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BRX Pro Tip: Have You Tried a Community Partner Program?

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BRX Pro Tip: Have You Tried a Community Partner Program?
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BRX Pro Tip: Have You Tried a Community Partner Program?

Stone Payton: And we are back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Lee Kantor and Stone Payton here with you. Lee, today’s question, have you tried a community partner program?

Lee Kantor: Yeah, at Business RadioX a lot of our studio partners have implemented a community partner program with great success, and this is another example of our community coming up with something that really helps everybody in the community because everybody in the community can benefit from starting a community partner program. And this is a great way for our studio partners to offer people in their community that might not be ready for their own show or series right now, but they want to stay connected and they want to benefit from the halo effect of being connected to Business RadioX. So they support the mission and they want to, you know, just join the community in some manner.

Lee Kantor: So, some of the deliverables in this program that our studio partners have been implementing could be logos on the wall of a studio, host reads on certain shows, presence on the website or in the newsletters. This gets more people invested in the studio. It gets more ambassadors in the community rooting for you and helping you succeed. It’s a win, win, win all around. You’re not diluting the value of a sponsorship, but you’re just creating more ways for people to get involved and actually spend money with you to show their involvement in tangible terms by creating value for them, by being part of your studio in some manner.

Lee Kantor: So, a community partner program is a great thing to think about no matter what your business is, but especially if you’re a Business RadioX studio partner, a community partner program can really help accelerate your growth and make a big difference in your community.

Stone Payton: So, the answer to this question for me personally is a resounding yes. And our community partner program here in Cherokee County, here in – county here in Georgia is called Main Street Warriors. And when I first started it, I wanted to emulate some of the things that our most successful studio partners were doing. But I also wanted it to have a Stone flavor, so I didn’t call it a community partner program. I called it a small business initiative. But the frame I had around it, which was not untrue, it was, look, we’re doing this for the people for whom our typical fee structure is a little out of reach, and it’s a way to serve the small businesses around town and retail and B2C. All of which was true. And I got a little success with that.

Stone Payton: But then when I decided, you know what, why don’t you quit reinventing the wheel and frame it as a community partner program? And I discovered very quickly that small businesses around town like the idea of being a community partner a lot more than they like the idea of being a small business. They couldn’t afford the regular thing.

Stone Payton: So that was a hard-won lesson, but it made all the difference in the world. So yes, huge fan, huge proponent of a community partner program, and it’s working extremely well in several of our markets, including right here in Cherokee County.

How a Personal Story Became a Business Mission: Michele Cochran’s Six Twenty Six

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Women in Motion
How a Personal Story Became a Business Mission: Michele Cochran's Six Twenty Six
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On this episode of Women in Motion, Lee Kantor interviews Michele Cochran, owner and managing member of Six Twenty Six, a promotional products company. Michele shares her journey in the industry, highlighting the personal challenges that influenced her decision to start her own business, including her husband’s battle with cancer. She emphasizes the importance of values, building relationships, and sustainability in business. Michele also discusses her involvement with WBEC-West, which supports women-owned businesses.

Michele-CochranMichele Cochran, Owner of Six Twenty Six, LLC, focuses on delivering unparalleled client service; fostering transparency and trust; embracing innovation and welcoming ideas. Michele takes pride in her ingenuity and resourcefulness, creating unique engagement programs for a diverse international clientele at competitive prices since 1998. She knows the value of promotional products goes deeper than just the product and has made sustainable manufacturing a critical part of Six Twenty Six’s sourcing strategy.

A graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Communications, Michele earned her Master’s in Advertising Specialties from both professional accredited institutions, PPAI, and ASI in 2020. She is also a graduate of the WBEC-WEST Platinum Supplier Program, May 2022, and a Gold Label Tier 2 Supplier Graduate of the Arizona Department of Transportation Business Development Program, October 2022. Michele believes that continuing education is a key factor in her growth plan.

Michele met her husband, Jim, on June 26, 2001, and married him on June 26, 2004. In June 2005, Michele was acquired as an asset by a large Promotional Products Distributor and Six Twenty Six was born. Jim and Michele have a 16-year-old son who intends to serve in our armed forces offering a legacy succession plan for Six Twenty Six, to maintain our diverse business classification by shifting to a Veteran-Owned rather than Woman-Owned, when Michele is ready to retire. Six-Twenty-Six-logo

Michele has a storied career in chain-supply that ultimately led to business ownership and financial freedom. She believes in finding what you love to do and making that your career; so even when at work, life feels balanced.

Connect with Michele on LinkedIn and follow Six Twenty Six on Facebook.

Music Provided by M PATH MUSIC

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Women In Motion and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on Women In Motion, we have Michele Cochran, she’s the Owner and Managing Member of Six Twenty Six. Welcome.

Michele Cochran: Thank you.

Lee Kantor: I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Six Twenty Six.

Michele Cochran: Do you ever want to recognize an employee or need some pens with your logo but don’t know where to start? Even a seasoned marketer or history procurement manager, they just don’t have time to waste on sourcing quality items from reputable factories. That’s where we come in. We help find the heart of our client’s brands with promotional products that have soul and substance.

Lee Kantor: Is there a story behind the name?

Michele Cochran: There is. I met my husband on June 26th in 2001, and we were married on June 26th in 2004, and then in June of 2005, I was acquired as an asset and opened my small business and called it Six Twenty Six.

Lee Kantor: What does that mean, acquired as an asset?

Michele Cochran: So, I was an employee of a promotional products distributor and they were acquired, so the new distributor purchased that business based on the assets of sale. And so, the deal for these kinds of businesses is based on retention of sales over a period of time. And so, I was one of the salespeople that was acquired.

Michele Cochran: They had a different business management program, and they called us independent sales partners. So, I didn’t really act as a small business until I left in 2017 and became affiliated with a different marketplace service provider who does more of technology and backend resources, financing of jobs, that I don’t have to leverage our business finances for large projects. It allows us to go for large global projects and not have any kind of financial issues with taking those or delivering those.

Lee Kantor: So, at the previous firm you felt you were an employee. But this new firm said, no, you’re actually your own business. Was that kind of the aha moment where you realized, I guess I am my own business and I better find the right partners?

Michele Cochran: Exactly. I actually had the aha moment in 2016. And then, in 2017, asked to convert to my own business group, and they did not want to practice business that way and that’s why I left.

Lee Kantor: So, when you realized since I’m the one who’s getting the sales, and that’s really an important component of being in business, so I’m going to do this my own way with my own partners, everything’s aligned with my values and not somebody else’s, at that point, was that difficult or was that like a logical next step because you were already almost there anyway?

Michele Cochran: Yes, it was a logical next step for me in the way I wanted to grow my business and my distributorship. I felt like I was disadvantaged throughout that whole decade, 13 years. However, life gets in the way and so there’s a story behind why it took so long. It’s never easy to make a change, but it was definitely the right way for me to move forward in 2017.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned it took a while to make that change, was it out of fear? Was it just out of circumstance? Was it something that you had the feel that you were confident enough to pull this off? I’m sure there was a lot of components in it, but what was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back that said, look, I have to do this this way. This is the only way this is going to work for me.

Michele Cochran: So, 2005, I opened my small business, but I wasn’t allowed to sort of practice as a small business. And so, having come from another small business that I had joined to be a part owner, but had different values and morals than the partner that I was supposed to be in business with, so that wasn’t the right place for me but that is how I got into this industry.

Michele Cochran: And so, when I was acquired, we had just gotten married. He had a motorcycle accident. We were trying to have a baby, and I had some health issues that caused miscarriages, and then my disease was found, so it took several years for me to be back to normal. And then, my husband was diagnosed with metastasized melanoma in his carotid gland and his neck lymph tree, so we had to deal with cancer for about three years with the remnants of radiation and surgery and issues.

Michele Cochran: He is thankfully still living, beating every odd, so I say we needed him to help me find my way in business and in life, so thankfully, we still have him with us. But that was a big part of why I stayed where I was, because I just couldn’t deal with having a new baby, cancer, my health issues, and making a big change.

Michele Cochran: Some of it was fear. As I mentioned, being disadvantaged, it’s being told no a lot by who you think is a partner, and that does a lot to your ability to grow both professionally and personally. It’s difficult to feel like you’re that number one producer with a lot of power even though you’re not being treated with the grace that you feel like you deserve.

Michele Cochran: So, it was really sincerely the best move I made was to leave that company and find my way as a small business. Doing so, I found the Small Business Development Center, the SBA, and was able to be accredited as a woman-owned business. Prior to, I didn’t operate as a small business, so I wouldn’t have been able to. So, that was one of my goals when I started to really implement some new tools in 2017, 2018, 2019. And then, when 2020 came along, I was ready for COVID because I had peers of small businesses to lean on when our businesses took a plummet and shift.

Michele Cochran: So, it’s really been a great change for me, and it’s helped me personally to find love again in my career pathing, so much so that my son is headed to college and he keeps saying I want to come into your business, I want to come into your business, so that is exciting for me.

Lee Kantor: What an inspirational story and what a gift you’re giving your child, role modeling this behavior and how to deal with hard times and the resilience. Just kudos to you for all that you’ve accomplished. This is an amazing, inspirational story for everyone to hear, and the lessons that you’re sharing are so important for others because life is hard, and a lot of times you benefit from betting on yourself and believing in yourself and the resources become available when you kind of lean into them.

Michele Cochran: Yeah. And the resources are available. You just have to look for them. When you really focus and direct yourself and put your goals down on paper, it starts to really happen. As a sales person, you look at basic numbers. As a business owner, you look deep into where you’re spending your money and what you’re getting out of it. And it’s really a different mindset.

Michele Cochran: For me, it’s so fulfilling because from start to finish, we keep our clients abreast of the production scheduling, anticipated shipping schedules when they can expect delivery. And then after, we follow up with a thank you and plant a tree to offset our carbon footprint since we do most of our business via shipping. And so, we have a little forest going with almost 300 trees, and it’s really fun because we put a little picture to commemorate the project with the tree. And it’s almost like gamification when you go to the site and can pop on the trees and see what the product was.

Lee Kantor: And then, how did that plant a tree idea come about? Was that something you just thought about and you’re like, “Hey, I think we can do that. That’s a fun way of illustrating the impact we’re making”?

Michele Cochran: Yeah. It had been something that I had been thinking about because of our carbon footprint. I ship carbon neutral with UPS whenever possible, or actually all the time on my account. And so, I wanted to do something else to commemorate my client’s programs as well as to do something for the planet. So, we implemented that during COVID in 2020, and it’s been very successful. From my side in closing the job with that kind of thank you, here’s your tree, we appreciate your business, it’s more than just an email. We actually really care.

Lee Kantor: In my business, we call those relationship building moments, and I think that’s a beautiful example of one where you’re taking something that’s real and important to both you and your client, and you’re showing them that you care by doing this action kind of on their behalf. It’s beautiful.

Michele Cochran: Thank you so much. That is actually exactly what we do, is engage, recognize, and commemorate.

Lee Kantor: And you live those values. Some companies have mission statements that are very far from the truth, but it sounds like you really are living the values that you talk about.

Michele Cochran: Absolutely. And it really is showing through. Thank you for recognizing it and how I raised my son. He had his first experience with his first girlfriend breaking up with him, and when he came home, I said, “Oh. Do you want to talk about it?” He goes, “Yeah. I asked her for some feedback.” And I laughed, a 17 year old asking for feedback, it’s so good. That’s from hearing me and my husband in business and communicating. So, he didn’t get all broken up. He heard what she said and was able to walk away feeling fine because he hadn’t done anything wrong, which was a great way for him to end his first relationship. So, I felt really good about that.

Lee Kantor: That’s a testament to your parenting, when your child is mimicking back your words, you may think they’re not hearing you, but they’re grasping the key concepts. And when they say them back to you, you’re like I know that we’ve said those words exactly in here, so I know where he got it from.

Michele Cochran: Yes. And having changed the way I do business has helped me because I have no real frustrations. My business partner is “How can we help you? How can we help you?” My supply chain is carefully vetted, highly valued, and they are really dependable. We guarantee our product.

Michele Cochran: I just had a 250 piece t-shirt order shipped to an event, and they misprinted the back, so we redid the shirts in one day. Next day, aired them to the reception and the client got to keep both sets of shirts for one price, so she was happy about that. But those are the kinds of things that you don’t have relationships with your supply chain. It can be very expensive when things go awry, but if you’re reasonable and you stand behind your work, it all works out in the end.

Lee Kantor: And that’s why it’s so important to partner with people who have similar values, because you don’t want this to be a transactional relationship where they’re just clicking a box on a website and then things get sent to them blindly and then you hope it works out. If it doesn’t, then they’re not answering the phone. It can easily be a commodity business and it’s important to be working with partners that are really watching your back.

Michele Cochran: Absolutely, yes. And now for manufacturers in the States, they are mandated to report on where all of the manufacturing and ingredients are done for every product that they use, even for promotion, not just what they manufacture.

Michele Cochran: So, we had to do a big project for Karsten Manufacturing, which is Ping Golf, and report back from 23 different factories on the PFAS in the products and either a statement that there were none or testing reports back so they had them on file. So, this is new, and all of our factories that we work with will be starting to show those ingredients and those testing documents right on their website, so you can pull them right with the product when you’re quoting to show the client what you’re actually selling.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned when you started you were getting involved with a variety of organizations, what drew you to WBEC-West, and why did you think it was important to become an accredited WBE?

Michele Cochran: So, as a distributor in your industry, it can oftentimes be an island where you don’t have a lot of resources to grasp on. When I was recruited to come into this industry, the woman who owned a distributor in the Midwest was WBENC accredited and was using her woman-owned business accreditation to draw business from companies like American Honda and other manufacturers in their area. And so, I knew about WBENC, and then when I did my small business information and started to be mentored by a gentleman at the SBDC, we talked about minority accreditation and how it could help.

Michele Cochran: And WBEC-West has offered me a community like really no other. The open arms that you receive from everybody in the executive teams down to your peers, it’s really a beautiful community, everybody wants to help other people. I have a couple of fast friends that I value highly that are competitors to me in our industry, but we are so close because there’s plenty of business for everybody out there. And if we all have respect and do our jobs, we get what we’re supposed to get and what we are grasping for. And you don’t have to be cutthroat about it. You can have these lovely relationships with all different kinds of people. And it’s great, it’s offered me a community in the region that I didn’t have to draw on, and I really value that.

Lee Kantor: Now, what have you gotten out of being a graduate of the WBEC-West Platinum Supplier Program?

Michele Cochran: They actually taught me about a capability statement. I had no idea what it was. They taught me how to develop a 30, 60, 15 second pitch, how to prep for a presentation with corporate partners, where the value is in being accredited, and really how to grow professionally and take those next steps to really be a valued supplier to our corporate partners.

Lee Kantor: So, who is your ideal client? Do you have a persona or a profile of what makes an ideal fit client for you?

Michele Cochran: Ideal fit client is really any industry where they have a large amount of employees and/or need to reach a large amount of people. So, my business industries that I am deepest in is in technology as well as manufacturing. And technology is because I was a preferred supplier for a database company in the early 2000, and they were acquired by SAP. And at first, the business that purchased me wouldn’t sign their master supplier contract because they wanted to make some changes, so SAP said I was out because they had vendors in my space. And I kept in touch with a lot of those clients, and then I was back in about six years later. And then, as those clients moved to other tech companies, they brought me with them. So, I’m very deep in tech that way.

Michele Cochran: Also, The Clorox Company is one of my largest accounts. That was simply by going to an exhibit at a trade show in their territory, hitting it off with one of their buyers and just working that account for the past, like, 16 years. It’s been great. And she’s been with Clorox for 33 years now, so it’s been awesome.

Michele Cochran: And then, I have a few new clients thanks to WBEC-West. My largest local client is Salt River Project, one of our largest utilities and the oldest utilities here in Arizona, so I’m really proud to have that. I was also able to be accredited for Arizona State University, which is a huge opportunity, so going on to my second year and I’m hopeful that this will be a big growth year with that account as well.

Lee Kantor: So, if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team, is there a website? Is there a best way to connect?

Michele Cochran: Sure. It’s www.sixtwentysix – all spelled out in the word – .net. And there’s a contact us page, I’m happy to link in anytime. We have a LinkedIn page, we have a Facebook page as well as a few TikTok videos out there. I have to say, I’m not the best at doing my digital marketing, so that will be a goal for me to have that be more consistent this year. And thankfully, because my son is talking about wanting to come into the business, I’ll start him off with that since he’s Gen Z and it’ll be perfect for him.

Lee Kantor: Well, Michele, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Michele Cochran: Thank you, Lee. It was a pleasure.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor, we’ll see you all next time on Women In Motion.

 

Executive Coach and Author Andree Aiken

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High Velocity Radio
Executive Coach and Author Andree Aiken
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In this episode of High Velocity Radio, Stone Payton talks with Andree Aiken, a transitional coach specializing in leadership coaching for middle managers and C-suite executives. Andree shares her journey from leading a youth group in Jamaica to working with Teen Challenge, and eventually starting her own coaching business. The discussion covers the importance of work-life balance, self-care for leaders, and the evolving challenges faced by leaders, especially post-COVID-19. Andree also introduces her upcoming digital course, “Zero Distraction Leadership,” aimed at helping leaders manage their time effectively.

Andree-AikenAndree Aiken is a passionate coach, author, and advocate for personal growth and well-being. Originally from Jamaica, she now resides in the beautiful state of Georgia. Andree holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Coaching and Mentoring from Regent University. She is a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC).

As the author of Help! I’m in Transition: From Long-term Treatment to Lifelong Recovery, Andree brings a wealth of experience to her coaching practice. With over a decade of coaching people both nationally and internationally, she has worked with a diverse range of clients, providing thoughtful, compassionate support. Her background includes roles as Executive Assistant and Regional Director at Teen Challenge Southeast and Global Teen Challenge, where she developed leadership programs and mentored individuals in recovery.

Andree’s coaching approach is holistic, blending her deep understanding of organizational leadership with a focus on individual well-being. She inspires leaders to refine their craft and achieve work-life balance while emphasizing the importance of personal growth. Her top five strengths (according to Gallup StrengthsFinder) are Input, Strategic, Learner, Responsibility, and Futuristic, which help guide her client-centered coaching methodology.

In her free time, Andree enjoys outdoor activities like whitewater rafting, swimming, and hiking, as well as reading to continue her personal and professional growth.

Connect with Andree on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Stone Payton: Welcome to the High Velocity Radio show, where we celebrate top performers producing better results in less time. Stone Payton here with you this morning. You guys are in for a real treat. Please join me in welcoming to the broadcast with Transitional Coaching Andree Aiken. How are you?

Andree Aiken: I am doing well today, so thank you for having me. I am excited about our time together and just looking forward to talking about coaching and leadership.

Stone Payton: Well, it’s an absolute delight to have you in the studio. And, Andree, if you want to, a little bit of insight to her work ethic, her energy, her enthusiasm. She drove up here this morning to little old Woodstock, Georgia, here in my studio from Columbus, Georgia. We are so glad to have you. I got a thousand questions, Andree. I know we won’t get to them all, but maybe a great place to start would be if you could paint a bit of a picture. Share with me and our listening audience. Mission. Purpose. What are you really out there trying to do for folks?

Andree Aiken: Um, well, I’m mostly focused on leaders because I feel like that is my heart. Um, uh, specifically middle managers or C-suite leaders and just helping them to hone their craft and find work life balance. And, um, I actually I’ve actually been a leader since I was 17 years old. Um, it was a funny story. My, um, my youth pastor at the time left, uh, Jamaica to go for, uh, go to the Cayman Islands on an opportunity that was available for him there. And then I was sort of Sort of like, you know, chucked into the, the road. And, uh, it was fun for me, though. I had so much fun leading or or youth group. Um, so much talent, so much potential. So much purpose. Uh, it was in an inner city community, and I can tell you about, uh, just hundreds of kids who came out of those times with us as leaders who poured into them. And they’re now teachers, doctors. I mean, it’s it’s tremendous. They have their own families. They’re doing very, very, very well. And so leadership has always been my heart. It’s it’s my heartbeat. I, I want to see to to to see leaders serve, serve their communities, serve the people that are around them. Um, for for some, yes, it’s a business and you have to make, um, money. But the most important thing is to care about people, to love people, to care about them. And when you care about people, they will do will do anything for you.

Stone Payton: Amen. All right. Let’s fill in the rest of the backstory. So you’ve got this environment, you’re getting this experience. You’re probably having that behavior modeled for you. You’re emulating that. You’re thoroughly enjoying it. So fill us in between, uh, there. And how in the world you landed here doing this kind of work?

Andree Aiken: So, um, from from, uh, my experience at 17 years old, um, I started working at an airline, um, in leadership there as well. Um, and then I moved here from, uh, Jamaica. You probably heard an accent stone. Uh, yes. I moved there from from Jamaica. It was a transfer with a company that I worked for. A residential company. Um. Teen challenge. Um, and so I moved here in 2008, in the middle of the recession, uh, to to actually work with our training department, raising up emerging leaders. There’s um. Because in Teen Challenge, uh, at least 50% of our graduates from our residential program and, uh, they actually come in, we, we train them to become leaders. So they’re now executive directors and other leaders, uh, in the, in our programs. And we have about 24, um, 24 centers around in six states in the southeast United States. So that’s how I got to, to, um, this area to Georgia, uh, October 1st, 2008, 16 years ago. Um, from from my experience in the training department, I also helped to, uh, or executive, um, um, chairman of the board. We, I also worked with our CEO or president and CEO of both Global Teen Challenge and Teen Challenge Southeast. Um, I was director of a regional office, um, in Columbus, Georgia. And so I’ve had that so many opportunities to work with different leaders, um, to actually, uh, coach other leaders in, in, in the nonprofit industry. And from there, in 2013, I did my, my, um, degree with Regent University. I did a master’s degree in organizational leadership and, uh, focus on coaching and mentoring. And so it was my, my I call her my mentor. Uh, she actually did such a fantastic job training us to to become coaches that, uh, she recommended that I join the International Coaching Federation and start my own business. So I started my business in 2013. I’ve been doing it for for part time for about 11 years. And then, uh, last year, I started to do it full time for the very first time. And it has been an amazing, amazing experience.

Stone Payton: Was that a little bit scary though, jumping off.

Andree Aiken: Full Or even part time. It was a little bit scary jumping off, um, of, you know, you’re leaving. Uh, I had a very good salary. Very good income. You know, um, medical, medical benefits, um, just all of the benefits that come at that level of leadership. Um, but I knew it was time to to actually start doing my business full time. And so I took the leap, and it’s been amazing. It’s a faith walk.

Stone Payton: Yeah. I’ll bet. So what, 11, 12 years in at this point? What are what are you finding the most rewarding? What are you enjoying the most about the work these days?

Andree Aiken: I think what I’m enjoying the most and I’ve always enjoyed this, is just to see people, um, they have a dream, they have a passion. They have maybe an aspiration. It’s just in their head. But when they connect with a coach, We are helping them to bring that to life. We’re helping them to see that what they’re they just have as a thought or a dream can actually be a reality. And so as a coach, I love helping people, just starting with just a business idea and walking them through the process of actually starting the business and seeing them thrive in their businesses. I enjoy seeing C-suite leaders I’m working with. I was working with a company last year. They were going through a bit of a transition. Lots going on. They had been going through the transition for three years. Lots going on. Um, but we we got together. Um, I was consulting with them. We got together, uh, we did a strategic plan. And now to see they have a clear vision, a clear direction of where they want to go. They have a clear Um, outline a template of how they’re going to do their hiring because there was a lot of turnover with the transition. Um, how to do their hiring? Just helping helping leaders succeed. I love to help people to succeed and thrive. That’s what I enjoy most about my my, my, my business. And that’s what I enjoyed most about the nonprofit that I worked for as well.

Stone Payton: So you’re also tied to a nonprofit.

Andree Aiken: Uh, teen challenge was the nonprofit that I worked for? Yes. Oh, neat. Yes. Yes.

Stone Payton: So have you found that over the years, the challenges that leaders face have changed or evolved? Or is it pretty much the same challenges across the board, even from way back then? Or a little bit of both?

Andree Aiken: I think, uh, obviously it has escalated a little bit with Covid, but I think leaders face a lot of change. Uh, in, in, in, in, in the, the, the, um, the era that we’re living in. Change is a must. It’s. It’s automatic. It’s every second that something changes. And so having to to to pivot, having to, um, balance all of the changes, the things that are coming at them on a day to day, but also maintaining, um, what’s working, maintaining the operations and, and being able to maintain the operations, but also to pivot to, to be creative, to do it better, to do it more efficient, um, to do it smarter, to work to work smarter, not harder. Um, they are faced with some of that and all, you know, coming out of Covid as well. Um, you probably know this stone. A lot of leaders resigned their positions, whether it’s for profit or nonprofit leaders. They resigned their positions because it was just too much. Um, leaders face, uh, boundaries. You know, having that boundary between work life balance. Amen. That’s burnout. Yes yes yes. Yeah. That’s that’s I mean, the burnout rate is is is increasing. Um, and that’s because, you know, you, you can’t pour out into an organization or into people what you don’t have inside of you. Yeah. You have to take time and spend time for your own self-care, for your own health, for your own, um, mental health, uh, physical. Physical. Just your wellbeing. Um, there should be a focus on that for you to actually lead. Well.

Stone Payton: Okay, let’s talk about the work a little bit. What is the mechanism or what are the mechanisms for executing the work. Is it one on one interaction. Is it group work. Is it how do you get the work done?

Andree Aiken: Um, so for me as a coach, I do several things. I do individual coaching. So I do have some individual clients as well. Um, I also have group A group coaching. There’s a health and wellness company that I work for. I do some group coaching with them as well. Um, and also consulting training, speaking. I have had training in all of those areas, and usually as a coach will will stick to their passion and the, the, the giftings that they have, their strengths. If you’re thinking of becoming a coach, uh, think about all of your strengths, all of your giftings, the areas that you’ve worked in. And when you think about those areas, you will find that those are the things that you’re passionate about that makes you come alive, that makes you wake up and get out of bed and go do it. Even though it’s it’s six degrees outside and and snowing. Those are the things that that, that pushes you to actually, um, get up and go. And so for me, it’s all the things that I, I, the giftings, my strengths and everything that everything that I. Every area that I worked in for the last 52 years of my life or less.

Stone Payton: So tell me a little bit about your market, your tribe. Have you found that you’ve gravitated to certain types of businesses or certain types of leaders or industry or anything like that?

Andree Aiken: Yes. Um, I’ve gravitated more towards, um, obviously persons who are in the recovery field. Um, and by recovery, I mean, um, mental wellness kind of field. And also I’ve gravitated towards, uh, persons who are business owners. Um, so I’ve helped quite a few business owners, uh, start their businesses, small businesses, obviously, they’re just starting out, uh, small businesses. Um, I can’t say to you it’s It’s female or it’s both genders, male or female. Uh, that’s my niche. I’m a life coach, so I help people with their life. I help people with their leadership. I help people to balance their life and leadership together, because that’s a huge part of a lot of the breakdown in our society today. Taking care of work, yes, but also taking care of your wellness and your wellbeing.

Stone Payton: So I’m from the professional services world currently, and I even grew up kind of in another career. So I resonate with that whole idea. But is that a hard thing to sell? Like, how do you get the new client, the new business?

Andree Aiken: How do I get the new business? Well, you’re going to help me do that, right? Sure. Stone on this program. But I also, um, you know, two of my mentors from a distance are Susan Moore and Amy Porterfield. And what they’ve said, um, through training and one on one coaching is you grow your business through your warm market with coaching. Grow your email list, your email list, and you grow your business through people who you know. It’s people who you know, who know people who you know, referrals. Um, that’s the main way over the last 11, 12 years that I’ve grown my business. And also, um, you know, there is an emphasis on media, um, earned media or paid media. Get your face out there. No, I’m not the kind of girl who likes to be in the the forefront of things, but, um, I know that media helps because if, if, if, if you get your face out there and people see you, I have something to offer that’s of value to someone’s life. You know, years ago I went to a conference in Jamaica, 2000, 2001, and the speaker talked about the graveyard being the richest place on earth, and I wondered about.

Andree Aiken: I was like, why would he say that? And, uh, what he was basically saying is so many people have passed away with their dreams. They had they businesses, bakeries that they wanted to open. They passed away with just ideas that they had for themselves, their, their, their, their goals that they never got a chance to even start. And so I said to myself, then, I would never want to be that kind of a person. And so when I started my business, the same zeal and energy that I do my business, uh, with and the same zeal and energy that I had when I was working for, uh, 40, 49, 50 years, it’s the same energy and zeal I’m going to have Working my own business and earning. And so I haven’t changed anything. I’ve just switched over to doing business full time. Work, work. I work hard for what I want. I don’t expect anyone to give me anything. I work smart and I invest in myself. And I invest in my business.

Stone Payton: Well, say more about that because you touched on that earlier in the conversation. Kind of establishing boundaries, having that work life balance or integration or equilibrium, whatever the right word. Yes. Yeah. What have you learned about that for yourself and what are you bringing to your clients on on that front?

Andree Aiken: For myself it’s it’s know when to stop, know when to as as as you’re doing your business. And I tell my clients this, um, the, the thing that matters most at the end of the day, when all of this is said and done, is your family.

Stone Payton: Yes.

Andree Aiken: What will they say about you at when it’s all said and done? Were you a good dad? Were you a good husband? Were you a good grandpa? It’s your family, right? And so as you. As you’re working and as you’re leading, don’t neglect family. Yeah, I’m big on that.

Speaker4: I can tell.

Andree Aiken: I didn’t grow up with my dad. My my my dad wasn’t there with me when I was growing up. We have a beautiful relationship now. But don’t neglect your family at the expense of your dreams of. Of money that you want to make. Um, the most important seat that you would ever come back to is the chair around the dining table with your family. So know when to stop. Know when? For me, it was knowing that I was reaching to a place of burnout. And I was.

Stone Payton: Oh, you were.

Speaker4: Personally okay?

Andree Aiken: Yes. I was reaching to that place. I wasn’t burnt out, but I was. I knew it was coming because at 17 years old, I was put on stress tablets. 17 years old and working with the airline industry. I was put on stress tablets because of that same reason. So I knew. I knew the pressure points, I knew what what to look out for. And so I knew it was time to slow the pace down a little bit, to spend some time to work at a different pace. The United States is a wonderful, wonderful environment to thrive in. Columbus, Georgia, wonderful environment to thrive in Atlanta, Woodstock, surrounding areas, wonderful environment to thrive in. But you have to know your body. Your body tells you stuff. You have to know yourself. You have to do self-care. So eating properly, exercising, going to the gym, um, making sure that I’m spending time with my family, getting and making sure I’m involved in my community as well because community is a is very big for me to anything that I do is it’s going to involve the community and helping the community while I’m doing it, and also working smarter, not harder. Working smart, not harder. Making it easy, making life easy. We have I, we have so much around us that can help us to make life easy for everybody. And so tapping into those things, um, time management is one of those things that, that, that we have to really, um, focus on. I had to focus on, okay. If I wake up. If I do 14 hours per day and I’m an early riser, you can tell.

Speaker4: Oh, yeah. She is that that much? I can vouch for gang.

Andree Aiken: I’m an early riser. So if I were 14, 14 hours or 12 hours per day, I know I have to cut it off at at at at least 12. I can work ten, 12, but I have to cut it off. And weekends. Uh, my Sunday is my rest day. Um, connect with my faith. Connect with my family. Connect with friends. That’s my rest day. But the weekends. Spend time with your families. Yeah. If you. If you haven’t heard anything else that I’ve said this morning, there has to be balance as a leader. That’s just one aspect of your role. It’s not all of your role.

Speaker4: Yeah.

Stone Payton: So you mentioned, um, ICF you made a conscious choice to To become formally credentialed as a coach. As you look back, was that the right decision?

Speaker4: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Andree Aiken: That was the right decision. And I have to thank Doctor Dann Weiter at um, Regent University for encouraging me to move forward and to step forward in doing that. Absolutely. The International Coaching Federation is an excellent organization to be credentialed. Um, the process there is a process like everything else. But once you are credentialed, you have credibility. Um, people, it’s a global organization. So you not only have credibility in the United States and there is a IKF chapter in Georgia as well, but you have credibility all over the world. Um, right now, one of my clients is from Israel.

Speaker4: Wow.

Andree Aiken: It’s it’s so it’s all over, and I got connected through them. Um, I believe it was through, uh, Upwork that I got connected with them. Mhm. Uh, but they’re, they are a credible organization. The process there’s a, there’s a process that you have to go through to be credentialed with them. But I’ve gotten clients through the International Coaching Federation because I’m one of their mentor coaches. And so I’ve had income coming in from the ICF because people go on, uh, their directory and they find my name. Obviously, my name is probably top of the list because it’s AA.

Speaker4: There you go. I like the old yellow Pages.

Speaker5: It’s it’s AA.

Andree Aiken: But I’ve had income coming through the International Coaching Federation through their mentor coaching, being just being a mentor coach on their platform. And so it’s it’s been I would say yes yes yes yes yes. Get get credentialed uh your credentials through the International Coaching Federation.

Stone Payton: So what’s next for you? What are we going to have? The the Andrey method? Are we coming out with, uh, continuing to work on thought leadership?

Speaker4: And, uh, I do.

Andree Aiken: A bit of, um, uh, training. And so right now I’m working on a digital course and, uh, it’s. Yes, I it’s, it’s, it’s coming for the I’m hoping to launch it in March and it’s, it’s, it’s a course that helps executive leaders think about protecting their time and how their priorities and what’s most important. And the reason why I came up with this course is because in talking to the C-suite leaders that have been, um, uh, coaching, uh, this past year, I’ve realized that, uh, the one thing that both their executive assistants and the they themselves say that they need is, um, how to guard my time from the noise, from everything else that’s happening around me. People that are pulling on me. How do I how do I protect my time? And so, uh, I’ll be doing that digital course. It is called Zero Distraction Leadership How to protect your Time and Prioritize impact. And so I’m working that on that course, that digital course that’s coming. I’m hoping to launch in March. And so I am definitely excited about that. I’m excited about helping more people through our membership platform, uh, through taking this course and just connecting with me one on one for coaching.

Stone Payton: So you clearly will have a thorough answer for this, I suspect, because you’ve touched on it. It’s it’s like been, uh, woven throughout the whole conversation. But I like to ask people, uh, about their passions outside the scope of their work. For example, my listeners know almost all of them know I like to hunt, fish and travel. Right. So when you do take that time for yourself and your family, is there something that you like to nerd out about and particularly enjoy doing?

Speaker5: Yes, I.

Andree Aiken: Am an islander, right? I grew up around the ocean and so I love swimming. I, I will swim for hours. I would be at the beach for, for for a full day in the sun. Um, I love anything that says water, waterfalls, rivers. Um, anything that says water. I’ll be there. Um, I also enjoy reading. And obviously, yeah, I nerd out about reading. I read a lot of leadership books. I also read a lot of self-help books as well. Mhm. Um, and, um, I also enjoy hiking. I like to be in the outdoors. Yeah. Um, I love the outdoors. I love trees. I was when I was driving up this morning, I was looking at the beautiful trees coming into, um, coming out of, uh, Columbus, into Atlanta. Just that it was just so beautiful. The sun was just rising and just coming up through the trees. So I love hiking. Um, that’s those are a few of my passions. And then, uh, if I, if I don’t want to get outside, it’s probably just staying home watching a movie, a nice movie or something like that.

Speaker4: Yeah.

Stone Payton: I’m so glad I asked. So before we wrap, I would love to leave our listeners, if we could, with a couple of of pro tips. Just, uh, something to be chewing on. Maybe it’s a to do a not to do. Maybe it’s something that maybe they should be reading or some insight on how coaching might work for them. Um, whatever you think would be most valuable for them. And look, gang, the number one pro tip is reach out and have a conversation with Andrew, and we’ll make sure that that you have her contact information here in a little bit. But let’s let’s leave them with a little something to noodle on.

Andree Aiken: Yeah. Um, I think I’m going to hit on, you know, the coaching aspects of things. Um, I was talking to Stone earlier on. And coaching is becoming, you know, more, uh, more well known uh, in, in our society today. And, uh, you may be thinking, well, you know, do I really need a coach? I can do this on my own. It’s like we make new New Year’s resolution every year. And by they say, actually, statistics say by the second, the second week in January, these resolutions are out the door, out of sight.

Speaker4: Out of mind. Yeah.

Andree Aiken: That’s why you need a coach. That’s why you need a coach. Because a coach helps you to be accountable, to set those goals, to work on your action steps. They’re there to to help you to think through. Uh, ICF says it’s a thought provoking conversation that brings the awareness so that you can grow in your professional and personal lives. And so a coach will help you to stay on track to accomplish your goals. I can say, um, without a shadow of a doubt that I would not be where I am today if I didn’t have people cheering me on. A coach is your cheerleader. They’re cheering you on. They’re they’re there to to to to celebrate your wins, to encourage you when you’re probably a little bit off track. They’re there to celebrate you. They believe in you. They tell you they’re proud of you. They tell you that you’re going to succeed and you feel like you’re going to succeed. It’s like I was watching the the football game last night. Um, bills and the Buffalo Bills and the Ravens. Right. Watching the game. And I’m seeing everything unfolding, and I’m seeing how the coaches are praising. They they’re like, so excited for, for for when a touchdown is made or or ah or when some, some someone actually, you know, gets, gets the ball back. That’s what a coach does. They celebrate the people on their team. And I would love to partner with you and celebrate you as you pursue your dreams and your goals. Uh, for 2025 and beyond.

Stone Payton: All right. What’s the best way for people to to reach out? Tap into your work. Have a more substantive conversation with you. Website, email, LinkedIn, whatever is appropriate.

Andree Aiken: Uh, website is Andree king.org. So that’s a n d e r e a I k e n dot o r g. And, uh, my email is just my first name before that e n d e r e at Andree dot o r g. And, um, my Instagram is at Andree Akin, very simply at Andree Akin. And I’m looking forward to just hearing more from you guys and seeing how I can best serve you.

Stone Payton: Well, Andrey, it has been an absolute delight having you in the studio this morning. Thank you for your insight, your perspective, your enthusiasm. It’s it’s contagious. And the work you’re doing for people really is having tremendous impact. We sure appreciate you.

Andree Aiken: Thank you for having me. I appreciate you, and I’m looking forward to just working with you more. Thank you.

Stone Payton: My pleasure. All right. Until next time. This is Stone Payton for our guest today, Andrey Aytekin with transitional coaching and everyone here at the Business RadioX family saying we’ll see you in the fast lane.

 

BRX Pro Tip: 2 Questions to Ask Yourself About Brand Positioning

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BRX Pro Tips
BRX Pro Tip: 2 Questions to Ask Yourself About Brand Positioning
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BRX Pro Tip: 2 Questions to Ask Yourself About Brand Positioning

Stone Payton: And we are back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, what are some things we should consider, some questions we ought to be asking ourselves when it comes to this topic of brand positioning?

Lee Kantor: Yeah. I think this is really an important topic for any – especially a solopreneur or somebody or some consultant or coach of some kind. You have to really get clear, number one, on what is your superpower. What is the thing that makes you different and special? What is the deliverable you have that nobody else has? What is that kind of superpower? You have to be clear on that so that you can communicate that to your potential clients.

Lee Kantor: And number two, do you have social proof demonstrating what your secret sauce is? If you have those two things, then you have a really clear brand positioning statement and something that will help you attract the right fit client for you, which is critical. And number two, it just eliminates every other person who isn’t that right fit. You should be focusing all of your energy on the exact right fit client for yourself and then just sending all the other people elsewhere. Because if you can just focus in on your best-fit client, you are going to deliver a better result. You’re going to have a happier client, you’re going to have a less stressful life and you’re going to have a bunch of people that are going to refer you out to other people who have problems that are similar to theirs.

Stone Payton: I’ll tell you, I learned a recent lesson on this brand positioning. We’ve always had the luxury of just having one of the most marvelous tools, platforms, methodology so well baked to help people demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt authority in their marketplace, help them build relationships, and maintain the kind of positioning that they wanted to grow their professional services business. So, I guess I got a little spoiled because that just, it just fits hand in glove in any community when you’re serving that group.

Stone Payton: Then, I created this community partner program, but when I started it, I was creating it as another revenue stream so that I could help smaller business people for whom our fee structure was a little out of reach. And I went to the marketplace just straight with that message. And then it finally dawned on me, what I could really do for these people is make them the heroes that they needed and wanted to be in the local community but did not have the financial horsepower to pull that off yet. The moment that I reframed everything as a community partner program and focused on helping them understand that hero journey that they were going to get a chance to take if they tapped into this thing of ours, man, it made all the difference in the world.

Stone Payton: So, it makes a lot of sense to just reflect and think about who you’re trying to serve. What are they thinking? What are you trying to help them accomplish? And then what is the best language and framing to make that happen?

From Content Creator to Compliance Queen: Sabrina Merritt’s Journey in Digital Media

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From Content Creator to Compliance Queen: Sabrina Merritt's Journey in Digital Media
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In this episode of GWBC Radio’s Open for Business, host Lee Kantor interviews Sabrina Merritt, founder of October Social Media. Sabrina shares her journey from content creator to establishing her own digital communications firm, which specializes in serving regulated industries and government agencies. She discusses the unique challenges these organizations face, particularly around compliance and public engagement. Sabrina highlights the importance of sustainable digital communication practices, training internal teams, and fostering community engagement. The episode underscores the critical role of a robust social media presence and strategic planning in navigating the complexities of regulated environments.

Sabrina-MerrittSabrina Merritt is the CEO and Founder of October Social Media, a digital marketing agency that specializes in social media marketing, content creation, and social media training for brands in regulated industries and government agencies.

Sabrina and her team work with some of the leading public and private sector clients across the U.S. including the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Georgia Public Broadcasting, The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Communications, Emory University, The Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, The International Youth Foundation, Miller Zell, Smith Douglas Homes, The Consulate General of Canada, and others.

Sabrina is also the Co-Founder of Women Interactive Creative Technology Fest designed to help creatives – specifically women and women of color – get into the technology industry and is a former member of the International Academy of Arts and Sciences (producers of The Webbys).

In addition, Sabrina is an accomplished speaker and trainer on social media and entrepreneurship and has been featured on NPR, Black Enterprise.com and spoken at numerous conferences and panels including Government for Social Media Conference, the National Association of Government Communicators, 3CMA, The Social Shake Up and SXSW. October-Social-Media-logo

Sabrina is also a graduate of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program at Babson College and is the former Co- Chair of the Black Agency Committee, at The A Pledge, an organization dedicated to creating inclusive opportunities in the marketing, advertising and communications industries in Atlanta.

When Sabrina is not busy running October Social Media, she is hanging out with her husband, Eric, daughter Erin, family and friends, listening to the latest audiobook on entrepreneurship or travel adventure.

Connect with Sabrina on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: 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: Lee Kantor here, another episode of GWBC’s Open for Business and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have Sabrina Merritt with October Social media. Welcome.

Sabrina Merritt: Thanks so much, Lee. I’m excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about October Social Media. How are you serving folks?

Sabrina Merritt: Absolutely. October Social Media is a digital communications firm that specializes in regulated industries and government agencies. So when we think about digital communications, think about social media, digital advertising, email strategy, content production, public engagement. Everything that has to do with digital, from soup to nuts, is what we offer. And we really strive or shine, I should say. And not only producing stellar outputs for our clients, but also working with our clients to create workflows and processes internally that help make their digital communications strategic, comprehensive and easy to handle. Specifically, when you have those lean communications or marketing teams.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your back story? How did you get involved in this line of work?

Sabrina Merritt: So yeah, a funny story. I actually started out as a content creator, producing music, doing singing across the globe. I released a album in Japan, and doing that work really led me into exploring more about the digital space. From there, I decided, okay, I want to learn more about how corporations and businesses are leveraging Technology. And so I then ran or excuse me, was a part of a social media team at international NGO care, then ran a Ran social for a fortune 500 here in Atlanta. Pulte homes across their four brands. And then in 2016, decided I wanted to hang up my own shingle, as they say, and start October social media. And so we’ve been doing that for the last almost nine years, serving clients across the United States and abroad.

Lee Kantor: Now how having kind of experienced social media in a variety of ways and working for a variety of types of businesses, what makes kind of social media for government agencies and these kind of regulated industries different than maybe just a traditional business that is a not a government or a regulated industry?

Sabrina Merritt: That’s a great question. So, frankly, government agencies and regulated industries really have requirements and parameters around how they can engage with the public. So they have a duty to educate and inform. When we think about governments and regulated brands are looking mostly to again educate and inform consumers about their products and services. But they both have to think about compliance. So it requires that we’re creative and strategic, while also staying up to date on the latest compliance and regulations as it pertains to each industry. And that is an additional layer that a lot of other businesses don’t have to think about when they’re producing content for our clients. If we’re not following compliance, we’re breaking any federal rules and regulations around how they engage with the public. They can be fined and it can be pretty detrimental for the organization. So knowing both compliance and having that ability to be strategic and creative is really where we shine, and how we differentiate ourselves from other agencies who don’t focus on these particular areas.

Lee Kantor: So when an agency is trying to do this themselves, I would imagine since they don’t have the expertise and the skill that you have and the experience that you have, their information might not create the same level of engagement that yours does. Is that kind of a big differentiator for hiring or working with a firm like yours, as opposed to kind of just going at it alone?

Sabrina Merritt: Absolutely. So a few things happen specifically for government communicators. First, most government communicators have a background in communications or journalism, which are very admirable fields. But what’s missing from that component is the digital marketing component. So how do you use digital tools in order to again educate and Educate and inform convey your key messages, while also being able to understand what analytics you should be tracking and how you can communicate to leadership that ROI. Um, the other thing that government communicators often face is just having a lean team. So maybe they are well versed in digital marketing or digital communications, but they are spread very thin because they have multiple tasks outside of just, uh, for example, social media or email that they are responsible for. So where we really shine is that we come in and act as an extension of a team, specifically those lean teams. And yes, you’re absolutely right. Our content is able to increase engagement and get in and get in front of the right people on the right channels, because we have, again, have that understanding of strategy, creativity while and compliance. And that’s really the difference. We’re thinking about what needs to happen from an organizational level, or thinking about what language is inherent to that specific social media channel so that people, your audience on that channel feels like you understand that the the language and the sort of the vibe of the channel. Um, so it doesn’t feel forced and it feels like the content is in the right place. But then again, we’re also aware of that compliance aspect. So we’re not making recommendations. That is going to get your organization in trouble. And we’re not making recommendations that are hard to achieve or sustain practically when you have a lean team. And I think that makes all of the difference, the understanding of those three components, while also understanding that, uh, our point of contact or our client has so many things going on that they really need sustainable, practical solutions that produce results.

Lee Kantor: So when you’re working with an organization, what are kind of like how do you uncover those metrics that matter or the outcomes that they desire, because I’m sure they come in trying to solve problem X, but after talking to you, you kind of uncover other things, or maybe like things you know, that they don’t know. And then all of a sudden the scope changes a little bit and the metrics that matter maybe shift from what they initially thought to what really is achievable.

Sabrina Merritt: Lee, have you been sitting in on my meetings? That’s exactly what’s been happening. Uh, and it happens all the time. How we get there is really quite simple. We always start off by just listening and hearing what the challenges are. And then you’re absolutely right. Because we’ve been doing this for a while, we’re able to also understand what the undercurrents are, what are the core issues that are causing some of the challenges that clients come to us with. So we typically start with, uh, after that, listening, doing a social audit and putting together a social strategy. Once we understand what the goals are and we’re able to look at the data, we can make informed recommendations in our strategy to get to the acquired results or excuse me, the desired results. And then we’re able to also, from that point, understand what key performance indicators we should be tracking. So we always start with what are the organizational goals. What are the communication goals and how do those things intertwine. And then we create. We look at the data. We talk to internal stakeholders and we make recommendations that are again sustainable. But we also use that information to identify how we’re measuring success and tracking that ROI.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you’re working with these organizations, especially the government ones are usually one of their objectives is to I don’t want to say fire you after they hire you, but to kind of kind of transition to, hey, we want to we want you to jump start this. We want you to launch this. We want you to put systems in place, and we want to have some elegant handoff so that we can then have a team member kind of keep this going for a period of time, and maybe check in with you every so often to make sure we’re still on track. Or maybe things have changed and now you can kind of help us be better.

Sabrina Merritt: Absolutely. So a lot of our clients, especially our government clients, do come to us. Exactly. With that in mind, hey, we have an issue. We’d love for you to come in, assess what’s happening, put together a strategy and action plan and help get us up to speed. And then we would love to be able to take it from there. And that’s exactly what we want for our clients. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but, um, from a business standpoint and just from an ethical standpoint, we don’t want to make recommendations where everything has to be tied to us in order for it to be successful. If that is the only way you can be successful through every aspect of your digital communications, then we feel like we haven’t done a great job. So we definitely come in and address acute needs. And then usually we put together an SOP or a very detailed strategy in order for that department to continue the work that we’ve done together. However, we also specialize in social media training. So and we offer 1 to 1 consulting hours as well. So often what happens is that after we’ve done that and we’ve had that sign off, clients continue to engage us to make sure that their internal teams stay shored up on social media. All the technology, emerging technology platform changes as it relates to functionality. Rules and regulations around advertising, etc. and then they keep us on call, if you will, with 1 to 1 consulting hours where they’re sort of doctors hours where we spend time together answering questions, addressing acute needs and supporting them should they have any questions. Post engagement around strategies or workflows and processes, while if and when internal needs change.

Lee Kantor: Now, what are some of the things that maybe organizations aren’t aware that having a robust social media presence and systems in place to execute could help their organizations? Maybe like, what are some of the obvious things and maybe what are some of the not so obvious ways that organizations could be using social media?

Sabrina Merritt: Yeah. So some of the obvious things that having a robust social media just program can do for an organization is one it can make you the brand authority on that particular issue. One of the common challenges for government agencies, but just across the internet and specifically social media, is combating, uh, just misinformation. So making sure that when someone or a community member or citizen. A resident wants to know what’s going on locally or wants to understand what’s happening on a national level. Instead of going to other outlets that aren’t confirmed or may not have the latest information, they understand that your organization, your agency, your state authority is the authority on this information, and they come to you first for what they believe to be credible. Information that improves, enhances their quality of life or just educates them. The thing that might not be so obvious is the role that employees can play in having a robust social media program, especially those programs, um, where, um, only organic, uh, social media is being leveraged, having employees, uh, like your post, share your post, uh, engage with your posts can be one of one of the most, uh, pivotal strategic tactics for any organization because nothing serves best as employee word of mouth, um, and you leveraging employee networks to share and disseminate, uh, key messages.

Lee Kantor: Now, when, uh, one of your clients is, um, maybe about to hire or, uh, find the right talent internally, what are some of the characteristics that make for good digital talent?

Sabrina Merritt: That is an amazing question. I would say some of the characteristics that make for a great digital talent is someone who understands not just digital strategy, but again, really is keyed on who their client is and what’s happening internally in the organization in order to make recommendations that are practical and sustainable and can be executed by the organization. Um, a lot of times you may have a digital agency that has grand ideas as it relates to, uh, social media campaigns, uh, content creation, but they’re not keeping in mind the budget, the talent, the resources and the bandwidth of the organization. So the ideas may be great, but they’re not specific or customizable enough for the client. And as a result, often clients, uh, end the engagement feeling like they’ve been underserved or they’ve been given a bunch of ideas, but they just don’t have the time to execute them. And so it’s really important that when you’re working with, uh, a digital hire, whether you’re bringing them in, uh, internally or you’re hiring a digital vendor that they’re thinking about your digital communications and your social media, uh, holistically and not they’re not just focused on the outputs. They’re also interested in how your organization is being run, what your goals are and what your team’s time, resources, bandwidth, and also, uh, what the skill gaps are in order to really support you in something that you feel good about. And that’s moving the needle for your organization.

Lee Kantor: Now, in this space, it seems like things change so rapidly. And every day you hear of a new technology or app or something out there that I should be paying attention to, or else I’m missing out. Um, how do you help your clients manage some of the just, you know, separating kind of the stuff that’s maybe a fad, then something that’s really a trend, like, say, I like, how do you help them? Um, you know, kind of leverage that if possible, at the level they are or, um, or engage with your team to help them leverage it so they get the most out of it.

Sabrina Merritt: That’s a great question. So we do that in a few ways. Uh, all of our clients receive our monthly newsletter where we talk about social media, the changes to the industry, and we also often share tips and tricks that their teams can leverage. So that’s one way that we do it. Another thing that we do is that internally, our team goes through a monthly training to not only stay up on compliance updates, but also just talk about emerging technologies. Again, the changes in functionality, but also the industry changes. So right now in social media, there’s a lot going on. Um, currently TikTok is still on the table to be banned. So there’s a thought about that. Um, there’s also changes in ownership as it relates to, uh, different platforms. And so we like to stay educated and informed as well, so that when we’re meeting with our clients on a weekly or bi weekly or monthly basis, or when we’re making our recommendations or recommendations and having project meetings, we can inform them about these changes as well, and how it impacts their strategy and what they should be thinking about. The final way that we do this is that again, we offer social media training. So we also recommend to our clients on our ongoing basis that they participate in one of our trainings, either directly or for one of our teams. And if they’re not, if they have decided not to buy, um, a social media training workshop, uh, throughout the year on a quarterly basis, we offer a free social media training for our clients, uh, just to make sure that they’re informed. We have a strong belief in continuing education, and we believe that an informed client is a better client to work with because they’re more educated about the space. They ask better questions and they become better collaborators when we’re working from the same base of knowledge.

Lee Kantor: Now, why was it important for you to have your firm certified and become part of the GW BC community?

Sabrina Merritt: Well, I have to say that when I first started my business, I was looking for information everywhere. So I really wanted to first join a community of like minded individuals, um, specifically other women who were looking to take their business to the next level. Um, and I have found that this community has really been a bevy of knowledge. I have met not only other friends and business owners that I can commiserate with, but also mentors who are further ahead in, in, uh, their business who have already done some of the things that we’re aspiring to do. Um, and I have a resource where I can go to people firsthand and say, hey, this situation is happening, or, um, this new opportunity is coming up. What should I do? What did you do? What things should I keep in mind? The other thing, uh, reason I wanted to be certified is because I, like I just said I wanted to take my business to the next level. And when you are certified, uh, specifically, uh, when you’re working with corporations Relations and or government agencies. That really solidifies for those potential clients looking at you that you are serious, um, that you understand the value of community and certification and you understand how to use it as a business tool in order to get you in some of the spaces. You wouldn’t be, uh, ordinarily. The last thing I’ll say is, the other reason I joined is because I heard about, uh, the great matchmaking, uh, opportunities that happen throughout the year. Um, I have taken advantage of those. And through some of those opportunities that happen throughout the year, uh, have been able to connect and serve with, uh, as a subcontractor for larger organizations. So I am a fan. I will continue to recertify every year, um, because it really has worked for my business. And having that community, um, has just been really invaluable.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Sabrina Merritt: Well, I’m gonna say what all I hope all of the businesses have been saying is that we want more clients. We want to be more connected with people, uh, that can use our services. So if you are a prime contractor with a government agency and you’re looking for a subcontractor who has our capabilities, we’d love to talk with you. If you are in need of a social media overhaul and you are a mid-market, uh, regulated industry, uh, business corporation enterprise, we’d love to talk with you. Uh, if you if your organization is in need of social media training and you just want to shore up your internal staff or, uh, small businesses or, uh, your employee advocacy programs, we’d love to partner with you and help you meet your organizational goals.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on the team, can you share the points of contact, like what’s the best way to connect and website or socials?

Sabrina Merritt: Absolutely. So first and foremost you can learn more about us at October Social Media Comm. You can also follow us on Instagram at October social media. If you would like to reach out to us directly because you heard some amazing things in our chat today, please feel free to contact me directly at Sabrina Sabrina at October social media.com.

Lee Kantor: Well, Sabrina, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Sabrina Merritt: Thanks so much, Lee, for having me. This has been a blast.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on GW BBQ. Open for business.

 

BRX Pro Tip: The Value of Being the Voice of Business

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BRXmic99
BRX Pro Tips
BRX Pro Tip: The Value of Being the Voice of Business
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BRX-Banner

BRX Pro Tip: The Value of Being the Voice of Business

Stone Payton: And we are back with BRX Pro Tips. Lee Kantor and Stone Payton here with you. Lee, let’s talk a little bit about the actual value of being the voice of business.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, I think this is one of those sneaky differentiators that we offer to our clients that separates us from pretty much everybody else that’s in this business. The value of being known as the voice of business for your clients is so important, because when your clients have a show with us that serves the ecosystem that serves them, this differentiates them from everybody else, all their competitors. They are no longer just a vendor. They become the media for their niche. They get access to things that other people in their industry don’t get access to. They get status. They get a credential. They get all the benefits that being the media provides.

Lee Kantor: And it’s important for you to remind your clients to lean into this new positioning. And it’s hard for some of them. They have a difficult time separating their show from them. But the more they can lean into their show, then the better off their business is going to be because being the voice of business through their firm sponsorship of that show is going to be one of the most valuable things that we are providing to them, and it’s something that can’t be taken for granted.

Lee Kantor: And believe me, if they choose not to do the show again, they’re going to start missing it pretty much immediately because they’re no longer going to be invited to get this kind of access to conferences and events. They’re no longer going to get quick phone calls returned from their prospective clients. So, it’s important for them to understand the value, and it’s important to understand if they don’t have this, then they’re not going to get some of the goodies that come from being the media.

Exploring the Business RadioX® Journey with Lee Kantor

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Houston Business Radio
Exploring the Business RadioX® Journey with Lee Kantor
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This episode of Houston Business Radio highlights Lee Kantor’s journey from an advertising and journalism background to founding Business RadioX®, a network dedicated to empowering purpose-driven entrepreneurs and fostering local business communities.

Business RadioX

Lee-Kantor-Business-RadioXLee Kantor is the founder of the Business RadioX® network, helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs serve their local business communities for over 18 years.

Dubbed “NPR for Business,” the network has produced thousands of podcast episodes featuring top leaders in entrepreneurship, business, and marketing. As the host of Atlanta Business Radio since 2007, Lee leads the longest-running local business podcast, spotlighting influential voices in the Atlanta community.

Lee specializes in guiding business professionals, especially introverts, to launch impactful second-act careers or grow their businesses. With a step-by-step approach, he helps them attract ideal prospects, serve their local business ecosystems, and generate new revenue streams.

A graduate of the University of Florida, Lee is also an alum of Seth Godin’s altMBA program.

Key Themes:

Origins of Business RadioX®:
Lee’s early podcasting experiments, starting with Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy, inspired the creation of a platform centered on storytelling, connection, and service.

The Power of Podcasting:
Lee emphasizes podcasts as tools for building relationships and serving communities rather than promoting oneself.

Introversion as a Strength:
As an introvert, Lee developed unique, behind-the-scenes strategies to grow his business, focusing on relationship-building moments.

Impact Through Community:
Stories, like Amy Otto’s transformation into a community leader, showcase the value of Business Radio X in elevating voices and fostering trust.

Adaptability in Studio Operations:
During the pandemic, the network expanded to virtual studios while retaining a preference for in-person setups for deeper connections.

Vision for the Future:
Lee aims to establish 1,000 studios across the U.S., enabling more communities to benefit from storytelling and collaboration.

Influences and Inspirations:
Lee cites works by Seth Godin, Rory Sutherland, Bob Moesta, and Will Guidara as shaping his approach to business and hospitality.

Takeaway:
Business RadioX® is a platform built on serving others, cultivating relationships, and creating lasting impact for local businesses.

Connect with Lee:

Website: BusinessRadioX.com
Email: lee@businessradiox.com
LinkedIn: Lee Kantor

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Houston, Texas. It’s time for Houston Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Trisha Stetzel: Trisha Stetzel here, bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio. I have the distinct honor and privilege of hosting Lee Kantor, founder of Business RadioX® on the show today. Lee, welcome to the show.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am so excited to be here.

Trisha Stetzel: Oh my gosh. Long time coming. Right. I think I learned something new about you every time you connect. I’m so excited to have you on the show and really talk about, you know, the beginnings and how we got here and what you’re doing to continue to grow this amazing space, uh, that you’re in and that I’ve been, um, blessed with being a part of over the last several months. So can you take us back to the beginning? Like, what inspired you to really create Business RadioX and give a little bit of your background and how you got here?

Lee Kantor: Sure. Um, my background is I have a degree in advertising and it’s from University of Florida. And what makes the University of Florida advertising program interesting and different, maybe from other advertising programs, is that it’s based in the school of journalism. So my background has been kind of journalistic slash advertising and the kind of the melding of those two practices. So that’s really influenced how Business Radio X kind of does business and how it was born from those kind of two. They seem separate, but there is a big overlap. And in today’s social media world, the area is getting grayer and grayer when it comes to PR, advertising and journalism. So that’s really kind of the origin story begins there. But from a business side, um, the first time I did any type of this work, like podcasting, internet radio, that type of thing that started when I had a fitness center. It was called Neighborhood Fitness, and I was doing this with a friend of mine that was a fitness expert. He has a degree in exercise physiology. He’s a chiropractor, he’s trained professional athletes, and my background was advertising marketing, and he was the day to day running of the kind of boutique personal training studio. And I was the marketer behind it.

Lee Kantor: And, um, early on, we figured we had an opportunity to do an internet radio show that we called Doctor Fitness and the Fat Guy. And this was at the very beginning of that type of technology, and we started podcasting it. And the guy who was running that studio was not happy that we were podcasting. It was brand new. He had never heard of podcasting. He’s like, why are you doing this? And he was running his business kind of like a small, uh, radio station. And we saw podcasting as a way to take our content and then share it with the world, because anybody could download a podcast anywhere in the world. So we were taking every every episode. We would burn a CD of the show, I would bring it home, and I would edit out the commercials that he had placed in there, and we would then, um, put it on. Um, at the time, Apple was the only place to put podcasts, so that’s where we would put it. So and then we had a show that we were podcasting. So we were very early at the very, very beginning stages of podcasting with this show, Doctor Fitness and the fat Guy.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow, I love that. What a fantastic story. Like your background is so, um, diverse yet focused, uh, when it comes to having, you know, your superpower really being in this marketing advertising space. Um, something that I happen to know about you is, uh, you’re a bit introverted, so it’s interesting to me, Lee, that you decided to move in this in this direction. So can you talk a little bit about your behavior style? Because I know that’s something that you’re interested in and how that really led you to Business RadioX.

Lee Kantor: So what happened was so I always not always, but a lot of times I’m, I work with extroverts and I’m the introvert and they are usually kind of the face and the, you know, the public facing part of the business. And I’m the person kind of behind the scenes and I’m totally okay with that. That’s like, that’s why the business isn’t called, you know, Lee Kantor radio, it’s Business RadioX. It’s like, I’m okay with not, um, people not knowing how involved or what I do. That’s I’m not doing this for an ego reason. And because of that, um, I think I have a unique angle on why podcasting works for us and Business RadioX then it doesn’t work for the vast majority of people who try podcasting on their own, because I think they’re coming from a more look at me standpoint and not how can I best serve the people that are important to me, which I gravitate more towards that. Um, so what happened was early on with, uh, Doctor Fitness, we were doing this and, and my business partner, Doctor Fitness, named Adam Shafran. He became known as Doctor Fitness. He got offered a job in Alabama and running chiropractic centers. And now he has a successful chain of chiropractic centers in Alabama. And that was birthed because of being Doctor Fitness.

Lee Kantor: He got on TV as Doctor Fitness. He really leveraged Doctor Fitness as a way to differentiate himself. And obviously, you know, there’s lots of chiropractors out there, but there’s only there was only one Doctor Fitness. So that really helped him in positioning and growing his business as the fat guy in the equation. It didn’t help me as much. At one point I was if you googled fat Guy, it was I would show up with, um, Peter from family Guy. Those were the two top, uh, results on their fat guy for a period of time. Um, so what I learned from doing Doctor Fitness, the epiphany happened, uh, when we were looking for guests. And I sent an email out to, uh, brother and sister team in Washington. I had read about them in on the Washington Post, and they had a Trivial Pursuit game that was about fast food. And I’m like, oh, that’d be a good guest on our show, because our show is kind of silly, but we talk about fitness and business things. So I sent him a note and it said, would you like to be a guest on our show Doctor Fitness? And in less than an hour, uh, the guy said, sure. What do I have to do? And for me, having a background in advertising, I know sending a blind email to a stranger and them replying that quickly is unusual.

Lee Kantor: And that is usually what we’re trying to accomplish when we’re doing any type of copywriting is to get a response in a positive manner very quickly. And I’m like, wow, that worked pretty quickly. So then I told my business partner and he’s like, you got this person in an hour. And then all of a sudden it became a competition between us of who can we get and which level of, uh, of, uh, celebrity could we get on the show? And it was happening at rapid speed. So we were getting on people. They were coming on the today show to talk about their DVD or their book, and then they were coming on our show. We were just part of the wellness and fitness, uh, kind of book tours or DVD tours at the time. Uh, early on, and because of that, we became a super highly rated podcast. And, uh, we were our guests were as good as anybody’s guest when it came to wellness and fitness. We had the who’s who. We had Jack LaLanne, if anybody remembers him. Uh, he was kind of an old school, uh, fitness expert. He came on, he sung to us his signature song. We had all the people from Biggest Loser, which was a popular TV show at the time.

Lee Kantor: We had every single one of their fitness trainers on our show. We had, um, celebrity authors and we had people that are famous today. Uh, Michael Pollan, uh, was on our show. Uh, we had, um, Denise Austin, who’s still kind of relevant even today. Um, so we had the who’s who of fitness during that window of time on our show. And, uh, it was a great experience, and it was because of this blind email that was. Would you like to be a guest on our show? And that’s really that was the epiphany for me in a local business standpoint is why do I have to? Um, why can’t I use the show to help a local person stand out locally and be kind of the micro celebrity for their niche? Um, would it work in that manner? And that’s where Business RadioX was born. That’s where the first show was called Atlanta Business Radio. That’s where that show was on, uh, born. And that show is still running today, and it’s and it’s probably the longest continuously running local business show on the planet because we were so early on in this media. I can’t believe there’s many others that are still doing it, and have been doing it continuously for probably close to 20 years now.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow. That is amazing. You’re such a fantastic background. So, Lee, this what I find about this platform is it really is about giving back to the community. And you have even shared some things with me about why you continue to keep this in place. So what I heard you say is that we can use this as a tool, some of us in particular industries, as a way to source leads or prospects and have a good conversation with them. And that’s one of the ways that I’m using it. But I’d really like to expand more on the idea of putting this in place to serve the community and really help others. It’s not about you. Not about Business RadioX, as you said, it’s about the community. So you’re actually bringing people together in person and have been doing that for a very long time. Describe a studio setting for me.

Lee Kantor: Sure. So our studio settings, um, they started out in a coworking space, and it was an office in a coworking space, and that was the first time we did this. And that’s how Doctor Fitness started. We we, uh, once we left that, uh, internet radio station, we moved to our own space. And so while I was doing Doctor Fitness and I’m like, I just do Doctor Fitness once a week. I have all this equipment, I have all this stuff. Is there stuff I could be using with this during the week? So I’m like, well, why don’t I start a local show, Atlanta Business Radio, and um, and just start bringing people into the space and interviewing them, uh, in that manner. And that’s how that was kind of born. So I had all the equipment, I had all I was already paying rent. So why not use, you know, just use it more often. Doing a similar activity. So that’s how Atlanta Business Radio was born. And that’s really how Business RadioX was born. So I was doing that. And then at a different executive suite company came up to us and said, I really love what you’re doing. Can you move over to our place? Because I see the value in this, and that’s where it started, kind of, um, really sinking in that, hey, this is really good for those people, too. I don’t have to pay rent necessarily, because this executive suite companies like move here and then basically gave us a free space because they saw the value on us bringing all these business people.

Lee Kantor: They were getting traffic of the right people into their space to look at it. And so that’s how that kind of came about. So all of a sudden now we were helping we were partnering with an executive suite company, and they were seeing the value they would when they would tour the location. They’d come by our studios like, oh, we have this here, this, um, internet radio stations right here in our space. And if you, you know, come on. If you sign with us, we can help you get on that show. And we saw kind of the business case and the value we were providing to that entity, and then it just grew from there. And then, um, I was going to they called it the organization was called Power Core here, but it was an offshoot of BNI. And um, it was those kind of, um, you know, them, the networking, the, uh, where you’re it’s peer to peer. You go around the room, everybody stands up and does like kind of a minute speech and they talk about, uh, their business and then they share leads amongst each other. And that’s what I was doing is just trying to get, um, you know, trying to sell shows on this new studio that I had here in Atlanta.

Speaker4: Wow.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. So I want to connect the dots because earlier you said you’re an introvert. You really built this so that you could be on the other side, right? And not out Advertising face to face and asking people for something. So tell me more about this idea of this cold email or outreach that you sent out.

Lee Kantor: No, I think that’s it’s an important step in this, uh, on the kind of evolution of the business. So I knew that this was a powerful tool, this email. Now, I was doing that in a national way because that was we were getting guests from all over the world. Really. And, um, so we were doing that virtually. Business RadioX in Atlanta, business radio specifically was all in studio. There was no call in that wasn’t even a choice. Like, we didn’t let people call in. They had to come in person. So we kind of made them come in person because we saw the value of face to face. That was the value we were providing to our clients and to myself as a way to prospect for new sponsors and show hosts. So I was doing this power core thing, and I was, um, you know, I was really leaning into it. I was taking leadership roles in the organization. I was a coach. I was showing people how to leverage it, but I internally wasn’t enjoying it. I dreaded going to the meetings. I when I had to do my seven minute long form thing, I would it would give me so much anxiety every time standing up and doing the little elevator pitch would give me anxiety. So I really didn’t enjoy it. But there was a woman in there that was really. She loved it. She was an extrovert. She kind of reminded me of you a little bit. And her name was Amy Otto, and she was selling Aflac insurance, and she was kind of new to Aflac.

Lee Kantor: And they told her, you got to join this kind of a thing, and you got to go to chamber meetings, and you have to do all this stuff. And she was kind of struggling because and she was getting frustrated because she’s super personable and everybody loves her. And she’s just a super great person. And she was not getting the traction she would have liked as quickly as she would like. And so I’m like, Amy, please be my co-host on Atlanta Business Radio. I’m not going to charge you anything. Just be the co-host and you’re already going to all these meetings instead of going to the meetings and saying, I’m Amy with Aflac. Just say you’re Amy, co-host of Atlanta Business Radio, and invite them on the show and just see if that changes anything. And so that changed everything. Now all of a sudden, she’s not the insurance lady who people were kind of avoiding. She has something of value to them. And and she started getting people who weren’t calling her back or kind of, um, you know, acknowledging her are now like, how do I get on the show? How come you had Mary on and you didn’t invite me on? And like, her positioning in the marketplace changed dramatically. And, um, I mean, I could tell you the biggest success story that I remember vividly, uh, that happened because of her is she invited the in in metro Atlanta, there was a period and it’s still going on where a lot of these unincorporated suburbs were spinning off their own city, and they were forming their own city government because they wanted to be away from Atlanta proper.

Lee Kantor: They wanted to be their own city, and they were unincorporated. And it was a huge part of the metro Atlanta area. So the first city to spin off was where I happened to live in Sandy Springs. And the second one was a city called Dunwoody, which is the suburb next to it. So the city of Dunwoody spun off and they elected a mayor and they became their own city. We did an episode that was the City of Dunwoody Special, where we invited the mayor, city council person, the city manager. It was a whole episode just about them because it was their year anniversary and they had just had their own police force. It was a big deal. So Amy invited them. They came on, they talked, and um, and it was all about them for an hour. And it was they were just so just so appreciative. At the end of the show, there was no more recording. We’re chatting after and they’re like, what can we do for you? This was great. Thank you so much for doing this for us. It’s so important to let people know what we’re doing and how we came about and all this. And Amy’s like, look, I sell Aflac. If I can get in to City of Dunwoody and just let them know how this works, that’d be great. And they’re like, well, we can’t give you any special treatment or anything, but, um, absolutely. You can come in and, you know, do a proposal.

Lee Kantor: So cut to she got that municipality and it opened up a whole bunch of municipalities for her. And it changed really the trajectory of her career there and selling insurance. And now her business has evolved dramatically from that point. But it was a game changing moment for me because I’m like, what salesperson would be able to get a mayor, a city council person, a city manager to their territory, to their office to talk in person and to have them ask, what can I do for you? Yeah, like from a sales standpoint, I’m like, this is a game changing moment for me as looking at it, because it had nothing to do with me. I was facilitating it. And, you know, my thing helped make that happen. But this was her working it in a way I couldn’t even envision. But it was so dramatic to me. I’m like, this is something that can scale. This could work in any market. If you do it in the way that she’s doing it, in the way that we kind of drew it up, where we’re here to help and support and celebrate the work of the people locally. And this is just we call them relationship building moments. We create multiple relationship building moments that separate a professional service provider from everybody else, because they’re the only people that get to do this. We are helping them do this thing that no one else can do, and then doing it in a way that’s just extremely powerful.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow, that that is an amazing story. And I’m sure that there are 10,000 others, right? Where people have been able to have conversations. And I know you’ve had a lot of conversations with folks. So, Lee, the way Business RadioX is set up now is there are licensed studio operators. Some of them are in person, as you described. Uh, typically in a chamber setting or in a space where it’s easy for people to access, right. And come in and have these conversations. Something new that Business RadioX has put out there are these virtual licensed studio operators like me, where I’m doing my interviewing from my home office. So can you talk a little bit about the not the transition, but the addition of these licensed studio operators from a virtual perspective?

Lee Kantor: Yeah. So that came about. I mean, really the pandemic is what kind of birthed that where we we were really stuck. You know, because our whole business model is this is in person. You got to come in person. And now the pandemic is coming. Come on. And they’re like saying you can’t meet in person. Like that’s that’s against the law now. So how do we kind of meet people where they are. And then so immediately we transitioned to virtual all of our studio partners, you know, basically got Zoom or Google Meet or, um, Microsoft Teams. And then they started broadcasting the same thing, but just virtually. And, um, so we didn’t want to ignore that. And we the, the benefit for us from having virtual is it allows us to spin up studios pretty quickly. You don’t need rent. There’s no it’s completely flexible. You know, you can do this, um, on your own schedule, in your own house and without any, you know, real equipment or anything dramatic. Um, so it allowed us to kind of open up the doors to new people. Um, but the core business is studios in person. But this does give you a different way to access, um, the people most important to you. And that’s really at the heart of it, is we want to help our studio partners serve the people most important to them. And, um, the sweet spot for us, ideally, is if the people most important to you are in your local community and you want to, you know, meet them in person and serve them that way, we can show you an in-person studio model. But if if you’re not ready for that, um, there’s this other model that works. I don’t think it works as effectively, but it still works effectively.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. I mean, there this whole idea of bringing people together in the same room is huge, right? Uh, for me, the virtual studio makes sense because I live 90 minutes from civilization, right way out in rural South Texas, and it works for me. And and just to plug for, you know, this whole idea of the reach out and giving back and what you get in return. I shared with you in stone that I had 15 introductory phone calls, uh, for people who wanted to be on the show in one week, and it continues to be that high. And in my industry, from a business coaching perspective, that increases, you know, my leads tenfold over all of the other things that I had ever done. So for me, this is a great space for me to be in where I can give back, serve the community, but also have conversations with my ideal client, which I think is so important. Uh, one of the questions I have for you before we jump into I have a little personal question for you, but before that, can we talk just a little bit about the difference between the podcast and the radio show? Because there’s a huge difference, I believe. Uh, you mentioned it, uh, parts of it earlier, but what in your mind, what is the difference between a podcast and business radio RadioX.

Lee Kantor: I think that most people are using podcasts to kind of position themselves as an expert or a guru, and the way they’re doing this is in a very self-serving way of, look how smart I am. Oh, here’s an example of how smart I am. Hey, have you ever thought of doing this thing that I thought of that’s so smart? And we find it, um, more effective to instead of focusing in on yourself or anything really to do with you, but focus in on the niche that you serve and the community that you serve, and then use it as a way to just build better relationships with people over time in a very relationship driven way, not a transactional way. And that’s really, I think, at the heart of what makes it work for most people that are affiliated with us. Because, number one, we’re being selective in choosing people who have kind of this heart of service. If you don’t have a heart of service, if you’re looking at this as a get rich quick scheme of oh great, here’s this little hack that I can meet lots of people and I’m going to do this thing and I’m going to meet them and then spam them. Um, that that’s not really who we’re after. That’s not. It doesn’t work like that. You really have to kind of have a pure heart, in the sense of serving people and really wanting to support and celebrate the work of people important to you. And then, oh, by the way, you have a day job and you might have a service that they might be interested down the road.

Lee Kantor: That is how we do this. That’s how we approach this, and that’s the people who do it that way benefit way more, and they benefit faster and they benefit, um, their clients stay with them longer because they’re just trying to help their clients. They’re just using the platform to help their clients, and then they’re benefiting, um, in the long run. And if you don’t have the patience for that, or if you don’t have the stomach for that or the heart for that, then it’s not going to going to work. Then, you know, find another place to do this or do it yourself. I mean, podcasting nowadays, anybody can do it on their phone. And you know, with AI stuff, you don’t even need another. You can pretend to have a co-host. Like there’s lots of ways you could do it. Now, the way that we do it is very service oriented, and it really helps position the person who is the host or the studio partner, or even the client host positions them as kind of the voice for business in the niche that they serve, and they become that indispensable cog in the machine because they’re helping tell the stories of business in their niche. And then if somebody wants to come on that show, they have to go through that person, and that person hopefully is going to sell them something over time. But maybe not. And that’s okay too. You know, we cast a wide net and we want to serve the whole community.

Trisha Stetzel: Right? Absolutely. And it really is about building trust, right? It’s about building that relationship so that down the road, if it makes sense. We can do some business together. And I think that is is very, very important. So, Lee, um, you’ve been doing this for a very long time, and you likely, uh, do a lot of personal improvement. Business improvement. So who inspires you or what books do you feel like have really been a part of your growth in this space?

Lee Kantor: Yeah. The authors, um, or thought leaders that really, uh, are important to me and have really influenced how I do what I do and the why behind what I do. Um, I’d say Seth Godin. Uh, from a young age, I’ve been a super fan of him. I was part of the alt MBA program that he developed a while ago, one of the early cohorts of that. And going through that, that was a really, um, intensive experience that I learned a lot that, um, that I still use a lot of the stuff today. Another person is a guy named Rory Sutherland, who wrote a book called alchemy, and he is a behavioral design behavioral science guy that was leading an ad agency called Ogilvy and Mather in Europe, in the UK. And, um, he’s one of my favorites. He has a ton of YouTube videos. If you go to any interview of him, he’s hilarious. And he really explains, uh, behavioral science in a way that makes a lot of sense. And, and that is different than a lot of the stuff you’re going to hear about how to do marketing and advertising. Another guy is, uh, Bob Moesta, and he has a book called Demand Side Sales 101, and he has a theory, it’s called The Job to be done theory, which is that people don’t buy anything. They they buy something to solve a problem or to do a job.

Lee Kantor: And that’s, um, you got to figure out what it is, what job are you doing for somebody else, and then you can market That them accordingly. And then lastly, somebody recently that I’ve kind of come across I think is important. Doing important work is a guy named Will Guidara, and he runs a restaurant called 11 Madison Park, and it’s been named Best Restaurant in the world. Um, but he wrote a book called Unreasonable Hospitality The Remarkable Power of Giving People More than they expect. And I think that that’s important, too, is, um, you know, some people say to under-promise and overdeliver and he believes to over promise and over deliver. So, um, raise the expectations and then surpass them. So don’t be afraid to do that. And if you want to stand out and be special because that’s what it takes in today’s world. I mean, I think consumers are a lot more savvy. They’re a lot more picky. They read a lot. They, um, you know, reviews are important in today’s world. So you can’t just, uh, it’s table stakes to deliver whatever it is you’re supposed to do. You better be doing something to surprise and delight people. If you want to be memorable and you want to be talked about and you want to kind of grow.

Trisha Stetzel: So, Lee, for our listeners who may be thinking that this could be a good opportunity for them to serve their community, or maybe someone just wants to share their story, what advice would you offer to them to get them started?

Lee Kantor: Um, just go to Business RadioX. Com and then, uh, check out our page and just poke around, listen to some of the shows that we’ve done, go into any community that’s near you and listen to some of the stories that are being told there. And there’s plenty of places on that page to connect with us, to partner with us. Um, we’re just really looking to grow. Um, my big goal for the organization, which we’re nowhere near achieving yet, is to be in 1000 communities and serving 1000 thousand communities. And I came up with that because there’s about 8000 chambers of commerce in America. And if we were in the top 15% or so, that would be 1000 studios serving those top 15, you know, 20% of the marketplace in the most active chambers. So that’s what we’re shooting for and we’re nowhere near there. So if you have a heart of service and you want to differentiate yourself in your local market, please connect with us and let’s see if there’s ways we can make that happen.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. Thank you Lee. And if anyone’s listening and wants personal experience on, you know, where, uh, where I’m at and how I’m using this beautiful tool in my business, I’m happy to share that as well. So lastly, Lee, uh, how can people connect with you, uh, or even learn more about becoming a licensed studio partner?

Lee Kantor: Yeah. Uh, connect with me on LinkedIn. Uh Lee Kantor. L e e k a n t o r and there’s thousands of hours of me on podcasts. You can just Google me on any podcast platform. You can hear one of the shows I do. I do lots of shows and I’ve done lots of shows over the years. Um, uh, or again, the website is Business RadioX dot com. My email is li l e e at Business RadioX dot com. I’m easy to find and easy to connect with.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. Lee, thank you so much for being on the show today. I appreciate the opportunity to interview you today, but I also even more so appreciate the opportunity to be a part of Business RadioX.

Lee Kantor: Thank you for all you do. Tricia, we appreciate you.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Thanks, Lee. And that’s all the time we have for today’s show. Join us next time for another exciting episode of Houston Business Radio. And until then, stay tuned, stay inspired, and keep thriving in the Houston business community.

 

The National Black Business Pitch: How Mentorship Transformed Khadijah Robinson’s Business Journey

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Women in Motion
The National Black Business Pitch: How Mentorship Transformed Khadijah Robinson's Business Journey
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On today’s episode of Women in Motion, Khadijah Robinson, CEO of Aqua Waterproof Headwear, and her mentor Lynn Reddrick discuss Khadijah’s entrepreneurial journey. Khadijah shares how her frustration with keeping her hair dry led to the creation of stylish waterproof turbans and head wraps. She details her development process, market validation, and funding efforts, including her success in the National Black Business Pitch competition. Lynn emphasizes the importance of mentorship in Khadijah’s growth. The episode highlights the challenges and triumphs of launching a business that addresses real-world problems while offering valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Khadijah-RobinsonKhadijah Robinson is a solopreneur, owner and inventor of AQUA Waterproof Headwear. A patented line of luxury 100% Waterproof Turbans & Headwraps designed to protect your hair in style!

A true “Philly Girl”, she grew up in West Philadelphia and graduated from Temple University, Fox School of Business. Unsatisfied with existing options for keeping her hair dry at the beach, pool and in everyday inclement weather while trying to maintain her fashion style, she set out to invent a solution.

Thus, AQUA Waterproof Headwear was born. A unique line of turbans and headwraps that are 100% waterproof, stylish, breathable, soft, stretchy, and fit in a purse (take it anywhere). Aqua-Waterproof-Headwear-logo

Khadijah is a graduate of the Target Forward Founders Accelerator, Cohort 5, and currently a part of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Fall 2024 Cohort. She lives in Maryland with her husband, Shaleek and adorable mini poodle, Brown.

Connect with Khadijah on LinkedIn and follow AQUA Waterproof Headwear on Facebook and Instagram.

Lynn-ReddrickLynn Reddrick is an Assistant Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco who leads the Supplier Diversity Program and Business Partners team.

This team is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering the Supplier Diversity Program and collaborating with all business areas to source diverse vendor pools for all competitive procurement events for each of its six locations in the Twelfth Federal Reserve District.

Ms. Reddrick is an advocate for fair inclusion of diverse businesses in the procurement process, which in turn increases the Bank’s involvement in the economic development of these businesses and their communities. Ms. Reddrick also serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Business Enterprise Council – Pacific, Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Financial Services Roundtable for Supplier Diversity.

Ms. Reddrick has nurtured the Supplier Diversity Program both internally and externally with diverse advocacy organizations for ten years. These efforts have significantly increased the Bank’s spend with diverse businesses, provided valuable technical assistance, and earned many awards from regional partners of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and National Minority Supplier Development Council.

Ms. Reddrick was named one of DiversityPlus Magazine’s “Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity” in 2016. She has also served as a Co-Chair of the Federal Reserve System’s Supplier Diversity Work Group since 2013.

Ms. Reddrick received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and marketing from Columbia University.

Connect with Lynn on LinkedIn.

Music Provided by M PATH MUSIC

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios, it’s time for Women in Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Women in Motion. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. And today’s episode is in the series that we’re doing with the National Black Business Pitch, and we have the third place winner and her mentor. We have Khadijah Robinson and her mentor, Lynn Reddick. Khadija is with AQUA Waterproof Headwear, and Lynn is with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Welcome.

Lynn Reddick: Thank you.

Lee Kantor: Now, Khadijah, I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Third place winner is pretty impressive, and we’d like to learn more about the AQUA Waterproof Headwear business that you are running.

Khadijah Robinson: Yeah, thank you. So, yeah, I invented waterproof turbans and headwraps. My name is Khadijah Robinson and I am the CEO and inventor of AQUA Waterproof Headwear. It is a line of stylish waterproof turbans and headwraps designed to protect our hair in style. So, I’m so excited.

Lee Kantor: Well, so tell us about the backstory. How did this problem occur to you and the solution that you developed?

Khadijah Robinson: Okay. Well, every great idea starts with a problem that you’re trying to solve, right? I was on vacation, and I wanted to look cute, but I also did not want my hair to get wet. I had extensions at the time, and I didn’t want my real hair to get wet and separate from the extensions, and I end up looking crazy. But my only option at the time was to put on a baseball hat because, you know, swim caps are tight and uncomfortable, and I still wanted to look cute. So, I was like, “Well, I have a baseball cap. Let me put it on.”

I put it on, went snorkeling. My hair, of course, ended up getting wet, and I spent hours redoing my hair when I got back to the room. And I said to myself, “There has to be a better way to do this. Something that’s stylish that I can, you know, wear and look cute and still protect my hair.” I got home, brainstormed and had the lightbulb moment and said, “Waterproof turbans and headwraps.” I did my research, it didn’t exist, and I just hit the ground running, trying to figure out how to invent it and bring it into real life.

Lee Kantor: So, how did you kind of start iterating when something doesn’t exist like this? Did you start with just a regular turban and then just said, “Okay, let me make it waterproof?” Like, what was the order of things?

Khadijah Robinson: Well, actually, I started off, it wasn’t a turban at all. It was like this… I got my sewing machine out. I don’t sew, but my mom had one, went to her house. I was like, “Let me just try to put something together.” So, I made this scarf-looking thing that kind of looked like a turban, but not really. And I was just trying to get the idea out there. Did a whole bunch of iterations with that, and I said, “Listen, I am not a seamstress. Let me stop acting like I can do this.” So, ironically, I ran into a seamstress who made my prom dress, like, in high school, and I saw her at an event randomly, and I was like, “Oh, my gosh, [Lily], I need your help. I’m inventing this turban, and it needs to be waterproof, and I have no idea what I’m doing, and I need your help.” And she was like, “Absolutely, I will help you. I will do the concept for you, and we’ll figure it out.”

And she is my angel to this day because I sat down with her, she did the concept, we did a couple of iterations, the whole… You know, it had to be waterproof. So, I had to make sure that the design actually did what it was supposed to do. And she did a draft pattern for me, and she even went to my first manufacturer with me and, you know, talked to them in technical terms to make sure that, you know, he was able to recreate what we needed them to recreate. And the rest is history.

The really hard part was actually trying to find the fabric. The fabric didn’t exist. There was nothing out there that was waterproof, stretchy, soft, breathable, all the things. And that’s actually the magic of our turbines is the fabric and the design. So once [Lily] helped me go to different fabric events and figure out how to talk to manufacturers to actually create this waterproof fabric, from there, we worked on the design, and then we went to the manufacturer, and I started the patent process.

Lee Kantor: Now did you ever, like, do like focus groups or how did you know that… like, I know this was solving your problem, but how did you know there was a market for it?

Khadijah Robinson: Absolutely. Okay. So, I totally skipped that part, right? Once I had the idea, believe it or not, I got all… Like, every family member and friend that I knew, I had them all sign NDAs and presented my idea to them. At the time, I had an actual simple concept that I could show, get their feedback on, ask them how much they’d spend on it, if this is something that they would want, and everybody thought it was the most genius idea ever. So, I had like three focus groups. And then, I also stood in front of hair stores in Philly and kind of like told people, you know, like just got a feel for what I… without telling everybody exactly what I was doing, got an idea of if this was something that was needed. And once I gathered all that data and that information, I took it back and I said, “This is something that the world needs.” So, I went full steam ahead with going forward with trying to figure out how to make it.

Lee Kantor: So, when you said, “Okay, this is a real problem that the market needs, and I have a great creative solution,” did you like go to try to raise money or did you have money? Like, how did you kind of get it off the ground? Because something like this seems like it would be kind of a heavy lift to get this off the ground.

Khadijah Robinson: Well, thank God I had a job. So, I didn’t have a bunch of friends and family to go to for help with financing it. And honestly, this was really expensive. Initially, I spent $40,000 of my own money to get this going, and I had my full-time job. But the smart thing that I did as well is once the first production run was almost complete, I decided to do an Indiegogo campaign. And instead of like doing the traditional crowdfunding, I used the Indiegogo as a pre-sale. So, put videos on there, did Facebook ads and Instagram ads, raised about $8,000 in a month on Indiegogo, and I used that money to help pay the balance of the production run. And then, it was on from there.

Lee Kantor: Now, what kind of drew you to the National Black Business Pitch kind of contest? Was that something you had? How did that get on your radar?

Khadijah Robinson: Interesting. So, I need funds, right? The small business owner in order to grow and scale, I’m at the point where I need a lot of money in order to get to the point in my business where I can actually go into mass retail. So, I’ve been applying for grants and all kinds of funding opportunities. I was doing a search on Instagram, and the National Black Business Pitch competition came up, and I was like, “Oh my goodness! This is perfect. I had never done a pitch competition before.” So I said, “You know what? Why not? Let me apply.” I applied early. I put my all in the application and my videos and I just wanted to, you know, hope for the best. And I was extremely… I couldn’t believe it when I got the notice that I had been selected to actually do the pitch, one of the 30 businesses. I was like, “This is crazy.” And yeah, I was… and it was just on from there.

Lee Kantor: So, what was it like to go through that? Because, you know, the first group of people were kind of friends and family, right? You kind of knew a lot of these people, but now you’re going to kind of strangers, and they’re judging your thing and giving you input. Was that uncomfortable? Did you feel like, you know, you grew from that experience?

Khadijah Robinson: Well, thankfully, I had been… You know, I launched in 2019. So, thankfully, you know, I knew that people liked the product. At least customers did. Now, as far as strangers that I have to pitch for funding, absolutely terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. But Lynn was… When I say amazing, absolutely amazing. The key to it is Lynn. Literally, even sometimes, we would stay on longer on the coaching calls longer, she did not hesitate, did not make me get off the phone early, did not stop me. And she just poured into me and gave me the best advice ever. And I listened. So, that was the key.

Even to this day, like I still have… I didn’t take down a bunch of my background. Only some of it’s gone because I did a pitch. I did another pop-up. So, I took some things. But I keep this stuff up all the time now on phone calls, on meetings, on everything, because it was just genius to just say, “Why don’t I have my turbines in the background?” And just the practicing of it all. So, I thank Lynn for everything. And I’ve actually since then – and thank you, Lynn to your amazing coaching – I, to this day still, listen, I want another pitch competition. Yes, with Black Girl Ventures and I came in second place, so, in Philadelphia. And I was just… I’m like… Listen, everything you taught me, everything Lynn has taught me, I have continued to implement. And it’s been working greatly.

Lee Kantor: Now, Lynn, how did this mentoring opportunity get on your radar? I think you’re… Are you muted? You might be muted.

Lynn Reddick: I’m here now.

Lee Kantor: All right.

Lynn Reddick: I’m here now. Yes. As far as participating as a corporate member of WBEC-West, I was presented the opportunity to participate in the National Black Pitch Program as a mentor, and I just jumped at the chance. WBEC-West is the best as far as connecting women-owned businesses with their corporate members. And I just love participating in their programs. And providing technical assistance is a passion of mine and something that I’ve been doing for over 20 years now. And I was fortunate to be paired with Khadija and her wonderful company.

Lee Kantor: Now, Lynn, do you have any advice for other corporates when it comes to mentoring entrepreneurs like this? You know, probably during your day job, you know, you’re not around this stage emerging business like this. Is there any advice you can share to your other corporates why it’s important to be doing this kind of work?

Lynn Reddick: Yes, absolutely. Anytime you can support a business as far as helping them grow, helping them succeed in going forward and winning that next contract, you know, being successful in pitch contests, then that just benefits everyone because as corporate members, we’re looking for those great, diverse suppliers that can participate in our procurement efforts and make the best efforts and compete with the other suppliers that are invited to participate. And the more that we can share our knowledge in terms of what… you know, of what we see as in terms of a successful pitch, you know, a successful way in terms of presenting themselves to really make the cut as far as being one of those suppliers that are invited to participate in procurements, the best there is.

So, I mean, as Khadijiah had said, you know, we had… I don’t know how many, 4 or 5 different sessions, maybe half hour, maybe they would go over, but we, you know, worked on mutual times. We talked about what each of us was going to prepare for for our next session. They were very, very productive. And I mean, you know, you can spare 30-40 minutes out of your day? Yes, you can. And you know, I just highly recommend it for all corporate members to be able to really impart their wisdom and, you know, what’s meaningful to them when they hear pitches from suppliers.

Lee Kantor: Now, Lynn, do you have any advice for these emerging entrepreneurs how best to take advantage of these type of opportunities to be a good mentee, to really be coachable and take all this information to heart? Because it is a great opportunity. The prize money is nice, but these relationships are the things that are going to pay dividends over the long haul.

Lynn Reddick: No, no. Yeah, absolutely. It’s really participating in programs. And so WBEC-West is a great organization, you know, to talk about where they advocate for, they certify women-owned businesses. They provide these opportunities to meet with corporate members through meetings, whether they’re in person or whether they’re virtual. It’s those types of organizations that suppliers should seek out. It gives them not only opportunity to meet with corporate members or opportunities to engage with other, you know, women-owned businesses. I mean, they’ve gone through maybe similar things, depending on, you know, how many years in business they’ve been in. It’s just a great opportunity to learn.

And you know, yes, you know, you may have to invest some time in a few meetings here and there but, really, the benefits of going to those meetings, the people that you meet, the corporate members that, you know, that can either guide you or give you advice is… I mean, it’s… I don’t… immeasurable as far as you’re doing, As Khadijah has said, you know, not only has she, you know, continued to do some pitch competitions. Here, she came in third for the National Black Business Pitch and she’s gone to another… you know, went to another pitch contest and has done even better. So, you know, her being able to pitch to other corporate members is only something that, you know, she’s going to be top of mind to many corporates if something comes up and they’re like, “Wait a minute. I remember Khadijiah,” or may remember AQUA Waterproof Headwear and you know, that really resonates with corporate members.

Lee Kantor: Now, Khadijiah, do you have any advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs when they’re putting together kind of a pitch like you had to do? Is there any do’s and don’ts that you can share in order to, you know, become a winner like you have?

Khadijah Robinson: Yes. If you are lucky enough to have a mentor and a coach, listen to them. Listen to them. Listen to them. Be a sponge. Be teachable. Again, I’ve learned when you’re pitching, having your product available, seen, shown, even if it services, something that says your name and what you do in the background is very, very helpful. I did get compliments on that. And I thank you, Lynn, for even taking me there and to help me do that. Also, practice. Practice, practice, practice. The day of, like when I first did my pitch, I had practiced so much that I was on. Then, of course, you kind of like… After you win, you’re just like, “Oh, it’s over. Let me do it.” But my advice is keep practicing your pitch every day just so that you don’t forget it, so that when it’s time for you to pitch, it just comes so easily to you that you can that, you know, it comes across naturally and it really resonates with the judges. So, definitely practice. Definitely, definitely listen to your mentor. And definitely have your products or services in the background. And just know your business. Like know what you’re talking about and be able to answer questions. Know your numbers. Know your business in and out.

Lee Kantor: Now, Khadijiah, what part of the National Black Business Pitch competition kind of is staying with you as most valuable or impactful as you move forward?

Khadijah Robinson: Well, I will say this and, again, this is a testament to Lynn. Even if I didn’t win third place, the training that I got on developing a pitch and actually being able to successfully execute it was so, so, so valuable. And I can’t put it into words because like I said, I have literally used everything I learned from Lynn as I keep going into pitch different competitions. And again, the one that I just did was my second one, and I was like, I can’t even believe I got second place. But it’s because of the confidence in understanding of pitching that I didn’t learn because like with this competition, there was no pitch deck. I didn’t have anything in front of me. All I had was what I know and what I was able to memorize and express in words, just only words. So, I will always, forever take that with me.

Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of? How can we help you now?

Khadijah Robinson: Money? No. Other than that, honestly, just ability to access people. Like Lynn said, if there are other companies out here who are interested in doing business with AQUA Waterproof Headwear or have different resources available, even as far as just, you know, a database of how to get into retail, you know, small retailers who are interested in doing business with smallbrands, the boutiques, you know, just to help me prepare to get into the mass retail space. But right now, it’s just the resources and access to opportunities that is going to help me immensely get to where I need to go. And I thank you all for that. Because actually, WBEC does a great job with that all around. So, honestly, just ability to help and provide resources and opportunities is very much appreciated. So, thank you.

Lee Kantor: And then, you’re on your way to become a certified woman-owned business?

Khadijah Robinson: I am. I am. And I just submitted everything for East Coast, so I am waiting for that. I just got MBE certification. So, that’s a big thing that I’m proud of. And I was just on a TV show called Buy It Now. It’s on Amazon Prime. So, if you can watch that, that’d be amazing because, Lynn, you’d be proud of me. You’d be proud of me for that. I’m not going to spill it. I’m not going to spill it. But episode ten of Buy It Now on Amazon Prime, you’re going to be proud of me.

Lee Kantor: And then, if somebody wants to learn more about AQUA Waterproof Headwear, is there a website? Is there a best way to connect with you and the product and the team?

Khadijah Robinson: Yes, my website is aquaheadwear.com. Just aquaheadwear.com. A-Q-U-A, Headwear, H-E-A-D-W-E-A-R dot com. And email me at hello@aquaheadwear.com.

Lee Kantor: And then, I’m sure on all the socials, they can find you there.

Khadijah Robinson: All the socials @aquaheadwear. So easy. A-Q-U-A-H-E-A-D-W-E-A-R on everything -TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, everywhere.

Lee Kantor: Well, congratulations on all the momentum. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Khadijah Robinson: Thank you. Thank you so much for the opportunity to talk to you today.

Lee Kantor: And Lynn, thank you for all you do to help the community get to new levels. Thank you.

Lynn Reddick: No, it’s my pleasure.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women in Motion.

 

BRX Pro Tip: How Will You Spend a 1000 Minutes Today?

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BRX Pro Tip: How Will You Spend a 1000 Minutes Today?
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BRX Pro Tip: How Will You Spend a 1000 Minutes Today?

Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, one of the topics that’s on my mind a lot and I think on a lot of our listener’s mind, is, how to best invest your time. You’ve got some thoughts on that.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. A lot of people don’t realize, but everyday you get 1,000 minutes, 1,000 minutes of time to do whatever it is you’re trying to get done each day. The assumption is that you’re sleeping seven hours and you have 17 hours of waking time, you know, times 60 minutes, that equals about 1,000.

Lee Kantor: So, what are you going to do today to invest that time? How many of those minutes are going to go to your work? How many are going to your health? How many are going to your family? How many are going to your community? How many are going to yourself? How many of them are wasted on T.V., social media, arguing, complaining? A thousand minutes every day can move the ball on so many fronts if you invest your time wisely. What are you doing today to spend those 1,000 minutes?

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