teams, your different departments. And for us, it’s different contracts where the people work together, and they have a team leader or a manager. And it’s really on that team lead or manager to keep everyone engaged to the best of their ability in this unusual remote world that we’re living in right now, because we’re not able to get together face to face and have your typical lunch and learns, or your Christmas parties, and your summer picnics. So, instead of looking at it as a whole company, we really need to break it down into the smaller departments and smaller areas and just really have that tight, close-knit family type atmosphere and keep everyone engaged and talking as much as we possibly can.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:28] Now, is that something — when the employees are in these small groups, is there a way to transfer some of the best practices and things they are learning in those small groups to the other people kind of company-wide? Like if somebody figured out, “Hey, this is the way we do this. Maybe another department would benefit from that,” do you have kind of systems in place that allow that transfer of knowledge between kind of these little cohorts or departments?

Katie Bosarge: [00:05:54] Yes, that would probably come into our senior leadership meetings. All of the smaller departments are under larger leaders, and that would funnel up to these larger senior leadership meetings. And that can be communicated between the different leaders. And then, also, our HR department is wonderful about spreading the word amongst the employees. And the communications department, the team that I’m on, we try to really make sure everyone is in sync and aware of what the other departments are doing that’s working and try that out in their department. And hopefully, if it keeps one group close together, it can help other groups do the same thing.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:29] Now, is there a story that maybe you can share of some successful implementation of one of these kind of learnings or one of these kind of transfers of knowledge that has happened that you remember?

Katie Bosarge: [00:06:42] Oh, goodness. I honestly can’t think of anything off the top of my head, but I know that we’ve done a lot of brainstorming and sharing of ideas in our group as far as a communications group. And, really, our lead has gone on to share that with the other, especially with HR, because that’s really the team that wants to get out and get the employees engaged, and get everyone is excited and is engaged as we can right now. But the flow of ideas between HR and the communications team is really, really important.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:16] How do you feel that you all do when it comes to kind of leadership training, and then identifying those high potential leaders?

Katie Bosarge: [00:07:25] Well, we have a really, really good program in place. We actually just had a training today, as a matter of fact, with the HR coordinates, with the leaders in our group. And the senior leadership team are really the ones that go out and identify those high potentials and really work with the team that they’re on to get them ready to step into a leadership role when that’s needed.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:48] And then, you’re finding that leadership training helpful? I know you want to keep the folks there as long as possible, but that’s something that it helps build. I think it helps with the recruiting, especially young people knowing that they’re going to learn and grow as they stay connected with the organization.

Katie Bosarge: [00:08:08] Oh, absolutely. Training is so, so very important. And it is definitely a recruiting tool that we use because once you come into a company, you may not know or understand completely what the culture is in that company until you spend time with your team. And then, the leadership training helps to bring everyone together and kind of get everybody on the same page and all moving in the same direction.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:30] So, now, you’ve been with Davidson for a while, right?

Katie Bosarge: [00:08:35] I have. I’ve been with the company for a little over 10 years now. I’ve moved around to several different departments, but it has been a great ride.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:43] And then, there’s Davidson locations around the country?

Katie Bosarge: [00:08:47] There is. Our headquarters offices here in Huntsville, Alabama. We have an office located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. And we have two large teams, not a physical office, but we have large teams at Fort Greely in Alaska, and also at Tyndall Air Force Base down in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:04] So, when you’re working with, I guess, government organizations, and you’re the private sector, does that create different challenges?

Katie Bosarge: [00:09:15] Oh, it does. Yes, it does. But those are things that, over the years, we’ve found out how far we can push to the edge to keep our team together. But there are a lot of different projects and things that our employees are sitting out on different military bases. And it’s a little bit harder to keep those teammates engaged, but that is something that our leadership has done a very, very good job at communicating with them and keeping everyone engaged.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:41] Now, is part of the training on almost how to behave in those kind of environments because it may not be an area that they’ve ever been in before?

Katie Bosarge: [00:09:51] Now, that is true. And that type of training really comes from your direct manager because everyone has different circumstances, depending on where they’re sitting, and you kind of learn the environment of where you work on a daily basis.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:04] And the impact you’re making is so huge, but it’s one of those things where you can’t really brag about it too much, right, because there’s a lot of stuff that’s not for public purview?

Katie Bosarge: [00:10:19] Exactly, exactly. Yeah, that is definitely one of the challenges with any defense contractor or any company that works with the government is we talk about advertising, and promoting, and things like that, and there’s just so much of what we do that we can’t advertise and promote. So, that makes it a little bit more challenging. But especially here in Huntsville and in Colorado Springs, that’s the nature of the whole city. And so, we promote our corporate culture and the environment that the employees work in versus actually kind of the work that we do because we can’t really talk about that all the time.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:52] And that’s why when you did get that great-place-to-work certified certification, it was so important because that was the employees saying that working at Davidson is positive and meaningful. And that’s not-.

Katie Bosarge: [00:11:08] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:08] That’s important.

Intro: [00:11:08] Yes, absolutely. It’s very, very important because there’s not a lot of ways for us to go out and say, “Hey, look at all these great programs we’re working on,” because we can’t really tout that kind of thing. But to have our employees step up, and really speak up, and say what a great company this is, that is absolutely wonderful for us.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:30] And this wasn’t just a majority. This was almost everybody who said that. That’s very impressive results.

Katie Bosarge: [00:11:39] Yes, it really was. We were very, very excited.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:42] So, what’s your kind of forecast into 2021? Are you pretty excited about the upcoming year?

Katie Bosarge: [00:11:50] We are. We are. We have several programs that are growing and we’re always chasing new work. It’s just the uncertainty of the environment that we’re in that will dictate whether we get to all come back together and really work face to face, so to speak. But, again, we’re doing pretty well remotely and everyone stay in our mission. So, I think we have a very, very positive outlook for 2021.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:14] And when you do get together, are you kind of whiteboarding out some big party celebration when everybody’s finally back in the same office?

Katie Bosarge: [00:12:24] We are. We are. We are actually celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2021. The company has our 25th anniversary this year. And we are planning a very large celebration. And we’ve, unfortunately, had to put it off a little bit. Our anniversary is actually January, the 28th. So, here in just a few days.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:44] Wow!

Katie Bosarge: [00:12:44] Or actually tomorrow, goodness. That’s tomorrow. But we can’t have an in-person celebration right now. So, we have a big event planned for later in the summer where we hope we can get everyone together.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:57] Well, congratulations on all the success. Is there anything we could be doing to help you? Do you need more employees? Do you need more clients? What is it that can help Davidson grow?

Katie Bosarge: [00:13:09] Oh, we’re always looking for new employees. And anyone that is interested is more than welcome to visit our website, davidson-tech.com. And we have all of our positions listed. And we do have positions all across the country. It’s not just in Huntsville and Colorado Springs. And of course, with the possibility of remote work, that opens up a lot of other options.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:30] Well, congratulations on all your success, Katie. You’re doing important work.

Katie Bosarge: [00:13:34] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:36] And we appreciate you.

Katie Bosarge: [00:13:37] Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:38] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you next time on Learning Insights Radio. And remember this work would not be possible without the support of our sponsor, TrainingPros. Please support them, so we can continue to share these important stories.

Outro: [00:13:53] Thank you for listening. For more information about TrainingPros, visit their website at training-pros.com.

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Customer Experience Tip: Win Win

January 28, 2021 by angishields

Customer Experience Radio

Customer Experience Tip: Win Win

00:00 /

CX Tip: Win Win

Transcript

Lee Kantor: [00:00:06] Lee Kantor here from Business RadioX. Jill, today’s customer experience tip is a win-win or no deal. Please tell us more.

Jill Heineck: [00:00:14] Thanks Lee. Yes. So, today’s tip win-win or no deal, you know, I do think this should be the mission and vision of every company. We know that not all clients or customers are a fit for us. So, being willing to walk away or let a client go if they don’t align with our brand values is, I think, key to running a great business. I know that sounds harsh but, sometimes, you won’t always be able to meet a client where they are and serve them at a high level, and also stay in alignment with your values. So, it’s best to let them down now rather than disappoint them later. You want to be able to continue to serve at a high level, and you can only do that if it’s a win-win situation. That’s the tip for today.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:54] Great tip, Jill. Thanks for listening.

Connect with Jill at heineckandcompany.com.