Robert Berris with 352, Brandon Fleming with Harvard Debate Council, David Shands with Sleep is 4 Suckers and The Sleepless Society, and Andy Decker with Robert Half

January 22, 2018 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Robert Berris with 352, Brandon Fleming with Harvard Debate Council, David Shands with Sleep is 4 Suckers and The Sleepless Society, and Andy Decker with Robert Half

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As VP of Design & Innovation at 352, Robert Berris leads the innovation and strategy practice to co-create human-centered solutions, by uncovering problems worth solving.

In addition to building new business strategies, Robert leads the design department and product design practice. He blends his expertise in web development, user experience design, storytelling and product marketing to position 352 as a leading innovation and digital product development agency.

Connect with Robert on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project story was made possible because of the generosity of Ricky Steele with Steele Technology Partners. Learn how you can help tell a story like this one here.

Brandon P. Fleming is the founder and Executive Director of the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project. Fleming is Assistant Coach of Debate at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA and one of the “Master Educators” at the highly-acclaimed Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, GA. The Georgia Center for Nonprofits & Young Nonprofit Professionals Network selected Fleming as a 2016 recipient of the Georgia ’30 Under 30′ award. Fleming was recently inducted into the 2017 class of Outstanding Atlanta and the 2018 class of LEAD Atlanta – Atlanta’s premier young professional’s program for emerging leaders. At Ron Clark Academy he teaches social sciences, trains thousands of educators worldwide, and coached the middle school speech & debate team to consecutive high school championships, including an undefeated record. Fleming went from being a high-risk youth to a college dropout to an influential educator who has used his story to inspire many throughout the world. As freshman undergraduate student at Liberty University, Fleming founded the S.Y. Scholars Program, Inc., a competitive non-profit college preparatory and leadership development institute. Through rigorous training in academics and leadership, the student body, consisting entirely of at-risk teens, increased from a 1.2 to a 3.0 cumulative GPA only 9 weeks after the program’s inception – 90% of them having achieved honor roll for the first time. He instituted a leadership development curriculum that cultivated the students into community organizers, hosting events that galvanized the community in support of education reform in Central Virginia and beyond. Fleming had soon become a community trail blazer, initiating projects that assembled members of the community to raise education awareness. In 2012, Fleming hosted the first annual Harlem Renaissance Festival, which drew over 300 members of the Lynchburg community. This same year, he hosted the Symposium, an education gathering that united political leaders, educators, students, parents, and the community for a forum discussing, “The State of Education in America.” The successful event had soon evolved into The Symposium Tour, in which Fleming and his students traveled to prestigious colleges & universities in an effort to motivate members of the community to undergird the local education system. Institutions involved in this tour included Liberty University, University of Virginia, Duke University, Howard University, Wake Forest University, and many more. In 2013, the News & Advance recognized him as one of Lynchburg’s most significant people. In 2015, Fleming was recruited by famous educator Ron Clark, subject of the TNT film The Ron Clark Story.

Connect with Brandon on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

David Shands is an inspiration to anyone with an idea to create what doesn’t yet exist. From employee to employer David worked in various customer oriented industries, all while building his own apparel business. David coined the phrase “Sleepis4Suckers” starting out with wristbands and a cool story; later evolving into a clothing line, and an established national business coaching program, ‘Sleepless Knights’. With entrepreneurship being his overarching area of expertise, David works to inspire and uplift many with his brands tag line ” If you lose sleep doing what you love, you will eventually live the dream that you only would have dreamt.” Since David quit his job at The Cheesecake Factory in 2012, his successful businesses, compelling story and unique teaching style has taken his speaking platform all across the country. David has the unique ability to teach complicated subjects like entrepreneurship, marketing, leadership and mental toughness in a way that is being grasped and understood by audiences of all ages. David was named one of Urban Shakes Magazine’s favorite Atlanta entrepreneurs and also featured in major mainstream publications; not to mention countless online blogs, podcasts, and radio stations. David has also been traveling alongside his mentor and world renowned motivational speaker, Dr. Eric Thomas. David has been requested to be on Dr. Eric Thomas’ latest cross country tours, “Stay Ready” in 2017 and “School Days with E.T.” for 2018. David’s approach to speaking is a fusion of traditional education and the knowledge of life experiences. David has built a nation wide business coaching program that teaches entrepreneurs all across the country how to turn their ideas into income. Painting pictures with words and using everyday life illustrations, David harbors a gift for speaking and uses that gift to invoke ambition. David is bringing up a new generation of entrepreneurs and continues to have a relatable message for everyone regardless of age.

Connect with David on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Andy Decker is a regional president for recruiting firm Robert Half in Georgia where he oversees operations for the Accountemps, OfficeTeam, Robert Half Finance and Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources divisions. Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm. As regional president, Andy focuses on business development while managing and training the region’s branch teams. Since joining Robert Half in 2006, he has held a variety of roles with increasing responsibility Prior to joining Robert Half, Andy was the executive vice president of a training and development company located in San Francisco, Calif. where he trained thousands of business professionals each year on leadership and team development. In addition, Andy was a part-time lecturer at Indiana University and an instructor with San Jose State University. He is a graduate of James Madison University.

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Pensacola Business Radio: Spotlight Episode, United Way, the 411 on the 211 with Naomi Kjer

January 22, 2018 by angishields

Pensacola Business Radio

Pensacola Business Radio: Spotlight Episode, United Way, the 411 on the 211 with Naomi Kjer

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Naomi Kjer

Marketing Manager

United Way of Escambia County

www.unitedwayescambia.org

FILE YOUR TAXES WITH UNITED WAY’S FREE TAX PROGRAMS

Pensacola, Fla. – January 17, 2018

Keep your money! If you or your household make $66,000 or less, United Way of Escambia County (UWEC) offers free tax preparation services. Maximize your money by filing quickly and securely online, or visit one of our conveniently located VITA sites for one-on-one help with an IRS-certified volunteer.

Online – File taxes anywhere, anytime at www.myfreetaxes.com. If you have questions, call the MyFreeTaxes Helpline at 1-855-698-9435.
In-person – Go to a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site and have an IRS-certified volunteer prepare taxes. Dial 2-1-1 or visit www.unitedwayescambia.org/taxhelp for locations and hours of operation.

VITA sites open on January 30 with the help of partners at Pensacola State College and the Escambia County School District. United Way has also partnered with Impact America – Florida to grow VITA volunteer capacity at tax prep sites by engaging students and college graduates to address community needs. Additional program sponsors are Regions, Wells Fargo, and Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

“United Way’s Tax Preparation programs are vital to our community. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars in preparation fees, these free programs help local citizens keep money in their pockets. In turn, money saved could then be used to create a savings account or emergency funds to put a family on the path to financial stability,” said Katrina Madden, UWEC Financial Stability Program Outreach Manager.

Last year, United Way’s Tax Preparation programs helped 3,683 individuals and families for a total impact of $6,634,123 in our community.

Be sure to have the following documents on-hand when filing your taxes: state or federal photo identification; Social Security cards for all members of the household; all W2s, 1095s, 1098s, 1099s; childcare provider’s information; investment statements and other tax forms; amounts of other income; bank account information for direct deposit; and last year’s tax return if available.

Marketing materials containing information about these two tax assistance programs are available for distribution. To request the free materials and for questions concerning VITA or MyFreeTaxes.com, contact Katrina Madden, UWEC Financial Stability Program Outreach Manager, at vita@unitedwayescambia.org or call 850-912-8245.

By living core values of serving the community with Integrity, Leadership, Inclusiveness, Volunteerism and Excellence (I LIVE), United Way of Escambia County is working to meet a mission of uniting our community and leveraging resources to improve lives.

Pensacola Business Radio-Women in Leadership Series brought to you by Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast Ep. 1-2018

January 22, 2018 by angishields

Pensacola Business Radio

Pensacola Business Radio-Women in Leadership Series brought to you by Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast Ep. 1-2018

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Madrina, Kolleen, Julie

Madrina Dawn Ciano-Community Volunteer

Julie Still-Rolin has been conducting professional development training since 2012. In September 2017, she published her first book, The End Game: A Training Guide for Sexual Harassment, and since then, she has seen the need for enhanced sexual harassment training increasing and made it her focus. Her book is on Amazon, and more information can be found on her website: www.sexualharassmentguru.com.

Kolleen Edwards Chesley has 25 years of experience in the financial services industry and spent the majority of her career as a financial advisor. In that role, Kolleen was responsible for finding her own clients and quickly learned the value of networking, networking, and even more networking. It was in 2004 and during her sales career that she, along with two other professional business women met for lunch with the purpose of helping to motivate each other after Hurricane Ivan had blown through our area and changed not only the physical landscape of the area, but also impacted the business landscape as well. Out of that lunch was born what is now a thriving not-for-profit organization for business women.

Kolleen currently serves full-time as the Founding Director of what was originally called Women’s Business Lunch and is now known as Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast. The organization advocates a culture of confidence building, lifelong learning, collaboration, empowering others and a spirit of charitable giving.

The mission of Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast is to promote, advance and improve women in business and the organization accomplishes these in a number of different ways.

Monthly networking meetings in Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. These are open to all women and are free to attend. We run a structured meeting with open networking, an educational segment, a sponsor presentation, an opportunity to hear about the businesses of all attendees, and a whole lot of fun. We frequently hear from attendees that these meeting are chock full of value and a great way to build new relationships to help support their businesses. The Pensacola meetings include lunch paid for by our sponsors.
Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast Magazine. We have produced 4 editions of this print magazine. Each edition features interviewees of local successful leaders in business who share their honest thoughts on leadership, success, obstacles, and inspiration as it relates to women in business. We also include other articles on leadership, networking, and other skill development. It is geared for anyone in business or looking for business motivation and tips. Our goal is for this to be a quarterly publication, however the magazine is currently on hold as we explore graphic designers. Our latest edition can still be found on our website.
Annual Pursue Your Passion Women’s conference. To help celebrate National Business Women’s Week, we hold a full day conference during the third week of October along with several other events leading up to the conference. We feature a national keynote speaker, several local successful leaders in business, along with Speed Networking, an Experience Hall, structured and unstructured networking exercises and plenty of laughter, relationship building and excitement. Our attendees are not only motivated by the conference but they leave with tangible tips they can take back and implement in their businesses to lead them to success. For 2018, our conference will be held on Wednesday, October 17^th and Thursday, October 18^th, 2018 at Sanders Beach.
Power Up Challenge is a 12 week educational series where we hold classes once a week for two hours. Classes focused around four main areas of business: Networking, Marketing, Business Efficiency, and Sales Skills. Open to men and women and all classmates receive the full audio recording of each class along with class notes, expanded notes, and extra resources. Remote classes also available. Classes are affordable and attendees are elated with the amount and quality of the information that is shared.

Women in Leadership radio podcast show – sponsored by Pensacola Business Radio X. We hold monthly shows featuring local community leaders and other men and women in business. We engage our guests in conversational style in-depth interviews. They share their advice on topics such as mentoring, keys to

Pensacola Business Radio-Special Guest, The Wide Open.

January 22, 2018 by angishields

Pensacola Business Radio

Pensacola Business Radio-Special Guest, The Wide Open.

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The Wide Open are not trying to fit into a mold anyone else has cast. Crisscrossing the country in their 32-foot Winnebago armed with their blues-drenched Americana, the duo has discovered their calling––and fans of honest music are grateful for it.

“I just want you to have all of me when I sing a song, so if it’s real to me then it will be real to you,” says singer-songwriter and award-winning harmonica player Allen Rayfield, who with fellow power vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Season Ammons, forms duo The Wide Open. “I love the authenticity of Robert Johnson and all the old blues, folk, and roots music. I like to sit down with my guitar and write the song that needs to be written at the time,” says Rayfield. For Ammons, creating is deeply personal. “I love melodies and usually will form a melody around a phrase or hook,” she explains. “Then, I’ll pick up an instrument and hash out more music and phrasing to create a story based on some aspect in my life that is or once was true.”

The pair’s sophomore release Long Road Home pulses with the kind of raw immediacy Rayfield praises and craves. A tight collection of original songs driven by Ammons’ and Rayfield’s gritty chemistry, the anti

and Rayfield both traveled unique roads to get to one another. Dallas native Ammons cut her teeth on the Texas opry circuit before moving to Nashville to focus on songwriting. A warm reflection of the country, jazz, and blues vocalists she grew up loving, Ammons’ voice demanded attention. She was a regional finalist on talent-scouting machine Nashville Star and released a solo debut in 2011, a standout that garnered a Texas Music Awards nod, before moving to the Fort Walton Beach area in Florida the following year. Ammons’ second solo record turned heads and clinched nominations throughout Texas and Florida.

cipated record is the follow-up to 2015’s We’ll Get By, which netted the pair an Independent Music Award nod for Best Americana Album and was soon followed by an acclaimed appearance on Destin, Florida’s PBS affiliate.

Confident and often downright virtuosic, Long Road Home clearly benefits from the miles the road-dogging duo logs each year: at least 200 dates in roadhouses and listening rooms across the country. The Wide Open recorded the album on analog tape at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, Texas, producer Dave Percefull’s Blanco-River lining vintage studio. “Dave was great in the studio and knew exactly how to capture the sound we wanted, as well as exactly how to get the performance he wanted,” Ammons says. “It was fun and intense and exciting.”

For fans of The Wide Open, such a triumphant record is cause for celebration but far from a surprise––a beautiful new chapter for two people who can’t help but inspire one another and just about everyone else who knows or merely hears them. After meeting on stage in Florida, the two began collaborating, not expecting anything more than great songs. “Neither one of us was looking for romance, but the love we shared on and off the stage became undeniable,” Rayfield says.

Ammons

Gig after gig, album after album, Ammons became well known and beloved on the Emerald Coast as a solid guitarist, magnetic performer, and gifted writer. Then she met Rayfield.

A St. Louis native, Rayfield was known as a songwriter and gifted harmonica player within the blues community––he’d later go on to win three consecutive Best Harmonica Player trophies at the annual Beachcomber awards not long after moving to Florida in 2013. He relocated with the intention of giving songwriting and performing a wholehearted effort after weathering devastating news: in 2007 at just 30 years old, he was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, an incurable neurological disease that affects his muscles, coordination, and causes spasms. Not even a year later, he was in a wheelchair. “I decided to do something about it,” Rayfield says. He spent two months riding 1,486 miles from St. Louis to the East Coast on a hand-powered recumbent bicycle to raise awareness about the disease. When he arrived in Ocean City, Maryland, the mayor greeted him with a key to the city.

Rayfield has since experienceced a miraculous regression in the disease and regained his ability to walk. He attributes the process to his advocacy, alternative medicine, healthy diet, prayer and meditation, yoga, and staying passionate about life.

Ammons and Rayfield cut fierce figures––and more than music aficionados have noticed. New York Times bestselling author Paige Tyler based two characters in her book Wolf Unleashed: SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team on the couple.

Long Road Home’s title track is a perfect example why. Also the album’s lead single, the song gleefully incorporates sly banjo licks into a winking ode to doing things your own way. “It’s a fun song about taking chances and having fun––and possibly doing the wrong things for the right reasons,” Rayfield says. The pair’s muscly harmonies buoy the mood alongside playful strings.

“Feel Alright” blithely captures brash desire, while “Walton County Jail” is a bluesy masterpiece, fueled by Rayfield’s gravely lead vocals and meaty harmonica. Moody “Raining in Memphis” is a winsome stroll through regret and longing, while “Ol’ Missouri” nods to bluegrass in a sweet singalong. Haunting album standout “Rainy Day Serenade” is a hushed meditation revolving around Ammons’ stunning vocal delivery and perfect punctuations from Rayfield’s harmonica.

“I will obsess over the words and chords until I have a solid song working,” Rayfield says of his composing process. “I will usually finish it even if it takes hours because I struggle walking away from the moment I am having with the song.”

Ultimately, for both members of The Wide Open, the toiling through the years, miles, and heartbreak that had to unfold in order to create Long Road Home has been worth it. “Long Road Home captures an emotional roller coaster of real passion and truth,” Rayfield says. Ammon says “The pain and joy it took to follow our love for each other and our love of music was both transforming and overwhelming.” She pauses, then breathes deeply as she adds, “This album helped us both heal and grow in ways we never imagined.”

Pensacola Business Radio: Spotlight Destin Direct and Gary Redden

January 20, 2018 by angishields

Pensacola Business Radio

Pensacola Business Radio: Spotlight Destin Direct and Gary Redden

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Gary Redden
DestinDirect.com,
CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH DESTIN & 30A BUSINESSES

WHAT WE DO: We help businesses of all sizes & types increase their sales & profits by attracting more new customers at less cost. Take a tour, www.DestinDirect.com.

HOW WE DO IT: We reach a large & diverse audience that includes tourists, local residents, vacation home owners, convention attendees, businesses & people relocating. We do this through search engine optimization, community involvement, publicity, social media and advertising.

IT’S NOT JUST FOR TOURISTS: The site is widely used by local residents & vacation home owners looking for businesses that can provide the products and services they need for themselves, their home, investment property, car, boat, travel and other things.

HOW WELL DOES IT WORK? Our average advertiser has been on the site about 8 years, some for 15. A good way to judge advertising effectiveness is how long it runs.

WHO WE WORK WITH: Just about every type of local business regardless of size or the type of products or services they offer.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE OR LEARN MORE. Contact us: info@DestinDirect.com or 850 217 3880.

WHAT’S NEXT. We’re developing a national network of standardized community directories similar to DestinDirect.com that will operate under the brand name WhatsWhere.com. They’ll be interconnected through a central hub and will include both resort destinations and metro areas.

MY BACKGROUND: Co-founder and managing director of Redden Communications, Inc. which develops and operates online community directories including DestinDirect.com. Over 20 years experience in investment banking & investment management.

Former test pilot on military and corporate jet aircraft, offshore helicopter pilot & corporate chief pilot.

Former military pilot experienced with multi-engine fixed wing aircraft & helicopters. Graduate of 3 military pilot training programs.

Destin Direct is a certified travel site for vacation planning information in Destin, Sandestin, Seaside and Santa Rosa Beach.
We hope you enjoy the local beaches, boating, fishing, shopping and seafood restaurants.

DestinDirect.com, 6 Okeechobee Court, Destin, FL 32541
E-mail: info@destindirect.com Phone: 850 217 3880 Fax: 850 837 3491
Member of the Destin Chamber of Commerce and Walton County Chamber of Commerce.

Dana Spinola and Lisa Dimson with fab’rik

January 16, 2018 by angishields

CEO Exclusive Radio

Dana Spinola and Lisa Dimson with fab’rik

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Dana Spinola founded fab’rik in 2002 as a clothing boutique where everyone can afford to feel beautiful. The brand’s mission is to provide High Style with Heart through the belief that clothing can change lives. fab’rik began franchising in 2006 and today shares its mission with 42 stores across the U.S. In 2009, fab’rik launched its nonprofit arm, free fab’rik, which uses fashion to empower women and girls in need with free, quality clothing. The brand launched its own in-house designed, high-end line, the Asher Collection, in 2017. One hundred percent of Asher proceeds fund Kenyan orphan adoptions through non-profit Project 82. Connect with Dana on LinkedIn, and follow fab’rik on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Lisa Dimson is the Chief Marketing Officer at fab’rik. Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn, and follow fab’rik on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Biz Radio U Featuring Ariam Sium and Joey Ruse with The Axium Group

January 12, 2018 by angishields

Atlanta Business Radio

Biz Radio U Featuring Ariam Sium and Joey Ruse with The Axium Group

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We are millennials. We are here to bridge the gap between our generation and those who came before us by teaching fellow millennials how to engage in their workplaces, and coaching business leaders on how to engage with and lead us. We’re first-person subject matter experts on our generation, and we’re here to help.

Connect with The Axium Group on LinkedIn and Twitter.