angishields, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Amy Errett with Madison Reed

October 13, 2020 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Amy Errett with Madison Reed

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Amy Errett’s multifaceted career has ranged from founding and operating companies, to investing in startups, to volunteer nonprofit leadership. Currently, Amy is Founder and CEO of Madison Reed, an omnichannel beauty brand that is challenging industry titans in the hair color space. She is also a Partner at True Ventures, focusing on investments in consumer and ecommerce startups.

Prior to founding Madison Reed, Amy was a General Partner responsible for the Bay Area office of Maveron, a leading venture capital firm focused on the consumer sector.

In 2019, the San Francisco Business Times named Amy to its “Forever Influential Hall of Fame,” honoring women in business, and its “Most Admired CEOs” list, a highly selective award reserved for a dozen Bay Area CEOs each year. CEW, a prestigious beauty industry association, bestowed upon Amy its inaugural “Female Founders Award,” and Inc. Magazine named Amy to its Female Founders 100 list for the second consecutive year. Also in 2019, Amy’s alma mater, the Wharton School, bestowed upon her the Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Alumni Achievement Award.

In 2018, Amy was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in the Northern California region, which she won in 2006 for the consumer category.

Amy believes in the power of giving back and dedicates herself to supporting humanitarian organizations. Additionally, she serves on the boards of the University of Connecticut Foundation, Common Sense Media, The Bay School of San Francisco, Madison Reed Franchise LLC, and Madison Reed.

Amy earned an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in liberal arts from the University of Connecticut.

Follow Madison Reed on Facebook.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why Atlanta was chosen by Madison Reed to be the first city in the southeast to open Color Bars
About how Madison Reed started out direct to consumer and is now opening Color Bars
What’s unique about Color Bars
What impact COVID-19 has had on Madison Reed and the offerings they provide
The precautions they are taking to keep their stylists and customers safe during COVID
The biggest challenge for Madison Reed during COVID-19
About the Unlimited Roots program
What makes Madison Reed so unique from the competition
Where else we can expect to see Color Bars in the coming months and years

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.

BRX Pro Tip: Create a One Pager About Your Competition

October 13, 2020 by angishields

Franchise Marketing Radio: Lori O’Brien with Daddy O’Brien’s Irish Ice Cream Pub

October 12, 2020 by angishields

Franchise Marketing Radio

Franchise Marketing Radio: Lori O'Brien with Daddy O'Brien's Irish Ice Cream Pub

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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

Daddy O’Brien’s is a unique and hot concept created by high school sweethearts, Lori and Frank O’Brien. It is a full service restaurant and Irish pub that specializes in alcoholic ice creams hand crafted by Frank, aka, DaddyO.

Even before opening their first store, Daddy O’Brien’s has won multiple awards. In 2014 DaddyO and his team created Kentucky Salted Caramel at the National Ice Cream Association’s Iron Scoop Competition and WON.

In 2015 DaddyO walked away from the National Ice Cream Convention with and arm full of awards. In the judged competition, he won a Blue Ribbon for his Strawberries and Cream with a score of 34 out of 35. He was the only competitor to score a perfect 10 on Flavor! He won a Red Ribbon for his Madagascar Vanilla with a score of 31 out of 35.

In the prestigious peer-judged Flavor of the Year competition, DaddyO won 3rd place for his Bailey’s Irish Pistachio and 4th place for his T.A.C.O. (Tamarind, Apricot, Coconut Orgy) Ice Cream.

Daddy O’Brien’s Irish Ice Cream Pub™ was also a semifinalist in the Gwinnett Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Pinnacle Award. They placed in the top 26 out of over 300 applicants.

In the 2016 Flavor of the Year competition, DaddyO won 1st place for his delicious Butter Beer ice cream. Inspired by the Harry Potter series’ drink, Butter Beer is a savory butterscotch flavored ice cream that placed over all 31 new flavors submitted.

In 2018 Frank O’Brien hit the Motherlode when he was awarded the coveted Title “GRANDMASTER ICE CREAM MAKER” along with only 2 others in the country.

Follow Daddy O’Brien’s on Facebook.

Jeff Patterson with Phoenix Parking Solutions

October 12, 2020 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Jeff Patterson with Phoenix Parking Solutions

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As the President of Phoenix Parking Solutions, Jeff Patterson is leading innovation in the parking industry. His company specializes in parking management services including management of modern mixed-use developments and parking garages, valet for restaurants, hotels, retail shopping complexes, private events both commercial and residential, venue parking, digital enforcement and consulting. Considered an expert in the parking industry, Patterson lends his 15 years of industry experience to parking management, logistics and consulting services.

An active member of the National Parking Association (NPA) and one of less than 500 Certified Parking Professionals in the country, Patterson is a pioneer in the advancement of technology in the valet and parking industries. He is a leader in digital parking innovation, offering clients tailored parking solutions that optimize the guest experience. By collaborating with partners in the technology space, he helped develop an online management platform that streamlines operations, drives sustainability initiatives and provides valuable real-time data for clients. This platform allowed Phoenix Parking Solutions to be among the first parking companies to implement touchless, cashless technology.

Patterson is focused on the growth of the company and has made it his mission to not only optimize the guest experience and maximize profitability for his clients but also to create a workplace environment where his employees are both rigorously trained and protected. Before starting Phoenix Parking Solutions, Patterson worked for a variety of premier parking companies in the Atlanta area in every role from valet to lot manager to managing partner, gaining valuable experience along the way. During this time, he learned how to develop training protocols, increase profitability and create an elevated parking experience. Patterson previously worked as a financial advisor for World Financial Group (a subsidiary of Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc.) and JP Turner & Co.

Although Phoenix Parking Solutions is rooted in valet, Patterson’s leadership, expertise and eye toward innovation has allowed him to successfully diversify his company’s service offerings, elevating each standard and creating a new leader in the industry at large. Today, Phoenix Parking Solutions facilitates tens of thousands of vehicles per week at more than 21 premium locations throughout Atlanta. As one of the largest parking providers in downtown and Midtown Atlanta, Patterson services premier restaurant clients such as The Optimist and Miller Union, major events like the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake, and specializes in mixed-used developments including Toll Brothers, Coro Realty Advisors, 8 West, The Brady, Perennial Properties, Cartel Properties and Midtown West.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How Jeff and his team have turned the traditional valet process on its head in light of COVID with a new valet process that uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver a completely contactless valet process featuring hospital-designed safety procedures.
The technology angle that streamlines parking operations through web, has implemented mobile and SMS technology, uses real-time driver monitoring via Samba Safety, and audits properties seven days a week to oversee staff and protocols.
How Phoenix Parking Solutions has grown organically by delivering exceptional customer service, offering honest parking, being transparent about structure and operations, and doing things the right way

About Our Sponsor

Follow OnPay on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

BRX Pro Tip: If You Have Recently Been Laid Off

October 12, 2020 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: If You Have Recently Been Laid Off

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BRX Pro Tip: If You Have Recently Been Laid Off

Stone Payton: [00:00:00] And we are back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Lee Kantor and Stone Payton here with you this afternoon. Lee, I know some folks are really struggling out there from time to time. What advice, if any, can we offer the person who has been recently laid off?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:17] Yeah, if you’ve been recently laid off, I’m sorry, number one. Number two, try to take action every day. That’s a really important part of this process. Everybody has been laid off, but your phone’s not going to ring by itself. It just doesn’t happen. You have to take action every day in order for people to respond to you. And hopefully, you had a plan ahead of time for this eventuality because everybody’s gone through this. So, if you thought you were bulletproof, this is a new world. Nobody’s bulletproof anymore. So, it’s important to take action.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:54] And some of the actions you can take is you have to decide what your next step is going to be. Are you going to consult? Are you going to get another job? Are you going to buy a business? Are you going to buy a franchise? What are you going to do? And once you make that decision, then start telling people and socializing this, you know. Tell your close friends in your network what you’re up to, “This is what I’m up to. This is what I need. I need clients that do this,” or “I’d like to get into this kind of a business.” Ask them for business. Start at your close friends first, and then go out further and further with your contacts in your network.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:30] But it’s important to take action every day, have a plan and then just relentlessly execute it until you’ve achieved success. But start with your closest friends, work out to your personal network, and then eventually get to LinkedIn and just keep going. Don’t give up.

WUTS E2: Kathy Kleiner; Lupus, Cancer & Ted Bundy

October 9, 2020 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

WUTS E2: Kathy Kleiner; Lupus, Cancer & Ted Bundy

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Kathy Kleiner

 ”My father died when I was five and I was adopted when I was seven. At the age of thirteen, I was diagnosed with systemic Lupus erythematous, a serious form of Lupus that attacks the body’s organs, in my case, it was my kidney. My treatment consisted of experimental chemotherapy which made me lose all my hair. I stayed in the hospital for three months after which I was homebound, and homeschooled for my seventh grade.

 In The fall of 1976, I started at FUS and pledged Chi Omega Sorority. I was initiated as a sister in the spring of 1977. In the fall of 1977, I moved into the Chi Omega Sorority House, my parents felt that living in the sorority house would be safer than living in a dorm on campus.

 On January 15th,1978, I was attacked by Ted Bundy. He bludgeoned me with a log he picked up from a pile of firewood, the same log he used to kill two of my sorority sisters. He beat my face so severely that my jaw was shattered and broken and barely attached to the joints, my cheek was ripped open from the corner of my mouth to my ear and exposed the inside of my mouth. I nearly bit my tongue off and I also received severe lacerations to my shoulder. To repair my mouth, metal pins were inserted into my jaw. My chin was so badly shattered, that wire was used to wrap around the bone to keep it together. For the healing process, they wired my jaw shut for nine weeks. They could not stitch my tongue, so it was to heal in time. My cheek was sutured which left me with a terrible scar. Today I have no feeling on the right side of my face. I suffer from severe TMJ, which has caused me to have several surgeries over the years.

The attack affected me both physically and emotionally.

 Written and edited by Kim Adair:

 When Kathy was called to testify against Bundy at his trial in Miami, she felt in control. Afterward, she felt overwhelmingly sick to her stomach.

When answering questions from the prosecution, she could not give a definite answer, as to whether her attacker was Bundy.

The attack was swift, the room very dark, he too was dressed in dark attire.

She remembers feeling tremendous guilt, that her testimony was not a nail in the coffin to help convict Ted Bundy.

She was, however, satisfied, to look straight at him, not turning away from the monster-serial killer.

Bundy was convicted of the killing of Kathy’s sorority sisters, Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman. Aside from an eye witness Nita Jane Neary, who saw Bundy leaving the Florida State University Chi Omega sorority house the night of the murders, hair matching Bundy from his pantyhose mask, and a bite mark left on one of the victims, sealed his fate.

He was also convicted of the killing of twelve-year-old Kimberly Leach, Lake City, Florida.

She would be Bundy’s final victim. 

Ted Bundy was electrocuted at Raiford Prison in Starke, Florida, on January 24th, 1989.

“Feeling uncomfortable to be around unfamiliar men, I worked in a lumberyard for three months until I was no longer afraid.

Later, I worked as a teller in a bank, where I was robbed at gunpoint. After taking the afternoon off, I returned to work the next day.

Because my Lupus required me to be hospitalized so young and the trauma of Bundy’s attack left me with a terrible fear of hospitals. To reach beyond this fear, I got a job in a hospital where I enjoyed working for 18 years. 

In 1989 I married a very good friend from high school, Scott. At age of 34, I have diagnosed with stage two-breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy. It took several surgeries to complete the reconstruction process. Again, I was given chemotherapy and lost my hair. My chemo treatments lasted for over nine months. After years of trying to have a baby, Scott and I were devastated when I had two miscarriages both in my second trimester. In 2005 I lived in New Orleans and lived through Hurricane Katrina. “My experience of being attacked by Ted Bundy has helped me survive and thrive with these adversities and others in my life. I believe there is nothing too difficult to overcome and that no one can stop me from achieving my dreams.
1-504-638-1591
 Email: kleinerkathy@gmail.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook | Twitter |

Host:

Kim Adair
CMO and Founder
Women Under the Sun-AZ, LLC.

Kim moved to Tucson from Colorado to be near the work of some of the top cancer research in the world at Arizona Cancer Center. Aside from owning her own successful small businesses, she has 35 years of advertising and marketing background. Kim was a senior advertising executive for a popular Colorado magazine, creating several popular community leader print campaigns, along with her own cancer print campaigns.

“What made me successful in each of my ventures, was my ability to market my own businesses. I like to have fun. I think in the margins. I am always trying to think how I can turn an experience into something new and creative that will make people think”.

Kim likes to camp and canoe. Her favorite string instrument is the cello and aspires to learn to play someday. She would like to travel the world.

Forty-Niner Golf & CC – Tucson’s Hidden Jewel

TMBS E114: Keeping safe from Covid w/ Dr. Costley

October 9, 2020 by angishields

Tucson Business Radio

TMBS E114: Keeping safe from Covid w/ Dr. Costley

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Dr. Chad Costley is a Board-certified family physician with more than 20 years of clinical practice experience as a primary care practitioner. 

He founded and led Ponce Primary Care, a leading medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia, and has been named  “Atlanta’s Top Doctors” for the past three years by Atlanta Magazine.  

Dr. Costley earned his Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Michigan, where he also completed his medical residency training.

He also holds a Master of Business Administration with distinction, specializing in finance and entrepreneurship from Emory University, where he was a Woodruff Scholar.

John Morehouse with Georgia Centers of Innovation

October 9, 2020 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

John Morehouse with Georgia Centers of Innovation

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John Morehouse is the Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Manufacturing where he is able to draw on his multiple decades of experience in order to meet the many needs of Georgia’s manufacturing industry.

From 2012 to 2016, John served as the Director of Manufacturing Education Programs at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute. While in that role, John presided over the creation of the Technical College System of Georgia – Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute student internship program which initially provided students at LaGrange’s West Georgia Technical College the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on manufacturing experience under the guidance of the State’s most advanced manufacturing higher education program, and has since grown to encompass the entire technical college system in the State of Georgia. From 2012 to 2016, Mr. Morehouse’s efforts in the areas of manufacturing education and workforce development resulted in more than $750K in funding for the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute.

In addition to his years furthering manufacturing higher education in Georgia, John spent nearly a decade in private-sector manufacturing. As a manufacturing engineer for Lutron Electronics and Lutron S.M., Mr. Morehouse led projects that resulted in reductions in manufacturing defects and customer returns, and tens of thousands of dollars in cost savings.

Mr. Morehouse has been published in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals, as well as monthly magazines. He also holds a provisional patent.

Connect with John on LinkedIn and follow Georgia Centers of Innovation on Twitter.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

About the Georgia Centers of Innovation and the Center for Manufacturing
John’s role in creating the Georgia Suppliers list
What the connections and supplies have meant for the State of Georgia
How many Georgia businesses are now on the list and why Georgia businesses who are in need of supplies should use the list
How Georgia is supporting manufacturers and businesses and if the State is looking to recruit more of these businesses for future needs
How the Georgia Centers of Innovation are continuing to serve Georgia aside from the suppliers list

About Our Sponsor

Follow OnPay on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

GWBC Radio: Rose Battle with UMMI Agency

October 9, 2020 by angishields

GWBC Radio

GWBC Radio: Rose Battle with UMMI Agency

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Rose Battle is President and CEO of Ultimate Model Management Inc. (UMMI). Now UMMI AGENCY, located in the heart of Atlanta, GA with offices located in 5 major cities to include Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York with its home office and headquarters located in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia.

Born in Rocky Mount, N.C. she has always had a passion for modeling. When she and her husband moved to Atlanta she decided to try modeling and became very successful landing jobs with Coca-Cola, Macy’s, Saks, Belk, BET and later ventured into film and television.

She built a strong working relationship with The Coca-Cola Company over the years and worked as a print and trade show model with the company’s publication. In observation of her great passion and perseverance it was suggested to her that she become an agent. She enlisted in Coca-Cola’s mentoring program for a year and graduated from FastTrac, a growth venture program for small businesses at Georgia State University.

Now, with over 20 years of experience in the industry, Rose Battle has gained a reputation with clients like Tyler Perry Studios, Stilwell Casting, Pierre Casting, Macy’s, Belk, Porsche, and Turner Broadcasting, to name a few.

Early on Rose applied herself to gain affiliations with agencies serving minorities and women and was granted certifications with both NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council), GMSDC (Georgia Chapter and WBENC) GWBC (Women Business Enterprise National Council) Georgia Chapter, and was honored on a few occasions for her outstanding achievements.

In 2016, as noted in an article in the esteemed Essence Online Magazine, Rose Battle and UMMI Agency was recognized and nominated by the Coca Cola Company as one of the top 83 African American women owned businesses in Georgia successfully doing business with corporations. UMMI Agency was also branded as the sole provider of professional models for all awards ceremonies credited for providing elite models for the LACE AWARDS with GWBC, the Diamond Awards for Entrainment, The Coca-Cola Awards and the Spirit of Alliance Awards with GMSDC.

She currently teaches a modeling boot camp at Cause of Elegance at Phipps Plaza for young girls and women to prepare them for runway modeling while offering industry information and guidance.

She is a wife, mother and grandmother of five and loves spending her private time with family. She loves cooking, hosting gatherings for family and close friends, biking and walking at Stone Mountain Park.

Follow UMMI Agency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

UMMI Agency 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 Rose Battle with Ultimate Model Management. Welcome, Rose.

Rose Battle: [00:00:29] Oh, thank you very much. I’m happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] Well, before we get too far into the things, tell us about UMMI Agency. How are you serving folks?

Rose Battle: [00:00:39] Well, UMMI Agency is a full-service talent and modeling agency. We’ve been around for about 14 years. We do a variety of things including but not limited to training models and preparing them for the modeling industry, but we do commercials and print advertisement. We service the cast and directors here in Atlanta for those commercials and even the film industry as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] Now, when you got into the business, was the film industry kind of thriving as it is now?

Rose Battle: [00:01:15] It wasn’t initially but, of course, for the last several years, Atlanta has been the hot spot for film. So, it took me a few years to get something that they call breakdown services. It’s the process of getting letters from, say, casting directors. And I was fortunate enough to be able to obtain these submissions for film projects. And we’ve done many film projects with people like Tyler Perry and George Pierre with Pierre Casting.

Rose Battle: [00:01:53] One of our little child actresses recently landed a role on Underground Railroad and was shooting for 30 some days. So, it’s just exciting to be able to know that we are the agency that’s allowing the talent to do the things that they love and help them build their career in acting and modeling.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:15] Now, maybe you can share some of the behind the scenes? Like from the talent standpoint, what are some of the things that you’re doing on their behalf that maybe they don’t understand or fully appreciate?

Rose Battle: [00:02:28] Well, number one, because I am a former model and actress myself, I’ve been there and I’ve seen things behind the scenes that I needed to know, and the things that I bring to the table to the talent is to make sure that they know where to go. And I make sure that they get through security clearances. And I’m the behind-the-scenes person to make sure that they get everything they need from the casting director, including their fitting information. If they’re going on a job for a commercial, what they have to be fitted for an outfit, making sure that especially in the times of COVID-19, I had to make sure that they have all the valuable information that they need in terms of staying safe and getting their COVID protocols.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:27] Now, speaking of COVID, how has the business changed during this pandemic? There must have been less things being done, like shooting and things like that. How do you help your-

Rose Battle: [00:03:38] Everything, yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:39] How do you help your folks through that?

Rose Battle: [00:03:42] Well, so far, the film industry is starting to pick back up fortunately. I’m very happy to hear that and know that the talent is starting to get jobs again. But because of COVID, we’re not sending the talent in like they normally would go in and audition in front of the cast and directors. So, to keep them safe, everyone has resulted to Zoom auditions.

Rose Battle: [00:04:11] So, they have their camera equipment set up in their home. Even when we are doing things for real families, those families gather together, they always use someone that is already living together in the same house. Sometimes, they will meet actors and real families together. If there isn’t a father in the home and they need a mother and a father, they may add an actor to play that role. But because of COVID, they are typically just only booking people that are living in the same household, so that they can remain safe.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:49] Now, do you have any advice for the actors out there that are having to do some of these auditions or self tapes on their own without being face-to-face? Is there are some tricks and tips you can share to help somebody get a successful audition?

Rose Battle: [00:05:04] Well, there are lots of successful people that we work with as well that have camera equipment and we always make sure that we know that they are following the safety guidelines. They invested the equipment in their own home. They should rely on a reliable source that can give them something that’s quality because casting directors, they are short of time, and they want to see something with clarity and with good sound. So, they are not going to set their equipment up on their own, they need to make sure that they get with a reliable resource. We do have some resources on our website that I’m sure you’ll probably share later of some people that we use that will be able to assist them in doing those video recordings.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:59] Now, as a woman-owned business, you chose to be part of the Greater Women’s Business Council. Can you speak to why that was important for you to go that route?

Rose Battle: [00:06:12] Well, initially, I joined the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. I needed to be sort of certified with one of the certifying agencies. And a lot of great things came from that association. But Rosemary Jones, which is no longer with us, she told me a few years ago, she said, “You need to join the Greater Women’s Business Council.” And she really integrated the fact that I needed to join that organization.

Rose Battle: [00:06:42] And I’m really very happy that I did, because there’s nothing like the sisterhood. Women-owned businesses typically help other women-owned businesses. And it’s almost like we’re like a family. So, when we get together and we go to networking events, we see the same business owners and we’re wishing them well. Our hearts are always to be there to help each other. And it’s important, especially in these times, that women-owned businesses help the women-owned businesses. And that’s not just in Atlanta but across the country.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:21] Now, can you share maybe some ways that they can help each other that maybe that you have found in your career?

Rose Battle: [00:07:30] Well, sometimes, I have just found that, now, GWBC is actually having Zoom meetings and networking events through Zoom. So, I attended those networking events. My suggestion is that even relying back to some of those business cards of people that we’ve met that we know that our certified members of GWBC that we reach out and see how we can help each other. I reached out to someone recently that she bakes great cakes, pound cakes from a recipe from her grandmother. And we reached out, and we’ve come up with some ways that we can help each other. And right now, it’s all about helping each other. There’s strength in numbers.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:23] Absolutely. And I always say that with the right partners, you can do anything.

Rose Battle: [00:08:29] Absolutely. I believe that wholeheartedly.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:33] Now, part of the benefits of being part of GWBC is the ability to connect to other kind of enterprise level resources. Have you been able to take advantage of that?

Rose Battle: [00:08:46] Yes, I have. I have taken advantage of so many resources through GWBC. Even, I’ve landed a couple of contracts with Walmart within the last several years. I got my first big contract with Walmart in 2016. It helped to sustain me over the years and it worked out very, very well. I’ve done things with L’Oreal, and Delta Airlines, and Coca-Cola. And Coca-Cola, it’s been one of my supporters because I used to model for Coke for many years. And so, having those conditions and being able to continue to connect with those corporate connections is always good and especially in terms of business owners connecting with contracts with the corporate world.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:45] Right. And if you’re not certified, you’re not getting kind of a chance to get those accounts a lot of the time.

Rose Battle: [00:09:50] Absolutely. So, it’s important that you have those certifications. A lot of people don’t want to go do the paperwork, and it’s a small fee, but it’s important. You get what you put into it. It’s important that you go to the network in advance. And this is important that you keep those certifications going because it makes me and it makes the other business owners that are certified stand out from the rest.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:20] Right.

Rose Battle: [00:10:20] Instead of just opening a business and get a business license, I went through the process of getting certifications and making myself stand up and above other agencies that may be doing the same thing that I’m doing.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:36] Right. This isn’t something where you just pay money, and you join, and expect things to happen. You got to get involved. You volunteer, and take leadership positions, and network and put yourself out there, right?

Rose Battle: [00:10:49] Yeah, you do. You do. And those people that are working, and volunteering, and giving their time. Just like with anything, how can you get if your hand is closed? So, you have to put yourself out there, and let people know who you are, and always with a positive attitude because if you’re meeting with people and you’re telling them what a bad time you’re doing the business, then negative bring negative. You’ve got to stay positive. And here’s a good one, you always got to keep that positive energy going to people that you meet as you do those networking events and tell people about your business.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:31] Right. And I would imagine, in your business, that’s really important to keep all your folks that are kind of relying on you to get them work to keep them pumped up and positive.

Rose Battle: [00:11:40] It is. And I think a lot of people, a lot of talent stay with me for that very reason because I tell them to keep it moving. Don’t give up.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:50] Now, can you-

Rose Battle: [00:11:53] And so, that helps keep them motivated. And I always give them opportunities that come to me when somebody needs some photographs, and they don’t have money to pay for their photographs. Like we recently had a connection with a photographer, when to hear photography, photographers at Disney, and we were able to do a wonderful photo shoot. It was absolutely beautiful. It’s on our website too. He and Mike Moreland did some photographs of the talent. And it’s a great thing to have in their portfolio and in their profile. It brings more work to them.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:32] Now, can you share a story maybe of one of your clients that you were able to help them maybe either get started or maybe took their career to another level?

Rose Battle: [00:12:43] Yes, there’s one particular one that she came to me when she was 14 years old. And she she had never done any modeling. Her mom had gone to a lot of the bigger agencies and they all turned her down. And so, she sent me some photographs, and she was standing out in the grass with kind of red curly hair. And I said, “That’s the cutest little girl I’ve seen in a while.” And I lost her in my email. You get so many emails, I lost her.

Rose Battle: [00:13:18] And about two months later, her mother sent me the picture again. I said, “Okay, there she is.” So, I picked up the phone, and I called her. And her mom registered her in about three or four of my modeling bootcamps. And she was so nervous when she got on the runway. Her little knees was just trembling. And I sent her on her first job with Macy’s on the runway. From there, she connected with someone that taught her photo-posing. She get fabulous photographs. My connections with Macy’s, they loved her. She had she had great personality too. She had a mom both were just good people.

Rose Battle: [00:14:03] And from that, she did some things. She worked with me. Because I am certified with both the Georgia Minority Supply Development Council and WBENC, we’re one of the agencies that have supplied the trophy models for all the awards. So, we did the Lace Awards, the [Damon] Awards and the Spirit of Alliance Awards with GMSDC. And so, Erika was the model, I booked her every one of those awards, and she built her self-confidence up so much that she was really starting to excel in their career. By the time she was 17, she landed a contract in Milan for runway and worked for the entire summer.

Rose Battle: [00:14:55] So, that’s my success story. Her mom sent me an e-mail and said, “Rose, if it wasn’t for you,” she said, “Erika wouldn’t be where she is today,” because no one saw it in her until she came to me. And I told her and I gave her instructions on photography sessions, I gave her instructions on the modeling industry, and her comp card, and then the runway instruction. And she went to another agency at 17 that had contracts in Milan. At the time, I didn’t have overseas contract. I do now. So, she went and I wished her well. And that’s how much she was on her way with the contract.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:40] Wow. That must be so rewarding to see all of that payoff for the hard work that was done by everybody in order to have her be the success she is.

Rose Battle: [00:15:50] Yeah, it was because one of my designers, Edouard Johnson, he passed away the first of the year, he allowed her to use some of his fabulous gowns. He had fabulous gowns. So, the ones that we used at the awards to do her photo shoots. And so, it all played it together for her success.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:14] Right? It’s rarely a person is a success all by themselves. It’s usually a whole bunch of people behind the scenes that are helping make that person a success.

Rose Battle: [00:16:23] Yeah. And my daughter and my son both work in the agency. When I started UMMI Agency, I wanted to leave a legacy for my children. And so, my daughter, Naja, and my son, Aldrick. She’s a professional makeup artist and he’s a professional photographer. So, I had them trained both in the industry to work in the business.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:47] What a gift that is for them.

Rose Battle: [00:16:50] Yes, yeah. We have a lot of exciting stories and memories over the years of things that have happened with the business.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:59] Well, what do you need more of? How can we help you? Do you need more talent? Do you need more opportunities to work with film companies or magazines?

Rose Battle: [00:17:10] Well, I need both. I need both. I need better talent. My goal is to become a union franchise agency. That opportunity would open more doors for better talent. I can get talent now but with the film project, George is a right to where it states. So, I do get set projects and I’ve worked it over the years. But to get star-name actors, I need to have that union franchise agency symbol under my portfolio.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:53] So, you’re working on that, huh?

Rose Battle: [00:17:55] I’m working on it now. I’m almost finished. Stays a little slow because of COVID because people are short-staffed, but that’s my latest still.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:07] Well, congratulations on all your success. You’re making a real impact, and people need to know more about what you’re up to.

Rose Battle: [00:18:15] Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate it. I’m excited to do it. I mean, it’s a fun business to be in, but you have to have a passion for it.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:22] Right, absolutely.

Rose Battle: [00:18:23] You really need to have a passion for it.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:25] And if somebody wanted to learn more about UMMI Agency, or submit, or to get a hold of you, what’s the website?

Rose Battle: [00:18:33] It’s wwww.ummiagency.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:35] Well, Rose, thank you again for sharing your story.

Rose Battle: [00:18:43] You’re so welcome. I’m so happy to have been able to share my story with you. And I hope that others that see the success that I have done in working with GWBC that it will bring other women-owned businesses to GWBC for certification.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:03] Yeah, more women-owned businesses should be taking advantage of GWBC. It’s an important association and it helps a lot of folks.

Rose Battle: [00:19:11] It really does. And I’m happy to be a part of it.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:15] 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.