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Strength in Unity: How the Greater Perimeter Chamber Supports Diverse Business Needs

March 4, 2025 by angishields

Chamber Spotlight

Strength in Unity: How the Greater Perimeter Chamber Supports Diverse Business Needs

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In this episode of Chamber Spotlight, Adam Forrand, President and CEO of the Greater Perimeter Chamber, and Bernadette Pannier, Director of Strategic Membership Investment, discuss the merger of the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs Perimeter Chambers into the Greater Perimeter Chamber. Adam explains the decade-long rationale for the unification, emphasizing a stronger network and better resources for businesses. Bernadette highlights the Chamber’s support for both small and large enterprises, focusing on personalized assistance, community engagement, and fostering connections. The merger aims to create a thriving business ecosystem, advocating for local businesses and encouraging community involvement.

Adam Forrand, President of the Greater Perimeter Chamber, is a master of relationships. It’s a skill that enables him to sit down at an initial client meeting and come away with a clear sense of who everyone is, where they’re coming from, and what their goals are.

It’s a skill that helps him use that knowledge to map out ways that various and often competing needs just might fit together in a solution.

And it’s a skill that mixes well with Adam’s abundance of creative energy, leading to innovative ideas to meet those needs. And with Adam, an unrepentant optimist who says “opportunity” a lot, there is always a solution. Always.

Connect with Adam on LinkedIn.

Bernadette Pannier is the Director of Strategic Membership Investment at the Greater Perimeter Chamber.

Connect with Bernadette on LinkedIn and follow the Greater Perimeter Chamber on Instagram.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Chamber Spotlight. Now. Here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Chamber Spotlight. So excited to be talking to some of the leadership team at the Greater Perimeter Chamber. I got Adam Forrand President and CEO and Bernadette Pannier, who is the Director of Strategic Membership Investment. Welcome.

Adam Forrand: Hey, Lee.

Bernadette Pannier: Hey hey.

Lee Kantor: Hey, hey.

Lee Kantor: So I’m going to just throw this out to the room. Let’s talk a little bit about kind of this merger that happened, the coming together of two chambers into the new Greater Perimeter chamber.

Adam Forrand: Yes. We have taken what has been a long conversation, a long period spanning a decade or more, honestly, of two municipally focused chambers, the Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber and the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber, and in service to our members to scale and to grow, to provide a greater, stronger network, more resources to serve our members. We have unified into a single regional chamber.

Lee Kantor: So now can you talk about the why behind it? Like there’s city chambers all over the place, but this kind of a regional chamber is there’s a transition involved. Right now. It’s thinking from city to region. Can you talk about the why behind it? Yeah.

Adam Forrand: The why for us is unique in contextualized to this geography as well. When you think of chambers and other parts of the nation, other communities, there’s good reason why a city or a regional chamber would be formed in terms of a boundaries or service area. In our particular case, the central perimeter marketplace has been known nationally for years and years before cityhood for our two respective cities. So as an economy, as a marketplace. There’s there’s maturity. There is equity in the perimeter. And given the fact that we have a significant amount of fortune 500 companies based here, it is a we are a known community, a known business community. And cityhood provided a great opportunity for us to rally around ensuring that our futures within our cities are directed by the residents that are that are managed appropriately. Each city wanted to have a chamber for themselves as well, which is understandable. But as cityhood and those services to the community mature, the service to the business community needed to mature as well. And so this unification of what were two city focused chambers into a more regional chamber that reflects a region that is well recognized nationally, just made sense.

Lee Kantor: And Bernadette, in your role, can you talk about how this region, how do you see it, and what do you see as kind of the best way to serve it for me.

Bernadette Pannier: When I moved here a little over ten years ago, Sandy Springs was my home. So it’s it’s got a special place in my heart because it’s where I started here. It’s what formed my love for this area in Georgia. And coming here and seeing all of the businesses that have moved here and the brick and mortars that are coming back to life, the new developments that are in the area and the dedication of the city management. You can tell that this area is really thriving. And when you hear stories from the individual mayors about how Sandy Springs has less than 3% retail space available at this time for rentals and purchase, that’s a big deal. It’s there’s a reason why businesses like Mercedes Benz are here. They’re it’s thriving. It’s fun, it’s young, it’s inviting. And I’m really excited about the future of what this area is going to be like. You know, it’s it used to be just known for the mall and now it’s known so much more.

Lee Kantor: Now, how, uh, the the region is, is so diverse in terms of the types of businesses here. Like you mentioned, Mercedes Benz, there’s you know, I don’t know how many, but lots of fortune 500 headquarters are here. There’s a lot of kind of enterprise level organizations that hire, you know, that employ a lot of people. They serve a global marketplace, but they’re based here. But then you have, like you mentioned, when there’s only 3% space left, there’s lots of mom and pop, you know, people out there grinding, just trying to, you know, you know, run a restaurant or a hardware store or a hair salon. So how do you create value for each of them and encourage each of those constituencies to become part of the chamber?

Bernadette Pannier: I think the main thing is eyes on them. That assistance that we give for them to be able to have that additional set of eyes, that additional marketing, that additional advertising, that additional support really makes a difference. There is a brand new, uh, taqueria that’s opening in the area here. It’s a family owned restaurant. This isn’t their first restaurant that they’ve owned or opened, but as they’ve gone through the process, the daughters reached out a few times. And every now and then, I think it’s just to be able to talk it out to me and know that she can do that. She can pick up the phone and say, okay, we’re doing inspections tomorrow, and I’m really nervous and I’m not really sure about this. And for me to be able to listen to her and say, do you need me to come? Do you want me to just come hold your hand? Those are the things that I think that they don’t necessarily get in other areas, or from other businesses or membership environments. Right. The chamber is a place that we want you to come for the support that you need, no matter the support. If you’re having problems with your sign getting approved, I can’t necessarily say the phone call I’m going to make is going to help that process happen, but maybe I can find out why it’s sitting on somebody’s desk. Right.

Lee Kantor: It’s not going to hurt.

Bernadette Pannier: It’s not going to hurt for me to make a phone call or send a text message on your behalf as the owner of that restaurant, and if it’s me using you or the chamber, using you as a caterer for your restaurant, or putting an event in your restaurant or your place of business, or if it’s you needing additional education. A lot of small business owners restaurants specifically fail because they got into the industry with the education that they didn’t have. And for us, we come from a place of education. So we specifically curate these leadership programs to make sure that you are going to have the foundation and the chaptered information that you need to be successful.

Lee Kantor: So what are some of the changes as it turns into a regional chamber from individual city chambers? When it comes to maybe some of the benefits to the members, is there going to be more education? Is there going to be more kind of mixers, networkers like, what’s your vision of how you see kind of the value to each of the membership, no matter what level they are. Um.

Adam Forrand: It’s about scale. Uh, is definitely for us that the stronger network, the bigger network, the the accumulation and aggregation of partners and resources are two chambers had complementary sets of of networks and resources so that when we combine them, both memberships got the benefit of, of that scale and that growth. Ultimately, when we talk about scale and growth and stronger networks and stronger resources, it also acknowledges the fact that doing business in DeKalb County in Dunwoody is different than doing business in Fulton and Sandy Springs as well. And so we are also here to help navigate the nuanced differences between the two as well, recognizing that in these communities, they are unique and they are different. We’re here to celebrate them and to also, uh, navigate and operate with them within them as well. And so whether you’re a small business just starting out, whether you are a large global enterprise as well, where you are rooted matters and it is our job to know how and where that matter meets the rubber, where the rubber meets the road on those matters. Right.

Lee Kantor: So now, Bernadette, when you’re going and talking to the the different constituents, kind of give me your elevator pitch for maybe a mom and pop versus an elevator pitch for enterprise.

Bernadette Pannier: For the smaller businesses, the scaling businesses. My conversation normally starts with the what do you feel like you’re missing? Where do you feel like you need the support? Those usually answer a lot of the questions. For me, I tend to do a lot more listening than I do asking questions when I’m talking to the smaller retail space owners and things like that in the area, because they all need something different. Some of them just want a ribbon cutting. That’s all they want. They want to celebrate this huge moment that to them, is just as important as their baby gender reveal or their baby shower. Right. So sometimes that’s just what it is. They come to me and say, listen, I just want the ribbon cutting. That’s all I really want. That’s fine. Absolutely. I will come and celebrate anything you want me to celebrate. Sometimes it’s. I really do need some help with advertising. I need some help with traffic. Well, we have availability on our website for you to be able to put that information on our hot deals page, on our job boards, on our calendar, so that people can see where you’re located and what you’re doing. Other times, it’s about being part of the ecosystem, and that usually drives my conversation when I’m talking to larger companies. If I’m talking to those companies that are in that 5 million and above, it’s about what are you doing for your community? You moved in here.

Bernadette Pannier: You built this beautiful building. You put 500 extra bodies into our traffic. And now what are you doing? Have you invested in the local nonprofits? Have you figured out how to plant trees. Are you trying to drive additional things back to the community? Whatever you do as a business, what are you giving back? Are you going into the schools or are you doing the things that you need to do? Are you dropping off food for our police and for our fire departments? So a lot of times when I talk to the larger companies, it’s about being part of the ecosystem. It’s about being part of the bigger conversation about where the sidewalks are going and where Marta is making stops and how the busses are running. Those are the larger conversations they need to be in, because they make more of an investment in the city financially than the smaller companies will. So it’s about making them understand why we’re important and why we can help drive legislation forward in the area, and that these two cities are sisters. They touch in a bunch of different ways, and most companies don’t sit there and say, I only want to sell in Sandy Springs. I only want to sell in Dunwoody. I don’t want to sell in the other city. They want to be able to bring traffic from one to the other.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you’re talking to them, um. And, Adam, correct me if I’m wrong. When an enterprise level organization joins the chamber, all their everybody joins the chamber, right? It’s not just the senior leadership, right?

Adam Forrand: It is not for all of our members, the businesses, the member, but the representatives. All the employees are members as well. And so whether it is the small, family owned business, we want to be sure that every member of that family in that business has the opportunity and knows that that all services, all supports, all activities, all programs, all events are for every single one of them. And so we start talking about, uh, we talked about this yesterday actually, how depending regardless of the size of the enterprise, there will be salespeople, business development people who would be the best, uh, participants to engage in some of our sales and marketing supports and services. If you’re trying to advance young professionals, we’ve got programs for them. If you’ve got finance professionals, we’re hosting a webinar next week about forecasting in uncertain times, right. The finance and accounting professionals on the team need to know that, hey, we’ve got an additional opportunity for you to learn from another expert, perhaps outside of your sector or your domain or even your own organization, to give you some fresh perspective. And so we’re working hard to identify who our target audiences are, how we tag them within our membership. Because the whole membership within the whole organization, every individual in that organization who is a member can benefit from the things that we do.

Lee Kantor: Membership has its benefits. Huh? It does.

Adam Forrand: Indeed.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, can these enterprise level organizations connect with you and then make recommendations like, hey, it would be great if we had this type of, uh, you know, education Available. Are you open to having those kind of conversations?

Adam Forrand: Absolutely. We’ve had a smaller member, not necessarily a large global enterprise, come to us with his particular expertise in sustainability, with a particular focus that he wants to ensure that even smaller businesses can operate more efficiently, more effectively through sustainable practices. And so he takes his big corporate experience. Even though he is the owner operator of Hounds Town Sandy Springs. His background has ensured that his business operates sustainably and incredibly economically efficient, that he wants to champion that for fellow members as well. And so thus was born our new focus on sustainability and sustainability resources thanks to Kevin Brown. And so those suggestions, those ideas, particularly when when brought with action and support, are always welcome.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there any story you can share? I know it’s a new kind of Uh, coming together. But maybe in your experience in the chamber, working in the chambers, where a success story where a member came to you, maybe at one size and then, you know, joined the chamber and then that helped fuel their growth?

Adam Forrand: Well, we had at our orientation just a couple of weeks ago, we had a solopreneur single employee organization, a bookkeeper who had been with us socially for a couple events and was waiting for the New Year to make that investment in her membership, uh, and came to her first official orientation as a member and stood up in the middle of the event and said, I just want everyone to know that, because now that I was on the directory of members that I picked up two new clients, uh, just because of the trust that was conveyed through membership. And so in that transition from nonmember to member, and her recognizing that that membership does have its benefits and the trust that is parlayed through membership as an Active Now member on our roster earned her two new clients. Um, just by joining. Um, and so, you know, she was over the moon. She was thrilled. It was an immediate ROI for her. Um, and, you know, whether it’s a single employee solopreneur opportunity or if we’re talking about exponential growth versus incremental growth for some of our members, um, we hear those stories often and we celebrate them. And it’s a reminder to us of the of the critical nature of the work that we do for our members and for the business community.

Lee Kantor: Now, does the chamber play a role in attracting businesses to the region? Is that part of your mission?

Adam Forrand: It is. We play a role with our partners in economic development at our cities and in the region. Uh, and that role may change from time to time based upon the opportunity that comes our way. But our job is to as Bernadette spoke to, is to ensure that there’s perhaps an expectation that this business would be, uh, rooted in our community and that we, as a chamber, will help them get grounded in a community that if they choose to land and locate and to expand in the perimeter region, that we are a partner to that as well. But the expectation is that you’ll also be involved, uh, that there’ll be, uh, that they’ll be engagement, they’ll be involvement, that you will understand better the needs of our community, and perhaps the role that that company can play and help solving some of those challenges and issues as well. Right.

Lee Kantor: This isn’t something that you just pay your dues and you’re done. Like, in order for this chamber to really thrive, it requires that there is involvement and engagement. This this can’t just be, you know, a donation, that you just do it one time. You’re finished.

Adam Forrand: No, uh, in community, this is all relationship based. This is all relationship based. And particularly for our larger employers too. What’s at stake for them is not just their consumer brand or their service brand. Right. But but as an employer, if they have growth plans and they need to hire, um, and have have projections for their growth and know that the best talent is within the community that they reside. Um, how they show up in community also ensures that that trust is conveyed, that they’re here for the long run and for the right reasons as well.

Lee Kantor: Right. And and I’m sure all of these companies on their mission statement, they mentioned the importance of community.

Adam Forrand: Indeed.

Lee Kantor: So it’s time to walk the walk.

Adam Forrand: Absolutely.

Adam Forrand: And that’s what chambers as institutions within communities has always been about. Right. Um, is rooted in community for the community, with the community.

Lee Kantor: So now what’s something as you look forward into the year, in the coming years? What are what what would have to occur for you all to be high fiving? Like, this was a great year.

Adam Forrand: Well, as a membership organization. It’s all about growing our membership rank. The role, the roster. There is power in numbers, in scale and growth. Um, while we talk about expanding our capacity and our network and our resources, we also ask our members to show up not just for themselves, but for other members as well. And so with more members comes more resources and and better support in community. And so membership, organization, membership growth at the end of this year, if we have had significant growth like we expect to have in more having more members join us, then that is a that is a double high five. That’s a high ten right there. That’s uh, those are Grand Slams that were born out of singles and doubles and triples. Right. And so that’s what we’re working on.

Lee Kantor: So the metric that matters is membership.

Adam Forrand: Membership. We’re a membership organization. We’re a membership. Uh, we are we’re a business advocacy organization for our members. We are nothing without our members. And so the more members, the better.

Lee Kantor: And, Bernadette, for you, that’s obviously you’re one of the people that are kind of charged with that mission here.

Bernadette Pannier: So that’s a lot of my role. Right. So when we were when Adam and I sat down and started talking about this and we started talking about the growth opportunity in the area, it’s not necessarily just about, you know, signing up members and walking out the door. For me, I wanted to have a bigger conversation. I want to have a better conversation about membership and what that means to the members themselves. The chamber is, Adam said, is a trusted component of every community. And so I wanted to make sure that when you’ve made that investment, no matter the investment that you make, because every investment, every penny we spend is really expensive and it feels it’s an emotional component of your business. I want to make sure, though, that you’re getting the most out of it. So as you come into the chamber, are you coming to the right events? Let’s have a conversation about where your ideal client sits. If you’re telling me you need to be speaking to CFOs, let’s make sure you’re in the room with CFOs. If you’re telling me you’re a boutique and you sell mother of the bride dresses, let’s make sure that you’re around the women that are the mother of bride age. I don’t even know what that age is anymore. But let’s make sure that you’re in the room with them. Let’s make sure that maybe, potentially, you spend a little money on that event and put up a table and show everybody what you sell, or you pay a little bit more and speak in front of that crowd. So I want to make sure that these members aren’t just stamping a stamp on an envelope and throwing a check in the mail once a year. I want to make sure that they’re really looking at their spending and putting it where it makes sense, where it can make impact, and where they can develop a great footprint here in the community so that people say I shop at so and so because they show up for me and those things are important.

Bernadette Pannier: And I, I think we all learned a pretty valuable lesson a few years ago about the importance of small business and communities and how we can support each other. That is the foundation of our country that makes or breaks us as a country. We don’t necessarily thrive and survive on the top 100 businesses. They get our day to day through, but at the end of the day, the I can spend $100 and a very large retail space or $100 in a boutique. I’m making the difference in that boutique, because that boutique owner is going to be able to put food on their table, to turn on their lights and to show up the next day, because I shopped there instead. So shopping local, being involved in local community, those are huge drivers for me and I want the higher end companies the fortune 100, the fortune 500, to come into our community and help us thrive. And when they’re looking at their employees, knowing that they’re doing those things in the communities, making sure that the apartments are built in the right places, transportation is done correctly. Sidewalks are correct. Crosswalks are correct that we have all of the plug ins that we need for electric vehicles. That’s what they’re there for because they have a voice at the table amongst our legislations because they listen to them. But there’s impact. It’s like a butterfly wing. Everything makes a little bit of a ripple as you go through.

Lee Kantor: Effect is real.

Lee Kantor: Now for you, you’re looking to have more conversations with business leaders of businesses of all sizes just to have this conversation, to see where you can help them and where they can plug in to help the community.

Bernadette Pannier: Absolutely. If somebody comes to me and says, hey, I just want to be able to get my voice heard and I need to be on a podcast. Well, let’s have a better conversation. If somebody says, I’ve got a book coming out in September. I need to know how to advertise it. Great. Let’s talk about it. Um, one of my my favorite things to say is some of my best recommendations for the members that we need inside the chamber come for our other members. So as we roll into I can’t believe we’re saying this spring and summer, right. I’ve had members that have come up to me and been like, well, my pool guy quit. I need a new pool guy, and I only use people that are involved in the chamber. So then I go look for a pool guy, right? Or I need a bounce house for my kid’s party this summer I found a bounce house community. So it’s sometimes it’s just those little conversations. The members come to me and say, I need X, Y, and Z and there isn’t a member in the chamber. And maybe I’ve never thought about that person being a member. And I’m like, well, let me go find that company for you. So a lot of those conversations come. The recommendations come from the members, right? It’s their needs. They want to drink the champagne, just like we want to drink the champagne. So they don’t necessarily want to look outside the directory. They just want to go to the directory, put in what they’re looking for and use. Use the person that they know that’s already part of their community. So that’s really fun for me.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, have more substantive conversation with somebody on the team, what’s the best way to connect?

Bernadette Pannier: I would say my my email and my cell phone is on the website. You could definitely call or email us. Um, I’m on LinkedIn and my contact information is on LinkedIn as well. So definitely look for us there. Follow us on our social medias. We’re building out our Instagram’s, our Facebook’s, and we’re very excited about all the things that we’re posting. So those would be our recommendations I think.

Adam Forrand: Greater Perimeter Chamber. Com and in the show notes too.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Greater Perimeter Chamber. Com A lot of big things happening. So uh join now. All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you all next time on Greater Perimeter Chamber radio.

BRX Pro Tip: Over Analyzing is Worse Than Failing

March 4, 2025 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: Over Analyzing is Worse Than Failing

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BRX Pro Tip: Over Analyzing is Worse Than Failing

Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tip. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, talk a little bit about analyzing the potential for a future course of action and preparing for the worst.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. I think, a lot of times, people spend way too much time overanalyzing. And I think that’s so much worse than actually failing. And if everybody’s kind of worst-case scenario is failing, that sometimes is too much of an impediment to actually then beginning. So, I think, you know, they always say paralysis by analysis is one of the things out there that slow people down. And that’s excessive overthinking that can lead to decision paralysis, preventing you from taking any action at all.

You know, one of our core values is take action fast. We’re always looking to quickly get information. And I think that a lot of times, people don’t take any action because they’re too busy doing more and more research, and then the opportunity kind of leaves. And this kind of inaction is often more detrimental than making a decision and potentially failing.

Second, I think, impaired decision making also comes into play. You think you’re getting more and more information, but you really don’t know if you’re getting the right information. So, overanalyzing can actually lead to poor decision making, because you’re making assumptions that may not be part of reality. And you can create a more a bad situation, turn a bad situation into a worse situation by not taking action at all. And only by focusing on worst case outcomes, you’re missing out on other possible opportunities that you’re not able to see yet.

And then, lastly, a lot of people have this kind of perfectionism trap where they just keep waiting and waiting for it to be perfect. And that’s just unrealistic. And then, you’re not going to be making any progress and you’re not going to finish anything if you’re always waiting for the perfect time or the perfect set of circumstances to do something. So, it’s important, I believe, to take action, learn, get some feedback from reality, take those experiences back to the team, look to make some improvements, and then success is going to happen in the future. As the saying goes, “The only thing worse than failing is never trying.” By taking action, risking failure, you open yourself up to growth, learning, and potential success.

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting 2025

March 3, 2025 by angishields

BRX Onsite

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting 2025

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The inaugural Greater Perimeter Chamber Annual Meeting celebrated the launch of a new era in business leadership across Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and the broader Perimeter region.

This pivotal event unveiled their bold vision for the future and clarified what the Chamber stands FOR: business growth, innovation, and collaboration.

Jay Eibler, All In Selling LLC

DOWNLOAD HERE

Troy Fountain, The FOR Company

DOWNLOAD HERE

Debra Cohen, Symphona

DOWNLOAD HERE

Kevin Brown, Hounds Town Sandy Springs

DOWNLOAD HERE

Linda Vu, BDL Advisors

DOWNLOAD HERE

Adam Forrand, Greater Perimeter Chamber

DOWNLOAD HERE

Joe Seconder, Dunwoody City Council

DOWNLOAD HERE

Stephen Moore, RCS Productions

DOWNLOAD HERE

David Aviles, Human Interest

DOWNLOAD HERE

Andre Koleszar, Regency Centers

DOWNLOAD HERE

Natalie DeLancey, City Springs Theatre Company (CSTC)

DOWNLOAD HERE

Kevin Glass, Atlanta International School

DOWNLOAD HERE

Ann Hanlon, Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs)

DOWNLOAD HERE

Gloria Mattei, Nothing Bundt Cakes

DOWNLOAD HERE

Toni Hannah, Georgia Power

DOWNLOAD HERE

Thomas Wilson with R&H Creative Advocacy and Storytelling

March 3, 2025 by angishields

Houston Business Radio

Thomas Wilson with R&H Creative Advocacy and Storytelling

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Thomas Wilson is the founder of R&H Creative Advocacy and Storytelling, a professional writer, advocate, storyteller, and speaker with over a decade of experience. He specializes in shared storytelling, using empathy and compassion-based care to foster connection and understanding.

Thomas actively engages in community events and champions storytelling as a tool for personal growth, education reform, and leadership development.

Trisha and Thomas discussed the importance of storytelling in business, education, and personal growth, with Thomas emphasizing the need for empathy-based leadership and a shift in understanding how people learn.

They also discussed the flaws in the current education system and the importance of teaching in a way that caters to individual learning styles. Lastly, Thomas shared his favorite story, “All of the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss, and encouraged listeners to connect with him through his website or show notes.

Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn.

This 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: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio. I have the pleasure of speaking with an entrepreneur who is making a meaningful impact in the world of education, gaming, storytelling, and so much more. Mr. Thomas Wilson, thank you for being with us today.

Thomas Wilson: Thank you. I’m glad to be here.

Trisha Stetzel: I’m so excited to have you on. So tell us a little more about Thomas Wilson.

Thomas Wilson: Definitely. So, um, I always say I run our creative advocacy and storytelling. Um, but I also like to say that my story very much starts with stories. I have been a lifelong fan of stories overall and their ability to impact. My inspiration comes from being a neurodiverse youth, from a youth who had his own mental health struggles. And what I have learned is a very common story of when I was very young, before a lot of things kicked in. Being considered a genius, being considered very talented. And then as my life progressed, things changed and my neurodiversity really kicked in. My mental health did, and I dealt very much with schools, um, establishments, businesses that were meant to support people like me, deeming me too hard to work with. And I’m not here to say that I was a saint. By no means was I a saint. Um, but I faced a lot of judgment and worry. And in that time, one of my greatest connections was to stories. It helped me to feel more human, less alone, very connected, but it also really connected me to the idea of what so many people around me wanted, and the power of empathy based leadership, the power of storytelling, and really the power of sharing a story. And I realized not everyone is meant to be a storyteller or advocate or, um, you know, be a public speaker, but that is the heart of what I do. I run events, I do public speaking, I write articles, I run games, all kinds of stuff. We never have enough time in a discussion for me to go over everything I do. But the heart of it is sensory friendly care, empathy based storytelling, and in a passionate and patient mindset. Um, and that’s not just for people like me, it’s for everyone. I always say that that’s for the heart of my community is those youth, those people seeking that. But the best kind of work is always done for all people.

Trisha Stetzel: Absolutely. And if you want more information beyond what Thomas and I are going to talk about, all you have to do is Google R and H creative advocacy and storytelling. You’ll find so much more information about the difference that Thomas is making out there. I’d love to. And I know we’re going to take a couple of topics today. I want to talk a little bit about storytelling, and then I want to dive into the way the way we learn. And I think that that’s really important. And it goes along with storytelling. So, Thomas, why is storytelling so important to to adults? I know as children it’s very important. But as adults, why is storytelling so important?

Thomas Wilson: So I always say that I think it’s just because we are human. Um, storytelling is in its heart and in its core, a human experience. It is infused into our culture, into our arts, into our daily lives, our schools, our TV shows, mediums, everything. Storytelling is as human as being a human being. And yeah, there are a lot of youth that love storytelling, and I think that’s fantastic. But I think for adults in particular, we kind of are taught to move past creativity in a lot of ways. We’re taught stories are for kids or, um, that, you know, if you play or have fun. It’s childish. And I think we as people really need to hone in the idea that as kids, we love to play, we love to tell stories. We love to hear books, read books, all of these things. We love to paint. We love to do everything. And I think the main reason why it’s so important for us as adults is the reason of how much we crave it as a youth, um, in our world. And if it was not a necessity of life, we would not crave it. Um, so many youth. It’s an inherent, natural part of our life. But I think we need to challenge the. You’ve got to grow up mindset by giving up this and acknowledging play. Stories. Creativity. It’s just good for the human mind, body and spirit.

Trisha Stetzel: Absolutely. So I’d like to take it just a little further into business. Why is it important to be a good storyteller in business?

Thomas Wilson: So the first couple of things I can say are kind of generic business advice. Good stories connect us to our communities. They allow us to get on things like this talk on the radio, get our name out there. But I think especially for a business on more of like an empathetic manner or a more emotional manner. Good stories help us to understand how to better serve our community. They help us to understand how to connect to people, and they help us to understand how to get our message out there. Um, those things are so important. I think any, you know, business owner who has a degree of success knows the importance of, like, human connection. But human connection is so often stories. It’s it’s knowing how to talk to people, how to carry a conversation, how to interact and have fun. And as us, as business owners, if we want to be seen as kind, considerate or caring about our community, we have to know how to tell our stories. And especially for those people who are, you know, they don’t have the access, the ability to access a lot of buildings. They are worried about going somewhere and being overstimulating, being able to connect and tell people exactly how you can support them and potentially even gain lifelong clients, lifelong fans, dedicated workers. It really comes down to how you communicate your story.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. I love that. So I’m thinking about people who are afraid to tell stories. That’s really what’s bubbling up for me right now. And people who may feel guarded and not comfortable telling a personal story or even a story about something from their past. But I also heard you say it’s about having fun and connecting with people and being real about who you are. So what would you say to people who are afraid to open up and tell their story?

Thomas Wilson: Um, so the first thing I would say is, if you are not truly comfortable telling your story, don’t tell your story. Um, it is a very scary thing to get up in front of people and talk about yourself. Um, I think it’s I think public speaking is still like one of the top fears. I’ve heard it, like, out to death for some people. Um, but in that I would also say, if you do want to tell your story to someone, tell it to the people you trust first. Practice it on bill, utilize it in safe spaces and then if you’re comfortable, I would say work your story down to the bits that you feel comfortable sharing. Like I always tell people, I work very hard to tell my story. Not my siblings story, not my mother’s story. I work very hard when I say there was a significant loss to leave out certain things, as that impacted a lot of people and in a very negative way. And so a big thing for me is honoring the people I love by not broadcasting their life. Um, but in that I also have the elements of like, this is what happened, this has changed my life. And so it’s good to have that ethos, but it’s also good to be protective and honest in our story. And we don’t have to share everything, especially in this digital age where it seems like everybody’s giving away everything There’s a lot of power in sharing the finer points and doing it well.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that, I think that’s fantastic. So stories are a great, a great way for us to build community and to connect with other humans and even connect in business to the people we want to serve. I think that’s so important. But there’s also this whole aspect of learning from stories, which is important. We learn about others and we learn things through the stories we hear and even the stories that we tell. There’s this whole idea of the way we learn that I would love to dive into, because I know you have some thoughts around the way adults learn, and even the way we’re teaching adults. What are your thoughts around that?

Thomas Wilson: So I first I want to say, um, and I think this is something a lot of people can reflect on and appreciate. Um, our understanding of education is very flawed, not just in the United States, but around the world. I think a lot of the time. Like when I learned about my when I think about my first job, I should say, um, I had to sit down in front of a computer, do a couple hour training. Um, I was not retaining information. I was I felt very much like I was being tested, which I was. Um, and, you know, tests aren’t inherently bad, but we are learning how inherently flawed they are towards education each day. Um, but that experience was very unpleasant, and I’ve had to go through that several times. And a big part of that was because I wasn’t being taught how I learned. I wasn’t applying the skills, I wasn’t doing what I needed. But I think for a lot of people, we also come from a system that puts youth into a building, potentially with thousands of other kids. Um, so I from what I’ve heard, sometimes there could be up to 10,000 or more. And then we test them. We give them tons of homework. We have them take multiple classes. We don’t teach them what they want to learn. We create a lot of social anxiety just being in a building. We don’t have people properly staffed and supported as teachers. And then for some reason, all of these flaws that really have nothing to do with how the students are doing, um, gets blamed on the student if they’re failing or doing bad.

Thomas Wilson: Um, and then we look at how hard it is to be a kid. I know there’s a lot of people who challenge like, oh, it’s not hard to be a kid. I encourage people to look through a lens of empathy. If you say that like that’s your gut response. Um, but then we take in social anxiety worries, neurodiversity fears. And then for some reason, that’s what that’s what we do for multiple years for multiple people. And then when we get into the workplace as adults, we’re already traumatized, worried, anxious. The amount of people I talked to who don’t like red ink on a paper because it reminds them of their worry, their anxiety, failing tests. It’s astronomical. And really, all of this is centered in on. We’re not teaching people how they learn. We’re teaching them how they want to learn. And especially when you have a class of like 40 people and you have one teacher or one person doing the training, and they’re just saying, these are the facts, this is what you need to know. You can test it on your own. I’ll come around if I can. That just adds to that. And people learn in complex, different ways. And if people fail that education, it’s not so much necessarily the teacher. It’s not so much that individual, but our understanding of how people learn. And we need to change that and honor the patterns in which a person learns.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow, I love that. So by the way, I just want to take a pause here and allow you to tell people how to find you again. So if they’re interested in having a conversation or want to learn more about the work that you’re doing. Thomas, how might they find you?

Thomas Wilson: Um, yeah. So my email and I didn’t realize how many of these letters sound identical until I made the email and started telling people. Um, but my business email is n d t t rpg. Um, again, kind of a lot of similar sounds. Um, but n d t rpg at gmail. I always welcome questions. I will make sure that my LinkedIn is set up there as well, and given I will make sure that my website is available, you can also find me on Instagram and a couple other things. Although personally I’m not the biggest fan of social media, so I’m not on it a ton. Um, but I love questions. I love getting to talk to people, to explore and have conversations. I think especially as a genuinely empathetic conversation is such a missing art form in the world right now.

Trisha Stetzel: I agree, when you and I spoke over the phone a few weeks back, I knew that I wanted to have you come on so we could have this deeper conversation. I felt like we had this connection because you were so kind and empathetic just over the telephone. And now we get to meet here on video and have a deeper conversation. I want to track back then to, um, teaching the way we learn. So how do we do that? What are your thoughts around allowing people to learn how they learn?

Thomas Wilson: So I think a big first step is communication. Um, I, I’ve had I’ve done presentations where I have bullet points and things, but and you know, it can be hard, especially if you don’t not good on reading on a screen, which a lot of people aren’t. Um, but what I always try to do is one for me. Remove my ego. Um, so often I think the biggest barrier to education is the presenter’s ego. They have to be willing to answer questions. They have to be willing to redefine re-explain, um, and break down things. I always say, you know, it’s not if someone doesn’t understand. It’s not their fault necessarily. It it can be a wide variety of mental and cognitive emotional stimuli, all kinds of things that can impact that. But I think the other thing is really understanding how to communicate in an empathic way, and how to set up a space in a secure manner in which people actually feel comfortable asking for help. I’ve been in a lot of trainings, and I feel like either someone’s just talking at me, or the space is just not conducive to questions. And a lot of us are programed not to ask questions in today’s world. Um, but another big thing, I think it is really also understanding how to listen. I think as presenters, educators, we have to listen. I’m not saying listen to talk, but listening to actually listen. And then when I think we actually carry this out and this is going to be the hardest part, is making sure that you are checking in with people, refocusing, redistributing how you’re giving information.

Thomas Wilson: Um, and I think one of the easiest ways to do that is have your target audience there and offer the education style based on what people are seeing. So, like I do a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, and I work with beginner friendly groups, and I will broadcast that as beginner like a beginner group. And if you want people to learn a certain way, I highly encourage saying like, okay, sensory friendly classroom in the title or in the description Corruption or, um, you know, patient, kind or just like, slow paced, kind of like keywords that really catch the eye. Um, and I would also emphasize each class having that discussion on, okay, we’re going to talk about this. Let’s work together. Let’s have this conversation as we go. And I think the last thing is if you get feedback, change your training going forward based on that feedback, some feedback is going to be outright toxic. Some is not is not going to be conducive. Um, especially as someone who has a lot of his work is influenced by reviews and things. It can be really hard to like take some of that feedback. But I think especially if you place that as like, this is what we’re expecting, this is what we’re doing. This is why you were here, and let’s work together. I think that’s one of the easiest ways to emphasize that feedback is going to be positive.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, we need that feedback loop as trainers, as educators. Uh, before we started recording, I said I was really interested in this topic because I spent a lot of my time training or facilitating conversations with adults, professional adults. And I think one of the things that I think I know, one of the things that you said is people are expected. Adults even are expected to learn a certain way. So oftentimes we create our curriculum to be that of the expected way that we would teach. So I love all of the input that you’ve had here on those those things. So what other tools can we use, Thomas, to teach adults?

Thomas Wilson: Um, so I so I love that question because I think it varies very much. Um, I would say the first thing I always recommend, communicate with your audience before you start teaching them. Gather what they need. And it’s always hard to get like, I work with a lot of young youth who have autism, and it’s always hard to convince someone to display like personal information before they’re actually there and they feel comfortable. Um, but I would encourage, um, so something I’m doing, I’m running a class with my local pace center. Um, and what I’ve been doing is constant positive communication, even if that’s just a reminder of like, hey, class is a week out or a few weeks out. I’m so excited to hear from you. Um, I also will implement like, positivity, like positive feedback on what I observed and like being genuinely grateful for people being signed up for something. I also think in that vein, a really instrumental tool that I’m kind of surprised I haven’t brought it up yet. Is a strengths based mindset. Um, we live in a world that is so deficit based, um, and is so just inherently targeted towards groups of people, um, adults, youth, really. We all fit into it. And so many people are met with, oh, you got a 50 on a test, meet me after class with like a negative mark or an unhappy face versus you got a 50 on a test.

Thomas Wilson: How can we help you succeed? How can we make this better? Let’s create a game plan. And so I would say if you can also greet people with that like genuinely do that, that’s huge. Another thing is really implementing the mindset of um, perfection is not going to happen. Uh, another little saying I have is we’re not going to try to be perfect, but we’re going to do our best. It’s really helpful. And the last thing I would say is, um, as you’re teaching other tools that you can have really quickly for the sake of time, um, make sure that you’re highlighting those strengths, that people show that growth, all of that. Make sure that you are representing the people in your class well, on social media, um, on everything you post. And then the other really quick thing is make sure that you are emphasizing to people that their voice matters. And either that’s on social media, that’s after the class, whatever. Make sure you’re honoring that by getting proper permissions, um, in those trainings to reflect that positivity and to make sure that people know that you’re not going to just, like, take photos of them and put them on social media.

Trisha Stetzel: Right? Yeah, that’s a that is definitely a big deal. We need to honor their privacy. I love that you used strengths based mindset. I do an exercise called Areas of Awesome, so I love that exercise. I do a lot of things, Thomas, that I feel are what we would consider maybe juvenile teaching tools like puzzles, games, colors, using markers on a whiteboard, music. How do you feel about those kinds of, uh, teaching mechanisms for adults?

Thomas Wilson: I think they’re necessary. Um, those are we, as human beings, so often love stimuli? Um, there’s a lot of negative stimuli that can happen, but having a fun, creative space, I think is a really powerful way to emphasize and to encourage the idea of a relaxed learning space. The only thing that I have to say, and I’m not necessarily saying this you, but to a wider group of people is make sure you don’t, you know, disregard or make it too child like? Um, I work with a lot of people, um, who are. Who, like, they’re adults. They’re in their 50s, 40s, 30s, whatever. And they show up to someone and something. Someone knows they have a diagnosis and they’re greeted with the hey buddy kind of mindset, or like the removal of the name altogether. Um, the other thing I would say is, like, if someone says something but you don’t catch it and you have those tools, don’t just go, okay, well, we’re moving on. Actually ask that person to repeat again and listen better. Like double down on it. And then with those tools as well, I would also emphasize and this is something I work really hard to do. Um, you know, don’t force them on people. Right. Those tools are great. They’re powerful. They’re they’re fun. But in that, a lot of times those games can become a really, really quick way to like de-age a human being. And one of the key ways that can happen is when someone, especially if they have a diagnosis with something and someone shows up immediately and does it for them. Um, and then just assumes that they did the right thing. Um, and so those are things that I would always add to that. But I think fun stimuli. Fun things, when they’re utilized well, they aren’t absolute necessity.

Trisha Stetzel: Fantastic. This has been wonderful. You’re going to have to come back because we’re out of time. I don’t know where our time went today. So as we get to the back half of our conversation, Thomas, I’d love for you to share a story. Uh, it could be one of your stories. It could be a story of somebody that you’ve worked with. Of course, respecting that. We don’t have to tell anybody’s names, but I’d love to hear one of your favorite stories.

Thomas Wilson: So, um, I think I’m going to cheat it a little bit. One of my all time favorite stories is the Doctor Seuss book um, All the Places You’ll Go. That book has, uh. For a while, it popped up in my life at some really interesting points, like when I was struggling in elementary school. That book was always in a classroom, or when I was struggling in high school that would that book popped up and I didn’t notice a trend in it until I was talking to one of my high school counselors at one school I was at. And she’s like, this is hard, but it is, um, it’s just a hiccup. And she mentioned that because I’ve read it several times. And so when I went back to my program that I was at really struggling in a mainstream school system, she sent me a card and it just said, see, like it’s just a hiccup. And it had all the places you’ll go on it. And shortly after that, when I graduated high school, something a lot of people never thought I would. Um, the high school itself, they got all the teachers to sign it, and they handed it to me. But they also gave me the book signed by the principal. And it was all the places you’ll go. And since then, that book has popped up in my life in some very interesting times, kind of unexpectedly. But the story of someone just exploring life and going to all these far off places and doing all of these amazing things has a very strong spiritual kind of mental, metaphysical connection to me. And it is not the most, um, conventional book people jump to, but it’s it’s one of those books that has become like a part of my story.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow. I love that all of the places you’ll go. How did you know I love that? I love Doctor Seuss as well. Thomas, thank you so much for being with me today. You are. All of the things that you shared today are absolutely incredible, and I know that the listeners that, um, listen to my show every week are going to get so much value out of our conversations today.

Thomas Wilson: Thank you very much. It’s been a lot of fun.

Trisha Stetzel: Good. I’m glad again, if you would like to connect with Thomas, you can find him at. He’s the creator of R and H creativity. Uh, excuse me. Creative Advocacy and Storytelling, LLC. You can Google that, or I’ll put all of his contact information in the show notes so you can just point and click. Thanks again, Thomas, for being with me today.

Thomas Wilson: Thank you.

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

Nancy Mills with Bluebonnet Equine Foster Program

March 3, 2025 by angishields

Houston Business Radio

Nancy Mills with Bluebonnet Equine Foster Program

00:00 /

A native Texan, Nancy Mills brings over 20 years of global business experience helping companies innovate and grow. She has done international marketing, sales, strategic innovation, and mergers and acquisitions.

Understanding the value of human capital as an asset, she facilitates smooth integration of merged companies through impactful management of people and processes. Nancy has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BA in Mass Communication, summa cum laude.

Trisha and Nancy discussed the Bluebonnet Equine Foster Program, a horse rescue organization based in College Station, Texas. They highlighted the therapeutic benefits of horses, particularly for children with physical and emotional challenges, and shared personal stories about the positive impact of horses on families.

Lastly, they emphasized the need for adoptive homes for horses and encouraged listeners to spread the word about the Bluebonnet Equine program and to apply if they have land and a passion for horses.

Connect with Nancy on LinkedIn.

This 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: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another awesome episode of Houston Business Radio. I’m so excited to have this guest back. She’s been on before. We were talking about business. This time we’re talking about a project. Nancy Mills, business Prosperity Advisor is on with me today. Nancy, welcome back to the show.

Nancy Mills: Hey, Trisha. Thank you.

Trisha Stetzel: I’m so excited that you’re here. We were just having a conversation the other day, and this project came up like, Nancy, you have to come on the show to talk about this project. I’m so excited about what you’re doing with Bluebonnet Equine Foster Program. So first, before we get into that, will you just remind our listeners who Nancy is? Tell us a little bit about you and what you do in your business, and then we’ll jump into the project.

Nancy Mills: Sure. Trisha. I live in the Houston area. I am a business prosperity advisor, which means I help business owners make their company more valuable and more attractive to buyers and investors.

Trisha Stetzel: I love it, so if you’re interested in hearing that, if you didn’t already listen to that show, just do a search for Nancy Mills and you will find that show and you can listen back to it and see if you need something from her on the business side of things. Let’s jump into the project. Tell me more about the Bluebonnet Equine Foster program. Nancy.

Nancy Mills: Okay. And just as a disclaimer, I don’t work for Bluebonnet. I’m merely a citizen that wants to help them because I believe in their mission, and I see how well run and organized they are. So I’m not affiliated with them officially. Okay. Proponent. Bluebonnet equine is a horse rescue organization based in College Station, Texas, which is near A&M University. And it’s run by a veterinarian. And the they rescue and rehabilitate and adopt out horses that have been neglected or forcibly removed from their homes or voluntarily given up.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. So, Nancy, why in the world would you get involved with this program?

Nancy Mills: I’ve always loved horses, Trisha. I was lucky enough to grow up with horses in the suburbs, which used to be a rural part of Houston. And I know how wonderful they are and what great companions and friends they can be. And now that I live in an area where I can’t have horses, I’ve been dreaming of getting one. And I know there are a lot of horses in need of homes. I would like to add that Texas, out of all the US states, has the highest number of horses in need of adoption because of course, we’re a big state, but we just have a lot of horses here. And they have been traditionally, you know, as economies fall and rise, they’ve been difficult to care for. And they get they get pushed aside as people can’t keep them or keep them well enough. So we have the largest horse population in the country in need of adoption. And so in the back of my mind for years now, I’ve said, I’m going to adopt a horse when I have land. And then recently, in the past six months, I’ve realized that even though I’m not ready, I can still help out. And I’ve been. I was searching for an organization. I started with the SPCA in Houston, and I realized that this Bluebonnet Farm services, all of Texas, and they’re specifically focused only on horses. And as I researched them more and now I’ve been talking with the people there, I realized this is the organization that needs the most help.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that Nancy, and I know you did your homework before you chose an organization to serve. So just because I know you and how you like to engage with people, and I think that’s really beautiful. Um, let’s dive into what they need, because we’re talking about fostering. Some people may be listening and saying, right, well, I. What? What in the world does that mean? So let’s talk about that foster program, exactly what you’re looking for. And then I’d like to back into some stories after that.

Nancy Mills: Yeah, sure. Exactly. And and what I didn’t mention for your last question is that just because I can’t help any horses right now directly, I’m trying to help them indirectly through our community. We have wonderful people in Texas that are big hearted, and they just don’t know that these opportunities exist. So I’m just here to spread the word and see what other people are out there that want to participate. Um, and we can together, we can make a huge difference with these beautiful animals. So fostering is a temporary home for someone. Of course, people have heard of fostering children, and you can also foster dogs and cats from your local animal rescue. And the benefit of fostering an animal for the animal is that, first of all, they might have been mistreated in the past, so they have a fear of humans. Um, sometimes they have health issues where they need extra food, extra care, extra love. Um, we can’t let that scare anybody off. Because if someone does apply to be a foster caregiver through this organization, they will receive a stipend, which is a monthly amount to pay for the food, as well as reimbursements for vet bills and all the other care. So if someone would like to be a foster caregiver, they do not need to spend much of their own money, but they would fill out an application to be approved that they have the right type of environment that’s safe for the animal. And then they would wait for when there’s a need, an overflow of animals, because when they go and rescue horses from ranches, sometimes they can take 100 at a time. And so Bluebonnet doesn’t have that capacity all the time. So they need these helpful citizens to have already applied and been be ready for when this overflow happens. And there’s a need suddenly. And so, um, to, to apply to be a foster caregiver, then you would just give temporary temporary care to this animal and they’re up for adoption. So when they get adopted out then the foster caregiver would, you know, give the animal back.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. Yeah. So specifically Nancy what are you looking for in these applicants as foster homes.

Nancy Mills: Great question. So I have I um I have some details here. I have a little presentation. So what they need is land with a fence around it. Okay. Each city or community has guidelines on the number of horses that can be per acre. Like where I grew up, we could have two horses per acre. So it depends on your your neighborhood, your community. What the guidelines are would be the number of animals you could care for at one time. You don’t have to have a barn. It is preferred, obviously, but it’s not even required. Um, and you don’t even have to know how to care for a horse, because Bluebonnet will provide you a mentor. So you need land with a fence, ideally some sort of shelter. It doesn’t even have to be a closed up barn. It could be a lean 2 or 3 sided shelter. Is is really good enough for any horse. And then to fill out an application on their website, um, and become a member of Bluebonnet Bluebonnet Equine, which right now is only $25 a year. So they the individual would fill out an application, pay for a yearly membership and then just wait to be contacted.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. And you’re focused on a particular area, like you have some connections in the greater Houston area. And you and I were having a conversation about I have some connections in rural South Texas, which could be really beneficial to Bluebonnet, these folks who, um, space. So can you talk about like, who you’re really reaching out to and what your goal is? We talk about that too.

Nancy Mills: Thank you. My goal is ten successful applications between now and March 15th, 2025. Um, and that would be obviously, um, there’s not a need right now for all of for all ten people to immediately take an animal. So that is just fill out an application, be approved and wait for when they need you. That’s my goal is ten successful applications, and I am focusing on the greater Houston area only because this is where I am and because I know more people here. But like you said, Trisha, there is more land when we get outside of the metro areas and there’s more likelihood that people are, you know, have the capacity to, to keep these animals. So I’m the program works all across Texas, so there’s no restriction in that matter. And if people are in the major metropolitan areas Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, it’s more likely that they can get also the transportation for free because Bluebonnet has a great number of volunteers already with trailers. And even though on their website they say transportation will not be provided. They told me directly on the phone that there’s so many of their volunteers are driving to the major cities in the metro areas that most likely transportation would also be provided.

Trisha Stetzel: That’s wonderful. So what I’m hearing is we’re looking for people who have enough space, land. It needs to be fenced. Yes, having a barn is not a requirement, but some sort of shelter. You don’t have to be a skilled horse owner because you could get a mentor, but it sounds like a really great fit. Nancy is somebody who may have had horses in the past, or have less horses than they used to, and they could take on another horse as a foster. Is that? Yes.

Nancy Mills: That’s exactly right, Trisha. And like you pointed out before we started recording, they need to be able bodied, I mean, in some way or another. Like if they are, um, never home, uh, that won’t really work because they do need an eye kept on them. They need to be looked out for. Um, if someone doesn’t want to walk out into the pasture, that’s an issue because they really do need need the human contact. Even you can get an automatic feeder, but that’s not really the care. These animals need some tender loving care, some soft spoken voice, some little scratches behind the ear. They need to be lovingly interacted with.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. And you and I were talking about how therapeutic horses can be. And so just as a reminder to people who have had horses in the past and may not feel like they’re ready or haven’t even thought about fostering a horse, remember how therapeutic they can be. And if you’re a first timer, it’s it’s almost life changing, I think. Nancy, you were telling me a story about a horse that you had, uh, put into a therapy program.

Nancy Mills: Yes. Uh, when I, lived in Arizona for graduate school, and I was moving to Europe, and I had my horse that I had grown up with, and he was my best friend growing up. He we grew up together. He was so gentle, but he was a little bit wild because when he turned two and we could ride him, he still had so much energy that, you know, I got in some pretty hairy situations that ever happened. But he he got tamer and tamer as the years went on. And he lived a really long life. But I was leaving Arizona and was praying about what I could do with my best friend. And the answer came to me really quickly to find a equine therapy facility. And I found one right away. They were new. They were newly setting up, so he was their first animal. And it was for children that have Miss Wow and children with miss. They have great physical benefit from being on the back of a horse because when the horse walks, it moves the rider’s hips in a way that mimics walking. And when kids aren’t walking well by themselves, the movement of the horse greatly helps their physical well-being.

Nancy Mills: But the emotional component is just as important. And they also started bringing kids over there that just had emotional difficulties, maybe from troubled homes or other problems that they had. And one of my favorite stories that my horse did for someone who was there was this teenage boy that had stopped talking to anyone. He was not communicating to his family, to his teachers, to his friends. He had completely stopped talking, but he would go out to this place and he would talk and talk to my horse. And I love that story. And when he finally, when my horse finally died, they erected a memorial. They called it a memorial trail for him, because he brought so much joy and healing to so many young people. Wow. And so the animals, yes, they can definitely benefit children. And it’s also builds courage in children because they can look so intimidating and scary. The big horse with a little person. But once you interact and see how gentle the animal is, then it builds a lot of courage in the person. But also for adults, we get just as many benefits from being around them.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Nancy, what was your horse’s name?

Nancy Mills: Ramon.

Trisha Stetzel: Ramon I love that. And so now there’s a trail named for him. That’s beautiful. Uh, I, I was sharing with you that my husband has never had, never interfaced with horses. And a veteran friend of ours who we are very close with lives in Arizona. And he and his wife adopted, um, at least four wild mustangs from a farm that, um, where the owner had passed. And so I’ve. I grew up with horses like you did. I didn’t have one that was mine. But I grew up on a farm, so I had access to horses. And when we go to Arizona and visit our friends and see these horses, it’s so therapeutic. And my husband, you can just see the calmness that comes over him. And even if you’re just brushing them right. Yes. And it’s it’s equal between the human and the animal. The animal gets so much from it. Yeah.

Nancy Mills: Yes. Yes it is. It’s a real connection. It’s a beautiful experience.

Trisha Stetzel: It is. I’m so excited that you’re working on this program. So your goal is to get ten applications approved of families who have land and a place to foster a horse. Yes. When the Bluebonnet Farms has a need right now, they don’t have an overflow need. But you need to have those applicants in place and ready to go for when there is a need.

Nancy Mills: Yes. And they said that’s the best help that people can do is fill out the application early and be ready.

Trisha Stetzel: Perfect. You mentioned something else, Nancy. Uh, so if we have listeners that don’t have land, they don’t have room to foster a horse. What can they be doing?

Nancy Mills: Thank you for that question. We would ask that they spread the word that they just think of anybody they might know in Texas that they could directly mention this to. Or if they don’t know anybody in Texas, um, or don’t know anybody with land, just to somehow make a post about it on your social media or anywhere you choose.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. Can you tell folks the website that they can find more information about Bluebonnet?

Nancy Mills: Yes, it’s Bluebonnet equine.org and the foster application pages slash foster. So that’s spelled blue b l u e b o double n bonnet with two n’s e t e q u I n Org forward. Slash. Foster.

Trisha Stetzel: Fantastic. And, Nancy, your goal is to have these applicants approved in March. Middle of March. Can they if they hear this playback at some point, they still apply.

Nancy Mills: Absolutely. It’s an ongoing need. It will not go away. It. Please, anytime you hear this or think of this, or are inspired or moved by this anytime in the future, please do this anyway.

Trisha Stetzel: So if you’re a horse lover, if you know someone who is a horse lover, if you’re in the state of Texas, please reach out. Nancy, would you prefer that they go straight to the website to the foster application, or shall they reach out to you as well?

Nancy Mills: They’re welcome to reach out to me as well. I can give my phone number, but if they when they’re doing the application, if they can say, how did you hear about us? If you’d please write Nancy Mills so that we can keep track of the people that I bring there. I get nothing out of it but deep satisfaction and joy, but I would love it if we could keep track of who does go there from from this message. I love that, but my number, if I may give it, if people want to text me is (281) 317-0347, and I can answer any questions because I couldn’t go over all the details right now. But I can provide people with a lot more information if they have any doubts or questions.

Trisha Stetzel: You’re doing amazing work for the community, so serving the community is what it’s all about, right? Yes. And you and I haven’t connected in months. It felt like when we spoke just recently. And for this to be happening right now, there was some reason why we were drawn together just recently. Right, right. So glad that you’ve been on the show with me today. Can you? As we get to the back end of our conversation here, I’d love for you to share. You’ve shared some personal stories, um, around. Why you have such an affinity for horses and you love being around them. But I know that you may have a story that you’d like to share about Bluebonnet Equine in particular.

Nancy Mills: Sure. Yes. And Bluebonnet has a lot of great case studies of their own on their website. But my, um, happy story was the first, um, family that I brought in as an applicant to this. Um, they were referred to me by someone in the business community because every meeting I have, I talk about this as well. And and someone always pipes up with, you should talk to so and so. And this is a former military, um, family. And they have land. They live outside of Houston. They’re not anywhere near the city. Um, but they just have big hearts and some time and some space. And so when I told them about this opportunity, they were so excited. This husband and wife, um, and they have a daughter. And so they said, you know, how can we get involved? And so they filled out the application right away. And they keep thanking me just for that, because they they didn’t know that this thing even existed, that anyone can foster a horse and help out this way. And it makes them feel so good to know that they can contribute in this way and use their land for a positive purpose.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. And just to reiterate, you said there is a stipend for anybody who’s doing foster care, so Bluebonnet Equine will actually help with the cost of the fostering. So that’s not something people should be concerned about or afraid of. Yeah.

Nancy Mills: That’s exactly right. They get they have a stipend for the food. It depends on the situation more or less depending on the animal’s needs, plus a reimbursement for vet bills and farrier bills, which are the the hoof care.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, fantastic. Um, we talked a little bit before we started recording about adoption as well. Your focus today is on fostering and getting those applications Locations filled out and the humans approved for readiness to bring on a foster horse. But there. There are also opportunities for adoption.

Nancy Mills: Yes, that’s correct. And that’s a great point. There’s always a need for adoptive homes as well. Um, adoption, of course, is a permanent home given to the animal. Um, the approval process. I’m not familiar with it yet. I haven’t gone through it. Um, the stipend is no longer available. So when if a person wants to adopt, that means they’re taking full responsibility for that horse. Um, but there there’s a lot of them on the website. You can read about them, you can see their pictures. And then I believe anybody can make an appointment and go and visit these animals and interact with them. And I believe their website is kept up to date with which animals are up for adoption. But aside from the foster home, the equine bluebonnet equines biggest need is adoptive homes for these horses.

Trisha Stetzel: Beautiful. Again. If you are curious and you want more information, certainly you can reach directly out to Nancy. I will put her phone number in the show notes so that you can grab it from there and reach out to her directly, or go to Bluebonnet Equinor’s. Org and find more information there. Forward slash foster because we’re all going to help Nancy reach her goal of getting those ten applicants in March. Nancy, I know you prepared a whole lot of notes and I asked you lots of fun things, but is there anything that you put together that you wanted to share today with the audience that we haven’t touched on yet?

Nancy Mills: Well, I would like to just say that the timing is perfect because we’re going into rodeo season and tomorrow is Go Texan Day, where we all celebrate the rodeo season getting underway. And I know thousands and tens of thousands of people come to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. And for all of you that love the rodeo and that it love the livestock and the horses and everything that goes along with being rodeo. This is your way to have your own part of the, you know, the legend of being a Texan and giving back in that way. Because again, I love Texas. I love the big hearts of the citizens that live here. And I know we can we can do this and we can make this program very successful.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. That’s beautiful. Thank you. Nancy. You know, I continue to find more and more ways that we’re connected and how our energy just puts us together all the time. We have an Arizona connection. We have a horse connection. We have a business connection. Uh, and I just love having these conversations with you. I would love if you keep me posted around how things are going. Anyone who’s listening today or even in the future, please go to the website, check it out. If you have land and you feel like you’re a good candidate to be a foster, go fill out an application. It’s pretty easy. You just got to get your your information out there and when there is a need, then we’re ready.

Nancy Mills: Exactly right. Thank you. Trisha. This was such a blessing. You are such a blessing. Thank you.

Trisha Stetzel: Thank you. Nancy, I’m so excited that you came on with me today. I can’t wait to have you back. Maybe we’ll have to have you back in the fall. You can give us an update on business and how this Bluebonnet project went for you. Um, and I hope you have an amazing day.

Nancy Mills: You too. And thanks to all the listeners out there.

Trisha Stetzel: Thank you. Nancy, again, everything in the show notes so that you can reach out to Nancy or get more information for the Bluebonnet Equine, Bluebonnet equine.org. That’s all the time we have for today’s show. Join us next time for another exciting episode of Houston Business Radio. Until then, stay tuned, stay inspired, and keep thriving in the Houston business community.

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Toni Hannah with Georgia Power

March 3, 2025 by angishields

Chamber Spotlight

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Toni Hannah with Georgia Power

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The inaugural Greater Perimeter Chamber Annual Meeting celebrated the launch of a new era in business leadership across Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and the broader Perimeter region. This pivotal event unveiled their bold vision for the future and clarified what the Chamber stands FOR: business growth, innovation, and collaboration.

Toni Hannah, External Affairs Professional with Georgia Power, is a results oriented External Affairs professional with fifteen+ years experience working with Fortune 500 companies.

She has a proven ability to work with executive management to effectively integrate strategic initiatives into business functions.

Connect with Toni on LinkedIn.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the greater perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Chamber Spotlight. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter Chamber inaugural annual meeting. So excited to be talking to my next guest, the headliner. Today we have Toni Hannah with Georgia Power. Welcome.

Toni Hannah: Thank you so much. I’m excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: Well, Tony, I’m asking everybody and I’m going to ask you, why are you for the Greater Perimeter Chamber.

Toni Hannah: So thank you for asking that question. I met with Adam several months ago as they were talking about this, this new idea for merging the chambers. And I think it’s a wonderful idea. The reason that I’m for it is I’m for collaboration. I am for economic growth, I am for partnerships, and I am for seeing businesses succeed in the perimeter of the greater perimeter area. So that’s why I’m for it? Yes, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: Now, usually we ask our guests to tell us about their company. But your company is Georgia Power, and it’s kind of ubiquitous around here. So it’s hard to ask that question. But do you want to share anything about Georgia Power that maybe we don’t know, and maybe we don’t kind of appreciate that you’re doing behind the scenes that maybe we’re taking for granted, but you want to kind of spotlight it a little bit.

Toni Hannah: Sure. So when I gave my remarks earlier, everybody pretty much knows what we do. But I think one of the things that we love to highlight that people don’t understand that we do is what we call being a citizen wherever we serve. So we’ve got employees across the state that give so much in so many different ways, and people don’t know about that. So again, we’re a citizen wherever we serve. And of course we provide power and all that good stuff. But our company contributed. In 2023, our company contributed $34 million to various organizations which support education, communities in need and the environment. A lot of people don’t know that, and our employees actually give out of pocket in 2023, we gave 900,000, almost $1 million of our personal earnings to what we call our Club of Hearts campaign to support the organizations which are personally near and dear to our hearts. And then our volunteer organization, um, citizens of Georgia Power. We’ve got 11,000 members across the state and 38 chapters, and our employees volunteered more than 77,000 hours of their time to help communities and organizations in need. So a lot of people don’t think about us when we talk about giving back to the community. They think about us in terms of keeping the lights on. But I’m really proud of the work that we do to support our communities.

Lee Kantor: Now. Do you if you were to pitch other enterprise level organizations around the perimeter to get involved and to lean in like Georgia Power has, can you explain why that was important to you, and why it would be important for other enterprise level organizations to really kind of lean into this effort to create a more thriving, greater perimeter.

Toni Hannah: Absolutely. So I think about one of the things that I mentioned in my preliminary remarks, Georgia is growing like gangbusters. So many businesses want to be here. We’re like the number one state to do business in the country. And so as we have that growth, it’s obviously impacting perimeter. We’ve got a lot of opportunity here. And we need all businesses in the area to get involved, to have their say, to know what’s going on, to collaborate. And that’s why it’s important to be part of this.

Lee Kantor: And then so far, this is kind of the beginning. Obviously it’s the inaugural annual meeting. What are you most looking forward to as we continue the growth?

Toni Hannah: So looking forward to honestly having a seat at the table. Georgia Power is new in terms of supporting the perimeter, the greater perimeter chamber where a new member. And so getting to know other leaders. It’s interesting having a seat at the table when you hear what’s going on, what are the concerns, what are the challenges. How we can work collaboratively as a team, um, to come together. And so being at the table, you’re privy to those conversations, you’re hearing what’s happening. And you’re like, for me, I’m hearing what’s happening, but also I’m looking at how can I collaborate, how can I support. And so I think that that’s important.

Lee Kantor: So what are some of the ways you look most forward to supporting moving forward.

Toni Hannah: So really kind of gaining a better understanding of what’s currently happening, what the needs are, future growth potential? I know we’ve got some businesses up this way, um, that are making a positive impact, economic impact in terms of revenue and jobs. And so just being more tied in to see how I can, how I can support.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you? Do you need more connections with these leaders? What what could we be doing more to help you achieve what you’re trying to accomplish?

Speaker4: I think that’s great. I think, you.

Toni Hannah: Know, events like today where you have the opportunity not not only to hear from great speakers, but to network to. I know people don’t like the word networking, but it’s building. It’s all about building relationships, right? And it is building relationships, establishing trust with each other. And again, just kind of hearing what’s happening and figuring out how to plug in and to support. And so I think in terms of how it’s like helping it’s reciprocal, how we can help each other, It’s just again, having a seat at the table, hearing about what’s going on, connecting with other leaders to make positive things happen moving forward.

Lee Kantor: Right. It’s like they said, the rising tide lifts all the boats. Absolutely. The more the area grows, the more that benefits Georgia Power. Absolutely. They’re I mean, they’re just built into the equation.

Toni Hannah: Yes.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more about what’s happening with Georgia Power or to connect or collaborate with you, what’s the best way to do that?

Toni Hannah: Absolutely. So you can go on to Georgia Power’s website, Georgia power.com. It’s easy to remember. Yes. Um, and then we’ve got information about like how to plug in the things that are top priorities with us right now. And then there is, I guess, an org chart, if you will, in terms of getting in touch with me personally, I am part of what they call the Metro North region, and my contact information is there as well.

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

Toni Hannah: So much. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor signing off.

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Gloria Mattei with Nothing Bundt Cakes

March 3, 2025 by angishields

Chamber Spotlight

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Gloria Mattei with Nothing Bundt Cakes

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Gloria Mattei is a local owner for 3 locations of Nothing Bundt Cakes in Georgia; Alpharetta, Sandy Springs and Buckhead.

She’s proudly serving the North Fulton GA 400 corridor by bringing joy to the community with the best cake you will ever taste, share, and give.

Nothing Bundt Cakes specializes in celebrations of all types, starting with the small, just because, and everyday celebrations to say thank you to our connections, birthdays, corporate gifting, and all the way to very special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries.

Connect with Gloria on LinkedIn.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the greater perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Chamber Spotlight. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter Chamber inaugural annual meeting. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Gloria Mattei. Mattei.

Gloria Mattei: Correct.

Lee Kantor: With Nothing Bundt Cakes. Welcome.

Gloria Mattei: Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: Well, Gloria, I’m asking everybody and I’m going to ask you, why are you for the Greater Perimeter Chamber?

Gloria Mattei: So Greater Perimeter Chamber. I am for Greater Perimeter Chamber. For sure. We are on one perspective, a community builder for Greater Perimeter Chamber. We love to be part of the community. We love to bring joy to the community. We love to be that celebration piece for the community.

Lee Kantor: So tell us about Nothing Bundt Cakes. What’s your backstory? How’d you get involved with that?

Gloria Mattei: Nothing. Bundt cakes is a franchise, and I luckily own the markets of Alpharetta, Sandy Springs and Buckhead. I joined the brand when I was looking for an opportunity where I could build a platform for my son. My son is autistic, and I wanted to create a platform that could allow him to build the soft skills that I knew he needed because he was going to struggle in corporate world. And so, long story short, that’s how I decided to open a nothing bundt cakes with my purpose in mind, which was that.

Lee Kantor: So has it kind of gone as you planned?

Gloria Mattei: Oh my God, yes, it has been a great opportunity. He was able to utilize the business as his forefront in engaging in conversation. He has grown through that and now he is trying to pursue a hospitality degree.

Lee Kantor: Now, did you start with one franchise and expand to three, or did you go into the market with the three?

Gloria Mattei: No, I started my first one in Alpharetta, then the second one in Sandy Springs, and now the third one in Buckhead is in construction. So you’re.

Lee Kantor: Moving down the down 400.

Gloria Mattei: Kind of. Yeah, I certainly am between North Fulton and Perimeter area. Right.

Lee Kantor: So who is the ideal client for Nothing Bundt Cakes do you. Is it just anybody who likes cake, or do you work with companies as well as maybe corporate gifts, things like that.

Gloria Mattei: Everyone is is a is a great guest. So anybody that is looking into any celebration and when I say celebration I talk more beyond birthdays and anniversaries. But it’s weddings is celebrating your clients right. Appreciating your employees. It’s thinner management companies that are looking for that sweet treat for a tenant and that thank you gift and, um, baby showers. And, um, I’m so sorry, as a sympathy gift, all of those celebrations in different ways that we can be part of.

Lee Kantor: So if somebody wants to learn more, what’s the best way to connect with you?

Gloria Mattei: Oh, the best way you can go to Nothing Bundt cakes.com. And you can select any of our bakeries that is closer to you. And um, of course, we’re in Alpharetta, Sandy Springs and uh, Buckhead Baking soon, which are mine. But you can select that bakery that is the most convenient to you.

Lee Kantor: Well, Gloria, thank you so much for sharing your story today. Thank you.

Gloria Mattei: So much. For.

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Ann Hanlon with Perimeter CIDs

March 3, 2025 by angishields

Chamber Spotlight

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Ann Hanlon with Perimeter CIDs

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As Executive Director for the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs), Ann Hanlon is in charge of the organization’s daily operations, as well as its investments in transportation infrastructure.

The CIDs have an annual operating budget of over $8 million. Previously, Ann was the Executive Director of the the North Fulton CID for 13 years, beginning when it was a start-up. Prior to entering the CID space, Ann served as a Senior Program Specialist at the Atlanta Regional Commission.

A native of South Georgia, Ann received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Government and Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters of Public Administration degree in Management and Finance from Georgia State University.

Ann was honored as the “Woman of the Year” by the Women’s Transportation Seminar Atlanta Chapter in November 2016. In April 2015 and again in 2017, Governor Nathan Deal appointed Ann to the Board of Directors for the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority where she serves on the Projects and Planning committees. Ann was named a “Notable Georgian” by Georgia Trend Magazine in 2017, one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Women Who Mean Business” in 2015 and as one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s “40 under 40” in 2012 and 2018.

In 2019, she served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Council for Quality Growth as the Council’s first female Chairman. Additionally, Ann serves on the Board of Directors for the Women’s’ Transportation Seminar, Atlanta Chapter, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody Perimeter Chambers of Commerce, and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce.

In 2020, Ann was appointed by CEO Michael Thurmond to the DeKalb County COVID19 task force, and continues to serve in that capacity as a representative of large business interests in Perimeter during the pandemic.

Ann is a graduate of the Regional Leadership Institute of the Atlanta Regional Commission (2010) and Leadership North Fulton (2006). Personally, Ann is a volunteer with the Girl Scouts of Metro Atlanta, a member of All Saints Catholic Church and a sustainer with the Junior League of Atlanta. She lives in Dunwoody with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters.

Connect with Ann on LinkedIn.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the greater perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Chamber Spotlight. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter Chamber inaugural annual meeting. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Anne Hanlon with Perimeter CIDs. Welcome.

Ann Hanlon: Thank you so much. I’m thrilled to be here.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m asking everybody, why are you for the Greater Perimeter Chamber?

Ann Hanlon: Oh, I’m so excited to be here today. The kid has been in this market as a community partner since 1999. So we’ve spent decades advocating for this area. And I’m really, really excited that the chamber now is bringing an additional layer of horsepower to our ability to advocate for this region, for transportation projects and economic development, and just making our community a better place.

Lee Kantor: Can you educate our listeners a little bit about us, Sid? What does that mean? What is perimeter Sid’s mission purpose?

Ann Hanlon: Sure. Yeah, absolutely. So Sid stands for Community Improvement District. We are one of about 30 such districts in metro Atlanta. We’re one of the oldest and one of the biggest. We are a special tax district within which commercial property owners pay an additional increment on their property taxes. And those dollars are going to go into a special fund. And those dollars are used to help fund public infrastructure projects like roads and bridges and sidewalks and landscaping. So we’re the ones we work with the city governments. We work with the cities of Sandy Springs and Brookhaven and Dunwoody to help build things that make our community better.

Lee Kantor: Now, is this a government entity?

Ann Hanlon: We’re no, we’re not we’re actually a quasi governmental nonprofit. So we sort of sit in the same kind of civic space that the Chamber of Commerce does.

Lee Kantor: And then how do you work together?

Ann Hanlon: So we we work with the chamber all the time. And our city governments, we represent the big property owners. So in our market we represent the Brookfield properties. They own Perimeter Mall, State Farm, UPS, IHG, WestRock, Cox Enterprises. So a lot of the big corporate names that you may recognize, we represent their commercial interest when we’re sort of lobbying for big projects to come to the area.

Lee Kantor: And those big projects could be widening roads or adding street lights or things like that. That’s right, that’s right.

Ann Hanlon: So from the very, very large, you know, we helped lobby for the 285 at 400 interchange project as an example of a very big one, right also down to the smaller projects like getting the trail system connected throughout perimeter. We’re really excited to help the city of Sandy Springs build out a few trails along Peachtree Dunwoody Road, hopefully eventually connect that to path 400, which goes into Buckhead and Beltline, which ultimately helps us recruit more businesses to come to this area.

Lee Kantor: So is that part of your mission is to communicate with large organizations, say, hey, you should consider relocating in this area and we can help you kind of do that efficiently.

Ann Hanlon: Absolutely, absolutely. And the city governments have really strong economic development programs who are kind of the boots on the ground out there retaining our businesses and recruiting new businesses. So when we’re all working together as a team with the chamber to retain businesses, with the cities, to recruit new businesses, and with the CID to make sure that they have the infrastructure they need once they’re here. We all kind of work together as one big team to take care of the business community here in the market.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need and how can we help?

Ann Hanlon: So I’m so thrilled to be here with with under Adam’s leadership and at the chamber. Um, you know, we’re we want the business community to stay healthy. You know, we want to keep everybody engaged. Um, and looking for the chamber to to reach out to new businesses to get them involved in the community. So they know that perimeter, Sandy Springs and Dunwoody is their home.

Lee Kantor: Well, Anne, thank you so much for sharing your story today. Is there a way to connect? Is there a website? What’s the best way for our listeners to learn more?

Ann Hanlon: Absolutely. We’ve got a website, um, perimeter atlanta.org. Um, we’re on Instagram. We’re on TikTok, we’re on Facebook. We’re on all the things. Um, but, you know, anybody can feel free to reach out to me directly. Um, we got a great staff at the Sid, so we would love to hear from any of your listeners.

Lee Kantor: All right, Anne, thank you again for sharing your story.

Ann Hanlon: Thank you.

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Kevin Glass with Atlanta International School

March 3, 2025 by angishields

Chamber Spotlight

Greater Perimeter Chamber Inaugural Annual Meeting: Kevin Glass with Atlanta International School

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Committed to creating globally-minded students poised to shape the 21st century, Kevin Glass’s vocation and calling is international education. His career in education includes leadership and teaching positions in South and West Africa, Central and North America, and Central Asia. Prior to joining Atlanta International School, Kevin was Director of Tashkent International School in Uzbekistan for five years.

Kevin serves on various local, national and international Boards, including the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), the Academy for International School Heads (AISH), the Center for the Advancement and Study of International Education (CASIE), Horizons Atlanta, the Atlanta Area Association in Independent Schools (AAAIS) and the Buckhead Coalition.

Kevin has a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Framingham State College (USA), a Post Graduate Certificate of Education in Biology and Chemistry from Cambridge University (UK), and a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) Degree in Bacteriology and Virology from Manchester University (UK).

Kevin is married to Stefani, a career diplomat currently on family leave from the German Foreign Service. They have three children all of whom attend AIS, in the German language program.

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the greater perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Chamber Spotlight. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter Chamber inaugural annual meeting. So excited to be talking to my next guest, Kevin Glass with Atlanta International School. Welcome. Thank you.

Kevin Glass: Lee. Great to be here.

Lee Kantor: Well, I’m asking everybody and I’m going to ask you, why are you for the Greater Perimeter Chamber?

Kevin Glass: I think organizations like the Greater Perimeter Chamber, they bring businesses and organizations together to build community, to build interest, to build networks, and ultimately enrich the lives for everybody who lives, works and plays in this part of town.

Lee Kantor: Now, tell us about Atlanta International School. How are you serving folks?

Kevin Glass: So Atlanta International School has been going for about 40 years now here in Atlanta. We have at our Buckhead campus, 1400 students, more or less from approximately 90 to 100 countries, 60 to 70 languages. And we work in partnership with organizations across the city to make Atlanta a wonderful place to come to locate your family, to locate your business, because we have a world class school there, and it’s super exciting that we’re about to open our new campus in the city of Sandy Springs this summer.

Lee Kantor: So can you tell us a little bit about the genesis of the idea? How did the school come about?

Kevin Glass: So the school came about with some local families, some local businesses, some international families, some international businesses who realized that there wasn’t yet a school here in Greater Atlanta that catered to folks who wanted to learn other languages, who wanted to learn about other cultures, who had a global mindset.

Lee Kantor: And then from there, it just slowly expanded over time.

Kevin Glass: We started in 1985, almost 40 years ago, with 51 students in a shed behind Sardis Methodist church. And as Atlanta and the area has become a global hub for doing business. So Atlanta International School has also grown now into Sandy Springs.

Lee Kantor: So now, who is the typical student that attends? Somebody that is from a consulate that they’re sending their kids? Or are you getting just local people who grew up here in Atlanta and say, hey, I want my kid. Did that have that type of education?

Kevin Glass: That’s what’s wonderful about Atlanta International School. There is not a typical Atlanta international School student. We have students who are local from many generations here in the southeast. We have students whose families come from all over the world, and we have students who are what we would call sort of third culture kid, blended with families from multiple countries and multiple cultures.

Lee Kantor: So what’s the experience like for a student that’s different than from maybe a public school or private school?

Kevin Glass: So it’s all about centering the life and the journey of the young person. And because we do have so many different ways of looking at the world, because we’ve got such an incredible rich community, the lenses and the perspectives that you consider challenges and issues and subjects. As you grow through that community, it completely broadens your outlook.

Lee Kantor: Now, why was it important for you to have your school become part of the chamber and get involved with the chamber at the level you have?

Kevin Glass: So our school, yes, it’s an international school, but we are absolutely rooted into the local community. There’s a really old phrase it talks about, it takes a village to raise each and every young person. So by engaging with our local community, with our local neighborhoods and the Sandy Springs campus, we’re working with our Rivergate neighborhood by engaging with, for example, the city of Sandy Springs and all of the different businesses and companies and organizations that are that are located there. Together, we create this incredible village and network that supports not just our own students who are attending our campus, but supports the entire community as well.

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

Kevin Glass: We would like to meet and connect with any company, any business, any organization who would like to get involved with the work that we’re doing at Atlanta International School, at our new campus that’s opening this summer in the city of Sandy Springs. There are so many ways that we can partner and that we can collaborate. And again, it’s one of those things that they said it today in the in the meeting there that a rising tide floats all boats. And we really want to be part of the rising tide. That is the greater perimeter chamber.

Lee Kantor: So what is the best way to connect with you or somebody on your team website? Best way to connect.

Kevin Glass: So you can reach out directly to me via email. Kevin Glass K glass@ischool.org. You can connect via our website. And that’s why school.org.

Lee Kantor: Well Kevin, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Kevin Glass: Thank you Lee, it’s a pleasure to be here. Thank you.