angishields, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

BRX Pro Tip: Become VP of Service and Connection

November 19, 2020 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: Become VP of Service and Connection

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BRX Pro Tip: Become VP of Service and Connection

Stone Payton: [00:00:00] Welcome back to BRX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you this afternoon, Lee, quite a bit of advice that we try to share in these Pro Tips, most of it not only applies to being a studio partner, or a Business RadioX certified correspondent, or ambassador, it typically will apply to anyone who’s trying to genuinely serve regardless of the type of business that they’re in. And one of your pieces of advice that I’ve always admired is appoint yourself, become the vice president of service and connection.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] Yeah. If you really want to grow your business, if you’re the vice president of service and connections, and that’s what you’re spending your time doing, if you spend your time serving others, connecting people who would benefit from knowing each other, you will become an indispensable member of your community who will be missed if you were to leave.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:59] Now, if every day, you’re doing that kind of work, you are no longer just another vendor selling a commodity that can be found elsewhere. People will want to buy what you’re selling from you because of all these other intangibles that you’re bringing to the table that they can’t get from anyone else. And that’s the secret to success. Be indispensable by bringing a lot more to the table than just whatever the client thinks they want from you. Deliver that, obviously, but do more, and you will have clients for life and you’re not going to have to work as hard to sell anybody anything. They’re going to want to do business with you.

TMBS E125: Jason Gaughan, Band of America.

November 18, 2020 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

TMBS E125: Jason Gaughan, Band of America.

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Approaching the holidays with a plan can help you stay on top of your expenses and make the most of your money.

 Jason Gaughan is currently the Consumer Card Product Executive at Bank of America.

His responsibilities include ensuring that consumer card products and services meet the financial needs of our clients, driving responsible growth by implementing strategies that align to our core principles, and managing the profitability of the business.

Jason leads a team of associates who are committed to delivering a best in class product for our customers. 

Jason began his career at Bank of America in 1994. He joined the management team in 1996 and since then has held a wide range of management positions in Product, Credit Risk Management, Marketing, Credit Operations and Customer Service Operations.

Prior to joining Bank of America, Jason held management positions at First National Bank of Omaha.

Jason graduated from the University of Nebraska where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance.

Jason is actively involved in the community by supporting Kennett Parks and Recreation, Ronald McDonald House and Food Bank of Delaware.

He formerly served on the Executive Board of United Way of Delaware. Jason and his wife Susan, live in Avondale, Pennsylvania with their two children.

TMBS E124: Bill Oxford, the American Legion

November 18, 2020 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

TMBS E124: Bill Oxford, the American Legion

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ABOUT BILL OXFORD

Vietnam War veteran James W. “Bill” Oxford was elected national commander of the nearly 2 million-member American Legion on August 29, 2019, in Indianapolis, during the organization’s 101st national convention. He has been a member of the nation’s largest veterans’ organization since 1986.

A native of Lenoir, N.C., Oxford is a paid-up-for- life member and past commander of Post 29 in Lenoir. He served as department (state) commander of the North Carolina American Legion from 2010 to 2011.

A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Oxford was an aviation electronic technician for the A-6 Intruder and served in Vietnam during his initial enlistment. After being discharged as a sergeant in 1970, Oxford joined the North Carolina National Guard. He subsequently attended officer’s candidate school and transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve, where he ultimately retired as a colonel after more than 34 years of military service.

An active volunteer with several organizations, Oxford is a member of Masonic lodge-York and Scottish Rite. His theme as national commander of The American Legion is “a foundation for the future,” as the organization advances through its second century of service.

About the Legion

Membership.

Recent legislation has made it possible for more than 4 million additional veterans to join The American Legion.

The American Legion is the nation’s largest veterans’ service organization with nearly two million members and more than 12,000 posts worldwide.

Legionnaires are involved in the community-based support of veterans, service members, and their families. The American Legion is strongly committed to helping veterans and military families with its outreach programs and lobbying efforts, as a new generation of returning veterans reintegrate into the community.

For more information go to www.legion.org

Todd Owen with Eggs Up Grill

November 18, 2020 by angishields

Franchise Marketing Radio

Todd Owen with Eggs Up Grill

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Brought To You By SeoSamba . . . Comprehensive, High Performing Marketing Solutions For Mature And Emerging Franchise Brands . . . To Supercharge Your Franchise Marketing, Go To seosamba.com.

Eggs Up Grill VP Franchise Development Todd Owen has a rich background in successful franchise development, leading sales and business development with brands that included Qdoba Mexican Eats, spearheading growth from 60 to more than 600 locations.

Todd is responsible for recruiting new qualified franchise partners into the rapidly expanding brand’s system and assisting existing owners with developing their strategic growth plans as they reinvest and add new Eggs Up Grill restaurants to their portfolio.

Owen shares Eggs Up Grill’s commitment to supporting prospects and ensuring its franchisees are set up to build a successful business through the brand.

Follow Eggs Up Grill on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Mike Sena with Supporting Your Choices

November 18, 2020 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Mike Sena with Supporting Your Choices

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Fired from his first two corporate jobs, Mike Sena figured out that he was not a good fit for the Fortune 500. He’s been on his own ever since, creating and operating several businesses. Along the way, he’s learned a lot about life, money and happiness.

A father, speaker, author, TEDx organizer and polo player, Mike works to restore order in people’s lives, helping them make the most of what they have, live more in the present and feel comfortable about an unknown future.

Mike is a fee-only Certified Financial Planner ® and registered investment advisor with Supporting Your Choices, Inc.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and Facebook.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Effectiveness over efficiency
Investments and the election
Making the most of what you have and living in the present
Fee-only CFP
The difference between financial planning and money management

About Our Sponsor

OnPay’s payroll services and HR software give you more time to focus on what’s most important. Rated “Excellent” by PC Magazine, we make it easy to pay employees fast, we automate all payroll taxes, and we even keep all your HR and benefits organized and compliant.

Our award-winning customer service includes an accuracy guarantee, deep integrations with popular accounting software, and we’ll even enter all your employee information for you — whether you have five employees or 500. Take a closer look to see all the ways we can save you time and money in the back office.

Follow OnPay on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Beatrice Dixon with The Honey Pot Company

November 18, 2020 by angishields

GWBC Radio

Beatrice Dixon with The Honey Pot Company

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When she was younger, Beatrice Dixon suffered from bacterial vaginosis for eight months. One night, an ancestor gave her the ingredients to heal herself in a dream. From that insightful dream, she created the formula for a healthy, clean feminine wash.

In 2014, Dixon launched The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created with a goal to provide women with a healthy alternative to feminine care that is free of chemicals, parabens, carcinogens, and sulfates.

The Honey Pot Company currently offers feminine washes, wipes, tampons, pads, and soon-to-be additional offerings in both the feminine hygiene & feminine care segments.

Follow The Honey Pot Company on 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: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open for Business. And this is going to be a good one. Today, we have with us Beatrice Dixon with the Honey Pot Co. Welcome, Beatrice.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:00:29] Hi. How are you?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:30] I am doing well. Before we get too far into things, for the few people out there who don’t know about the Honey Pot Co. why don’t you let people know what you’ve got going on.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:00:40] The Honey Pot Co. is a plant-based feminine hygiene company. We focus on women’s daily and monthly needs. So, we really span out. We do external washes, wipes, pads, tampons. And we sell in Target, Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and a multitude of retailers across the United States.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:01] Now, tell us a little bit about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you get started as an entrepreneur?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:01:09] I got started as an entrepreneur out of the mother of invention being necessity. I had an infection that I couldn’t get rid of. Literally, I had it for almost a year, and nothing that I did worked. But finally, one night, my grandmother … one morning, I should say, my grandmother came to me in a dream, and she told me what to do, and I did it. And when I woke up, basically, she handed me a piece of paper, and it had a list of ingredients. And when I woke up, I wrote it down. I made it within a couple of days, and everything that I was dealing with went away after that.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:46] So, how do you kind of explain that to yourself, that occurrence?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:01:53] I explain it to myself precisely the way that it happened. I’m eternally grateful that my grandmother thought enough of me to meet me in another dimension because my grandmother died when my mother was very young and tell me what to do to heal my body. So, in the dream, she told me that she had been walking with me and watching me dealing with what I was dealing with for a while, and she just wanted to help me to get some healing. And that’s what she did. So, I just reconciled with it precisely the way that it happened. I don’t try to make it any more or less of what it is.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:32] Now, you had never met your grandmother?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:02:35] I had never met my grandmother. My grandmother died when my mother was young, way before I was even thought of.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:42] So, when this was happening, did you instantly recognize her?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:02:46] I recognized her because of pictures. And me and my mother look a lot like her. So, yes, I did recognize her.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:54] So, you were comfortable, she told you something, you wrote it down, and then followed it as she recommended, and got kind of miraculous results.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:03:04] Exactly. That’s exactly how it happened.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:06] And then, when that happens, so there was never a doubt of, “Should I take this seriously?” This was just very kind of matter of fact, this happened because you must have had other dreams throughout your life where people have spoken to you or no? Was this the first time that something like this ever happened?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:03:26] I had other dreams where I’ve had ancestors come and visit me, but I’ve never in my life, even all the way up until now, have I ever had a dream that was this clear and concise. This had a level of clarity to it that I had never experienced before. So, it has happened to me before, but just never in a way that was as clear and concise as this was.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:57] So, when that happened, and you write it down, and I guess you mix this concoction together, and then tried it, was an instant? Like you were like, “Oh, this is relief. Definitely, I’m going to keep doing this”?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:04:11] It was instant. I instantly said, “I’m going to make this into a company.”

Lee Kantor: [00:04:15] Wow! And then, so, at the point … so, now, it’s working on you. So, you feel confident. Did you have any trepidations of having somebody else try it where they’re not related to your grandmother, that you didn’t know that, “Hey, it worked for me, I don’t know if this is going to work for a stranger”?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:04:36] Well, what I did was I gave it away for like a year and a half. So, I just gave it away to friends, friends of friends. And what was happening is a lot of those people were having the same results that I was because I didn’t want to just put it in a bottle and sell it. I had to make sure that it worked for other people. Plus, I had to kind of perfect the formula, right? Like I had just made it for myself. But it’s kind of like with cooking or with anything else, you don’t just make something and just put it out into the world. You have to try it first, and then get other people’s results. And so, I gave it away to hundreds of people before I sold a bottle.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:24] So, that was kind of a market test. Did you ever take it like to a lab or a scientist to say, “Hey, what is making this work?” or did you-

Beatrice Dixon: [00:05:34] Yeah. Yes, I did, eventually. Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:37] So, at some point, there was more structure around the formula, I guess, in order to replicate it?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:05:45] Absolutely. Yeah, when we got into Target, it had to come out of the kitchen, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:05:52] Not your kitchen anymore. Like, it had to come out of like a-

Beatrice Dixon: [00:05:55] Yeah, it had to come out of the kitchen. When we got into Target is when we went to a manufacturer, we started working with chemists. And then, they made the formula in a way that that it needs to be made for mass production. Then, that’s when we did a clinical trial as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:20] Now, when it’s going through those stages, is this still like kind of your thing that you’re working, I guess, on the side at one point and then it became a full time endeavor?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:06:32] Yeah, it wasn’t full-time for me until 2018. Once we were actually well into Target is when I went full-time. We got into Target in 2017.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:43] So, now, how did that relationship kind of blossom?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:06:47] That came about because the buyer had heard about us through a mutual contact, and she just reached out through email. And she reached out, and we got back, and we met with her a few times, and then she expressed an interest in bringing our brand into the store. And it took a year. We had to go through all the same channels and jump through all the hoops of fire that everybody else does, but it just takes time. But, yeah, it it took a lot of time, a lot of paperwork, a lot of money, raising capital, doing all those things. But it just takes time. There’s just not really no other way around it.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:36] Now, it sounds like throughout the process, you’ve had a lot of kind of positive encouragement from a variety of either dreams, and people, and companies. There had to be some downs too. Like how did you kind of navigate the ups and downs of doing something like this?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:07:56] The ups and downs of doing business, there’s not really much ways around that, is there? It’s just like it’s just life. You can’t get around the ups and downs. That’s impossible. So, you roll with them. You know what you can control, you know what you can’t. And whatever you can’t, you kind of have to dive to, and then put parameters in place that make it a little easy for you, easier the next time around, so that you’re not running into the same situation.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:28] Well, some people go through a challenge like this, and starting a company is definitely a challenge, and they hit roadblocks. And for some of them, they’re like, “Okay, this is too hard,” they’re out. But for whatever reason, you decided to keep kind of going boldly forward and not letting any type of setback kind of get in your way. Like is the dream that strong, the belief in what you got going on so strong that it just gets you through that? Like, what do you attribute that resilience to?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:08:57] I mean, look, I mean, I have employees, I have co-founders, I have family that relies on me. I have responsibilities. And there’s no plan B. So, for me, like if I made a decision, I’m going with my decision. I’m doing what I said I was going to do. But that’s just who I am. I’m black or white. I don’t waver. You understand what I’m saying? Once I make a decision that this is what I want to do, I’m doing it, and I’m committed to it. But I think that that’s in you. That’s not anything that I’ve been taught. That’s just in my blood. Does that make sense?

Lee Kantor: [00:09:54] Yeah. I mean, I think in order to be a leader, you have to have that kind of like burn the boats behind you kind of attitude that we’re going to move boldly forward.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:10:06] And, yeah, we’re here now.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:10] That’s it.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:10:11] That’s how I feel.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:11] Exactly. And there’s a there’s a book called The Obstacle is the Way. And what that means is that everything in front of you isn’t really in front of you. It’s just you’re going to have to get around. It is part of the path to get to where you’re going. It’s not there to disrupt you. It’s there just part of the path. So, don’t complain about it. Just figure out a way around it.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:10:33] Yeah. That’s by Ryan Holladay, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:10:35] Yeah.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:10:36] Yeah. I’m a bit of a stoic. So, yes, I’m with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:41] I was hearing some stoic attitude in there. Now, speaking of stoicism a little bit, that, I don’t know if everybody embraces that. Do you find that that’s a good trait for entrepreneurs?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:10:56] I do find that it’s a good trait for entrepreneurs because the longer a bit of time that your company is around, the more employees you have, the more investors you’ve taken in, the more time that it takes. Just the more of everything, right? You’ve asked for that to be there. So, there has to be a level of responsibility that you’re not going to try to alter the things that you can’t change. You’re going to be here right now because that’s the only place you can be. And the fact that nothing lasts forever because it doesn’t.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:11:35] So, yeah. Like I think that those traits are extremely important for being an entrepreneur because it requires a higher … I hate to say higher because I don’t really believe in levels. I just think that it requires a level or a measure of thought that can really roll with the punches however they come or play the cards however they’re dealt because you just never know what’s going to come. You never know what’s going to show up. You never know what failure is going to happen. You never know if a building is going to get burned. You just don’t know. Nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow or even in the next hour. So, you really just have to be there prepared and ready for whatever the outcome is.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:12:35] And when you’re a business owner, you’re literally pulling something out of thin air. In my case, I took something that came to me in a dream. That one product has morphed into over nearly 50 products, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:12:52] Yeah.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:12:53] I have to pull things out of my mind, which is out of thin air in a way and make them real, and then have people to execute on that. And so, there’s no way that I can’t afford to practice stoic or stoicism as a spirituality in a way or just a way of life, whether you call it that or not. For me, there’s no other choice. And I definitely believe that it does require a level of stoicism to be able to handle your business in a way that doesn’t make you crazy.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:32] Well, I agree. And that’s, I think, the ability to separate what you can control from what you can’t control is a great way to keep someone sane, because if you get all crazy about things you can’t control, then that’s going to seep into a lot of places that you don’t want it to.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:13:51] Yeah, and you’re wasting your time.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:52] Right. So, I look at also entrepreneurship as kind of an art form because entrepreneurs create something from nothing. And I think there’s some magic to it. And I think that it requires a lot of faith and belief in oneself and a future that doesn’t exist yet. So, congratulations on the success that you’ve built in your in your business, and then kind of the legacy you’re leaving behind. Can we talk a little bit about that legacy? Because as a woman of color, what you’re doing, I believe, is inspiring other people, and you’re kind of giving them a roadmap to success. How important is that to you?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:14:38] That’s extremely important, not just for humans of color. Humans of color are definitely within the pathway of why I want to be successful. And the reason why people of color, specifically women of color, why they’re so such a passion place for me is because of the disparities that happen in capital. Part of part of the disparity that’s happening in the world of venture capital is because venture capital is private equity, funds, hedge funds. These capitalists, they’re not necessarily seeing a lot of black women entrepreneurs growing, scaling, exiting their business, right?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:15:27] So, it’s important for me for two reasons. One, because culturally, I want black women to understand that you’re not selling out if you exit your business. If anything, you’re practicing a level of self-preservation because of all the work, and all the effort, and potentially all the equity that you had to sell in order to get to where you’re going to, right? The reason why people exit isn’t because they’re trying to sell out their company.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:16:09] The reason why the exit is because they put so much time and effort into getting to that exit. And unless they do that exit, a lot of times, you make gains, a little bit of wealth. But a lot of times and businesses and companies like mine, unless you exit your company, you’ll you’ll make a six figure salary. When you raise money, you can pull a little something out for yourself. But unless you exit your company, it’s really hard to see the return on all of the investment that is not only your money, but your time, your effort, the faith and belief that you have to have in yourself, the energy that you have to pour into your business. I mean, I literally have to give Honey Pot everything. You understand what I’m saying?

Lee Kantor: [00:17:02] Yeah.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:17:02] And so, the reason why I want to be successful, specifically as it relates to black women, is so that when that next black girl is going to sit down with that investor, and talking to a venture capitalist, and she can put in her investor deck towards the end after she said the money that she wants to raise, she can be able to also say, “I’m modeling my business after Honey pot,” if she’s in the consumer packaged business, consumer packaged goods, if she wants to go on to value retail, if she wants to do all these things, and she wants to show that there is a pathway to exit. There is a pathway to success as me being a black woman on business that’s growing scalely and wants to exit their company. That’s important because when I raise capital, I didn’t have a black woman on business to put in my debt. You understand what I’m saying?

Lee Kantor: [00:17:57] Yeah.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:17:57] And I think that that’s important because no matter what you say, humans believe through their senses. Humans believe by what they can hear and what they can see. And a part of why there’s such a disparity with black women, specifically, in venture capital is because there’s some BS in there. Don’t make me wrong. But another part of it is that you don’t necessarily see us growing, exiting, and selling our businesses at the same rate that you see other people. And so, that’s why it’s so important.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:33] I think it’s critically important. And I think it’s important. I don’t think there’s any shame at all in selling the company because the company isn’t you. I mean, the art comes from you. There’s other paths for you to go down. This isn’t a one-and-done situation. If you can do this, you can do lots of things. So, why limit yourself to one thing? So, I don’t think that that paradigm is even fair to you to even consider because this isn’t you. You might be part of it. You birth it, but it’s not you.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:19:06] It’s not, but people don’t necessarily know that, man. People see their business, and they think, “Oh, that business is my baby, and it’s like my family, and I love it because I put everything into it.” But the reality is your business is not your family. Your business does not care anything about you. It’s the humans in your business that may care, but business doesn’t care. Business is commerce. It’s money. It’s transactions. And there can be social responsibility. There can be those things built into that business. But the point is that I want to communicate to the culture, specifically the black woman culture, is that if you exit your business, and you can walk away from your business with $10, $20, $30, $40, $50, $100 million, guess what you can do?

Lee Kantor: [00:19:58] You can help more people.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:19:59] You can start another business.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:00] Exactly, yeah. Help more people.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:20:02] Exactly. So, what it is, it’s a perspective and it’s conditioning.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:11] And then, sometimesm people have self-limiting beliefs too and that-

Beatrice Dixon: [00:20:15] They do.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:16] And that gets in the way, and people can self sabotage. But I’m with you. There’s a lot of opportunities out there. And there is an opportunity cost. When you’re doing one thing, you’re not doing something else. So-

Beatrice Dixon: [00:20:27] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:27] And it might be time to hand something off to somebody, and let them run with it, and let’s see what they can do with it. And then, while you go build some other thing.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:20:36] Or you can just go free up and just be retired. You travel the world because life is … another principle of stoicism that I have tattooed on my fingers is to learn how to die, so we can live. You understand what I’m saying?

Lee Kantor: [00:20:58] Yeah, you have to know that there is an end for all of us.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:21:02] There is an end. Everything has an end. So, if everything has an end, and I’m absolutely going to die, without question, I have to get busy living my life. And my life is not all about work.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:21] Right.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:21:21] That’s a part of why I must exit my business because I don’t want to work the rest of my damn life. That’s silly.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:32] Right, but it sounds like you want to serve the rest of your life. You want to help others.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:21:37] I do. I do. I Love humanity.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:40] And you can help them in a lot of ways. I mean, there’s lots of ways to help folks.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:21:45] Yeah, yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:46] Well, again, congratulations on all your success. If somebody wants to learn more about the Honey Pot, what’s the website?

Beatrice Dixon: [00:21:53] The website is thehoneypot.co. You can also get to our website from thehoneypot.com because we own both. You can follow us @thehoneypotco on Instagram, and Twitter, and all those things. And if you want to figure out where to buy our products, you can go to our website. You can sign up for our newsletter. For if anything happens, it’s good for you to sign up for that so you can be informed. The other thing is go to our store locator. Put in your zip code, it’ll tell you retailers that were in nearby.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:25] Good stuff. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Beatrice Dixon: [00:22:30] I’m grateful. Thank you for asking me to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:32] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on GWBC Open for Business.

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.

BRX Pro Tip: Business Development Requires Consistency

November 18, 2020 by angishields

Amanda Gianotti with Allogram

November 18, 2020 by angishields

GWBC Radio

Amanda Gianotti with Allogram

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Amanda Gianotti is a recognition specialist. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Loyola University in 1986. She spent a few years selling medical supplies before being recruited into the family awards business. Amanda worked closely with her father, a Harvard MBA, learning every aspect of running the business.

In addition, she participated in industry based training to learn everything from how to build a trophy to the most complicated fabrication methods for custom products. In 2018 Amanda celebrated her 30th year with Allogram. Also in 2018 Amanda completed the Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Small Businesses program.

Amanda currently serves on the board of the Award Associates of America. AAA is an invitation only buyers’ group of the nation’s top awards industry professionals. Allogram joined the AAA in 2006 and Amanda was elected to the board in 2015. Amanda also serves on The Awards and Personalization Association board and on a local non-profit board, The Red Devils. Amanda’s past board positions include Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, Hereford Lacrosse and the West Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce.

Amanda, along with team member Mike David, developed and patented a product called Allolight. Allolight is an LED base used to illuminate acrylic. This product won first place for Best New Technology and third place for Best New Product at the industry’s international trade show in February 2001. Amanda continues to develop new and innovative products for the recognition industry.

Amanda resides in Baltimore, MD and is the mother of 4 daughters. With only the youngest at home, she is on the brink of an empty nest and looking forward to traveling. Her oldest daughter has joined her in the family business. Daughters number 2 and 3 are working as mechanical and civil engineers respectively. The youngest is a sophomore at University of Maryland studying civil engineering.

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn and follow Allogram on 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: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open for Business. And this is going to be a good one. Today, we have with us Amanda Gianotti with Allogram. Welcome, Amanda.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:00:29] Thank you. It’s good to be here.

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

Amanda Gianotti : [00:00:36] Well, we are a recognition specialist. We fabricate all sorts of custom awards to promote engagement, and goodwill, and anything positive.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:52] Now, how did you get into this line of work?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:00:55] I am second generation. It’s a family business. My parents started in 1984.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:01] And then, at some point, you decided, “Hey, this sounds like a good career choice,” and you got involved?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:01:09] Well, not exactly. I graduated with a degree in Biology and sold medical supplies for a while. And my father saw how good I was doing in sales. And so, he recruited me to sell awards. And it took him a couple of years to convince me, but I’m glad I joined the business. It’s been a great run. I’ve been doing it now for 32 years now.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:33] Now, what’s it like being part of a family-owned business as opposed to kind of when you were in the medical sales at the beginning of your career where it, probably, wasn’t a family-owned business?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:01:45] Well, family-owned businesses certainly have their challenges. I think family is harder on family than they are on outsiders, but there’s a lot of benefits that go along with that. Now, when I was in my prior career, I was an outside sales representative. So, my closest supervisor was about 150 miles away from me. So, I still worked pretty independently. So, I don’t know that it’s necessarily a fair comparison, but it has been great. And in 2015 or 2016, my daughter joined the business. So, now, we have a third generation involved.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:20] Wow. That must be pretty rewarding.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:02:24] Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:26] Now, does it impact your company culture being family-run?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:02:33] Well, we try to have a culture of openness. And honesty and integrity are definitely top of mind across the board; although, I had an employee ironically resigned the other day, and she did it with sadness. She needs more money and I can’t pay her more. But she said, “Although I’ll never have the last name, I always felt as I was part of the family.” And I think that’s a good thing.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:02] Now, do you think that having it kind of go through generations that that impacts how you treat the employees? Does it become more of a family? Do you look at it, we’re all in this together more, you think?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:03:14] Oh, I definitely look at it as we’re all in this together. And I mean, I consider every one of my employees my work family. And I try to keep up with what they’re doing in their personal lives and try to be a part of that as much as I can.

Intro: [00:03:28] Now, does that transfer that kind of attitude in that culture? Do you try to transfer that to your clients? Because in in a way that when you’re helping them with recognition and awards, you’re helping them create the culture that they desire.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:03:44] That’s true. But I think with the clients, we take a little more of a professional approach, not quite as personal. Maybe that’s wrong. I’m not really sure. But we try to be at the top of our game at every stage of the order. So much of what we do is custom, and people come to us, and they just don’t know what they want, and they don’t know what’s possible. So, we really educate a whole lot during the sales process. So, we try to present ourselves as friendly, absolutely, and professional, but the industry expert, the one who can help guide them through their choices.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:20] Now, what does an engagement typically look like? Is this the first time they’ve ever done awards? Like how do you get them-.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:04:28] Generally, I mean, a lot of our business is repeat business. So, they’re familiar. But for a new engagement, sometimes, they’re coming from a competitor, and they’ve done things in the past, and they’ll send pictures, “Can you do this? Can you do that?” But many times, it is the first time. And they have an idea of what they think they might want until they find out maybe what it costs or what’s involved. And then, we offer them a solution that fits their budget better or their timeline better, and just offer education along the way. We try to give good, better, best options to hit any of their price points. Most things are driven by budget, unfortunately. So, we are conscious of that. And there’s different manufacturing techniques we can use that will allow us to do things faster, more efficient with a similar look, kind of mocking the high-end look without the price.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:27] Now, like you said, a lot of your work is repeat. Is this situation, especially with a new client that you’ve helped them with this award, and then this becomes just like a regular part of their way that they deal with their staff and their team?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:05:43] Yes, correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:46] And when you take that kind of long-term view, that must breed kind of loyalty and like you have to think in the longer term, it’s not a transaction anymore because they want to have a solution that they can just kind of rinse and repeat, right? So, they don’t have to kind of recreate the wheel every time.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:06:07] Yes. And it’s relationship building, and it’s building trust. And that’s a huge part of it. And earning their business, and earning their trust, and getting them to believe in us, and understand what we’re offering them, and to be able to just trust us and partner with us. Really, our clients are our partners because we’re trying to help them achieve their goals.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:33] Now, when it comes to awards, what is it that a person who hasn’t been giving awards out should know about the importance of recognition?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:06:45] Oh, my. Well, recognition, it’s been proven. The power of recognition is real, and it’s strong, and you can make someone feel so much better about themselves and the job they’re doing, really, by just saying thank you, but by complimenting that thank you with a token. And it does not have to cost much. It can be very inexpensive, but it’s very effective. And every time they see that token, they’re reminded of that memory that they had when they were given it, and the good feelings, and the goodwill, and the positive nature that goes along with that.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:25] Now, when you’re working with a new client, especially about leveraging this power of recognition, is it a conversation where you’re trying to get to the heart of what is the objective like? Is this something that you’re doing as an incentive for a salesperson? Or is this just something to talk about the culture of the company, like you want to incentivize kind of positive behavior? Like how do you kind of wrap your arms around the kind of the why behind the award?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:07:55] You know, it’s all of the above and 50 more factors. And it all depends. It depends on the situation. It depends on the company. It depends on what their goals are, absolutely, and we need to know that. So, everything is variable. And that’s what makes the business a huge challenge, especially for onboarding new people because to learn all the variables is difficult. There’s nothing set in stone and everything has an exception. So, although we say we don’t do X, Y, Z, well, we can do it as long as this, this and this fall in place. So, there’s really no set-in-stone rules. There’s just guidelines.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:08:38] And the most difficult challenge is to figure out exactly what is the customer’s goal, what are they trying to accomplish, and what is their timeline because that definitely limits what they can do. And then, we go to work to try to match a product to elicit those feelings that they want when the recipient receives it. A lot of times, I say we’re masters of the perfect moment. We work with our clients to determine how they want that perfect moment to look. And then, we go to work to create a product that will elicit those feelings.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:16] Now, we’re talking a lot about recognition, but it sounds like a lot of your work is customizable. So, therefore, to me, would open up to things like gifts as well. Does your service go beyond awards to, also, personalized gifts?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:09:30] Absolutely, yes. Personalized gifts are part of our line, for sure. And signage, and name badges as well, identification type products.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:40] So, now, when you get into that side of the business, is that a different, I guess, occasion for the recognition, or award, or gift in this case?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:09:50] Well, gifts are pretty similar in that you’ve got to consider the recipient, and what they might like, and what your goal is, and, of course, what your budget is. Signage and identification is different, and that’s generally more cut and dry. You’ve got a need, a set of specs you have to meet, but recognition is much more fun.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:11] Now, how do you kind of stay top of mind with your customer to let them know you do these varying things? Because I would imagine the occasion for one may not think of you for the other thing.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:10:22] That’s very true. People tend to think of us in silos, and that’s a big challenge to cross over those silos and make that connection that, hey, we do this too. One way we try to bridge those gaps is in our showroom. The showrooms are all equipped with sections of gifts, and signage, and awards. And then, the awards are broken down in different categories. So, hopefully, when they’re in browsing one, they see another.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:52] Now, in the journey that you’ve been on as an entrepreneur and taking over the business, you decided to become a certified women-owned business. Can you talk about why that was done and what impact that has made in your business?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:11:07] Well, there are some advantages to being woman-owned when it comes to government contracting. So, that was probably the main reason I initially looked into it. But the networking and friendships that are made by getting to know other women in business is invaluable. We look out for each other, we do business with each other, we pass leads to each other. And that’s just a great tool to have in your tool belt, but the friendships that have been made over the years are incredible.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:44] Now, I’m looking at your bio here, and it says that you are active in a lot of boards related to your industry. Why was that important to you to kind of lean into the organizations that serve the whole industry and take leadership positions?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:12:03] Well, with 30 years experience in the industry, it’s what I know. So, that’s where I can give back the most. So, I serve on two different industry-specific boards. One of them is for very selfish reasons. It’s a group of the top 70 retailers in the country. And when we get together, there’s so much information exchanged. A lot of what I know I owe to that group. And then, the other group is sort of the association that governs the industry, so to speak. So, to be able to share that information on an association level, and pass on best practices, and improve the industry as a whole benefits all of us.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:45] Now, any advice for young people out there who are maybe getting involved in this industry, and they don’t know how to plug in? Like there’s one thing a lot of people join a bunch of organizations and associations, but they don’t kind of lean in and don’t take leadership positions. They don’t volunteer. They think that just by joining is enough. Do you have any advice for those folks that are new in the industry?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:13:11] I would say to get active in the association and learn from the other members of the association, take advantage of whatever educational opportunities they present. That’s going to be the best way to grow your business and learn. And if we’re not learning, we’re going to die because you’ve got to constantly learn, and change, and adapt. 2020 is a great example of that. Look at what COVID has done to everyone. So, by having a professional association to lean on, you have a source of education, and opinions, and different resources to pull from.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:53] Now, has your work changed in the fact that probably some of your customers are now in this kind of new work-from-home environment, and they may not see their employees as much? Is this may be more of a reason to create recognition opportunities and gift-giving opportunities?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:14:12] Absolutely. I mean, the need for recognition has not gone away; yet, business is dramatically down because of COVID, and work-from-home has really changed the employment climate, and it’s something I really think businesses need to look at strongly. I have four daughters, the youngest of which is a sophomore in college. So, they’re adult grownups, and they’re out there in the workforce. And my one daughter shared a story with me the other day that really resonated. She has been working from home since March. She has not been into her office at all. Her entire office has gone remote in all their locations. And they have multiple locations across the country. And she got married during COVID and a package showed up at her door. And we get packages every day from Amazon, but we know what’s in them because we’ve ordered them on. This package was from her work. She was completely elated at the fact that they took the time to send her a wedding gift.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:15:14] And you can get that same effect for these Zoom meetings, or Microsoft Teams, or whatever you’re using. You could send a package, do not open until Tuesday at 2:00, and have everyone open on-screen together, and take some screenshots, and just build that camaraderie, and help your culture along, and make people feel like they’re still connected because some of them haven’t been in the office rubbing elbows with anyone for months.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:15:44] And just the way she presented that to me, and you could just hear the happiness in her voice that it’s really something, I think, that’s kind of untapped right now by employers. I don’t think they’re doing it much. We’ve done some of it, certainly. We, certainly, are talking it up. But there’s added expense with that. Shipping each gift, even if it’s a $10 gift, and you add another 10 in shipping, you’ve doubled your budget to get it to them. And then, you have to rely on the carriers to get it to them on time, and they’re all struggling with their extra workload. So, there’s challenges abound, but work-from-home has definitely changed the climate.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:26] But that’s why you need kind of an expert to guide you to really maximize the opportunity, because the lay person may not understand all of the variables and had to really get the most bang for your buck.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:16:38] Yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:40] So, now, if somebody wanted to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on your team, what’s the website?

Amanda Gianotti : [00:16:47] The website is allogam.com. It’s A-L-L-O-G-R-A-M dot com.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:55] Good stuff. Well, Amanda, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Amanda Gianotti : [00:16:59] Thank you. It’s a pleasure.

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

About GWBC

Myrna Clayton with SHOWAbility

November 17, 2020 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Myrna Clayton with SHOWAbility

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Myrna Clayton is an international jazz singer who is known as America’s Songbird. She is also a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department, who sings all around the world with the Myrna Clayton Experience.

Ms. Clayton is also Founder/Executive Director of SHOWAbility, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to bring opportunities and accessibility to performing artists, audiences with disabilities and their networks.

Follow SHOWAbility on Facebook and Twitter.