bradculp, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Chris Brand, CEO of FODAC and Kevin Reitz, new owner of Griswold Special Care in Dallas

February 9, 2012 by bradculp

Growing up in the great state of Idaho, Kevin Reitz was a Boise State Bronco fan before it was fashionable to be a fan. Does that make him a hipster? After graduating from Boise State, Kevin took a position in the Enterprise Car Rental Management Training program. He later had an opportunity with a small software company selling crime scene and accident reconstruction software (yes, it really exists and no, I’m no making it up). As the company launched an initiative into the private sector, Kevin was asked to relocate to the Dallas area. About three years ago, he became aware of a sales position with a local assisted living facility. After only 8 months, Kevin was asked to take on the Executive Director’s role at a sister community. During this time, Kevin realized that the senior services market offered another dimension of meaning to his career.

About a year and a half ago, Kevin moved again for the opportunity to work at Griswold Special Care, a non-medical homecare provider serving the Dallas metro area. Kevin and his wife, Shelley, recently became the owners of the Dallas North Office of Griswold Special Care. Kevin tells us he and Shelley had often talked and dreamed of owning their own business, and now that dream has become a reality. Griswold Special Care’s unique differentiator is its ability to focus on both high quality and affordability at the same time. Kevin is proud of the fact that his service is several dollars per hour lower than most competitors, and at the same time, the caregivers make 10-15% more than their peers at other agencies. To find out more, contact Kevin directly at (972) 554-0700, email him at Kevin@gscdallas.com, or visit his website at www.gscdallas.com.

A rare Atlanta native, Chris Brand has been involved in helping disabled adults and seniors for as long as he can remember. As a young man, he had a friend of the family whose son suffered from Muscular Dystrophy. He watched the family’s struggles until the son died at the age of 19. This gave him a first-hand look at how difficult it can be for a family to deal with the disability of a loved one, particularly with respect to independence and mobility issues.

Interestingly, Chris began early in his career by volunteering for Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC). He was quickly hired by the founder of the organization, and spent three years as their donations coordinator. Moving on to broaden his experience, Chris left FODAC for a few years. In 1999, he returned as a program manager. He has been there ever since, and is now the President and CEO of the organization.

FODAC was founded in 1986 to assist families of disabled adults and children in accessing both equipment and services to facilitate accessibility and independence. FODAC fills 3,600 requests, distributing over 5,000 items each year from its 65,000 square foot facility in Stone Mountain. The retail value of all medical equipment that has been given away now totals over $60 million! To find out more about FODAC, or learn about volunteer opportunities, call them at (770) 491-9014, or visit their website at www.fodac.org.

We want to thank Griswold Special Care for sponsoring today’s show. Griswold Special Care has been a preferred provider of high quality, affordable in-home senior care in Dallas and Atlanta for 20 years.

Senior Services North Fulton – Annual Gala; John McNair with an Update on Elder Law Issues

February 2, 2012 by bradculp

Carrie Bellware has spent a good bit of her career working for non-profit organizations. Shortly after moving to Atlanta in 1996, she began working with Jewish Family Services on a part time basis. After ten years with Jewish Family Services, she took a quick hiatus away from Atlanta. After a few short years away, she moved back to the Atlanta area, and accepted the position of Executive Director with Senior Services North Fulton (SSNF), where she’s loved her job for the last 18 months! SSNF is a non-profit organization providing Meals on Wheels, medical transportation, senior centers and a staff of in-home care managers.

Joining Carrie this morning is SSNF board member, and returning guest, Sue Sharpe, Owner of Mobility Express. Carrie and Sue particularly wanted to highlight SSNF’s upcoming event, Art from the Heart, their annual fundraising gala being held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek on February 11 at 7PM. They tell us this is a “Don’t Miss” event with dinner, music, dancing and a silent auction. For more information, please visit their website at www.ssnorthfulton.org, or call them at (770) 993-1906.

Originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, John McNair graduated from law school at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Wanting to further his education, John came to Dallas to attend Southern Methodist University, ultimately received a Master of Tax Law degree. He began his private practice in 1983, and spent the first decade on estate planning, probate and taxation. Today, John is a Partner in the firm Barnett, McNair, Hall LLP. Over the past fifteen years, John has been thrilled to see his practice start to gravitate towards Elder Law. He takes particular satisfaction in being able to help seniors find funds to pay for their long term care, and in helping them preserve the estates they have worked so hard to build. Contact John via email at jmcnair@barnettmcnair.com, or via phone at (214) 691-7781. You can also visit his website at www.mcnair.elderlawanswers.com.

The Money Moxie, Barbara Scurry, and WWII Vet and Motivational Speaker Virgil Heidbrink

January 26, 2012 by bradculp

Virgil Heidbrink is an active member of our senior community, a World War II veteran and a polished public speaker. After growing up in Iowa, Virgil was drafted into the army where he served in a medical unit. After traveling through India and spending some time in China, Virgil returned home and studied business at the University of South Dakota and later at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. After spending 36 years in sales for paper companies, Virgil retired and now does presentations on sales, finding glee in the golden age and “Polishing the Gold of the Senior Years”.

Virgil can frequently be seen around the Dallas area at networking events and actively participating in many events. If you would like to contact Virgil, you may call him at 214-361-5300, email him at virgilheidbrink@sbcglobal.net or visit his website at www.virgilsviews.com.

Barbara Scurry grew up in the Arctic. Well, close to the Arctic. She grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota! She went from there to Florida (no wonder) to pursue a career in radio. Following her husband, and wanting to continue her education as well, she moved to Tennessee and earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. Since 2000, she’s had a corporate career in marketing, sales, and business development. Barbara has worked in the manufacturing, financial services, and geriatric healthcare industries and prior to obtaining her degree, she worked as a Case Manager Specialist for Tennessee’s Families First Program in which she helped teach mothers who were moving off of welfare and into the workforce budgeting skills.

While doing sales and business development by calling on nursing homes and marketing for a Continuing Care Retirement Community and a private-duty home care company, she developed a passion for working with senior citizens. This experience and passion, coupled with her knack for making complex information easy to understand. Led her to start her own business, The Money Moxie. Barbara tells us that she is a pro at “organizing chaos”. And chaos is often what she finds when she meets with a client the first time. One of the specialties of her firm is simply “going through the mail”, making sure that bills are paid, that credit card statements are accurate, and her clients free of unwanted or unneeded charges for services the senior is not using. For example, one client had three credit reporting services charging a monthly fee.

“I love helping and advocating for seniors and feeling like I’m making a difference in their lives. Seniors have so many other issues to worry about. I’m genuinely happy that I can bring them peace of mind by taking care of one aspect of their financial concerns.”

To contact Barbara, or find out more about her services, check out her website at www.themoneymoxie.com, email her at Barbara@themoneymoxie.com, or call her at (678) 278-8410.

Paige Joyner, CEO of Compliance Plus tells you what you need to know about HIPAA!

January 19, 2012 by bradculp

Educated in Switzerland, instrument-rated pilot, PhD in Theology, Major in the Civil Air Patrol, CEO of Compliance Plus – all describe today’s guest, Paige Joyner! Prior to 2001, Paige worked in technology and telecommunications. When HIPAA laws began to take effect, Paige became aware of the importance of compliance to companies that work with “Protected Health Information” (PHI). This awareness and interest eventually led her to the HIPAA Program Management Office at Medical College of Georgia Health Systems, where Ms. Joyner was responsible for the implementation of HIPAA security across the three entity healthcare organization in Augusta, GA.

Today, Ms. Joyner is the CEO of Compliance +, LLC, a healthcare product and services firm that provides organizations with cost effective solutions for compliance as well as niche products and services that enhance healthcare practices and facilities. Ms. Joyner will be co-hosting a pair of free HIPAA seminars in February and March with Dara McMillan of MyAccessableHome. For more information about Ms. Joyner’s services, or the upcoming seminars, please call her at (678) 570-5422, email her at pjoyner@complianceplusllc.com, or visit her website at www.complianceplusllc.com.

Senior Mobility with Sue Sharp and Seniors Buying Automobiles with Jason Prado

January 12, 2012 by bradculp

Jason Prado has a passion for helping people make informed decisions when buying or selling vehicles. As a 27 year veteran of the automotive sales industry, Jason has intimate knowledge of how the car buying process works. When his mother-in-law had a bad experience with a new car purchase, Jason took it upon himself to use his ‘inside knowledge’ to help her. When Jason realized that this service was something that seniors and others could benefit from, he started working as an independent consultant for people who are looking at purchasing new or used vehicles.

Jason can help you or your loved ones make educated and informed decisions and can work as an advocate to make sure that you are not being taken advantage of. To learn more about Jason’s services, you can email him at jprado61@aol.com or call him at 214-725-0516.

Originally from the Florida Panhandle, Sue Sharp is a 27-year veteran of Delta Airlines. She was repeatedly offered an early retirement plan, and eventually decided to take it and pursue other career interests. After working as an Executive Director for several non-profit agencies, she experienced a debilitating accident that required her to acquire mobility-related medical equipment. When she had difficulty finding what she needed, a light went on in her head.

A bit of an entrepreneur, she and her husband, Jerry, decided it was a market space that they were uniquely suited to fill. Consequently, they purchased Mobility Express, a company dedicated to providing and installing mobility equipment from grab bars to ceiling lifts to accessible vehicles. One of their differentiators is that Jerry spent 27 years in the construction industry. This experience enables their company to thoughtfully design mobility systems uniquely suited to each client’s specific needs. Another unique aspect of Sue’s business is that they have a 5,000 square foot showroom where clients and their families can see, touch and test the products they sell. To find out more, stop by their showroom at 1580 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell east of GA400 (next to the Home Depot), check out their website at www.wheelchairsatlanta.com, or call them at (770) 998-9984.

Therapeutic Horticulture at the Arboretum, and MyAccessableHome

January 5, 2012 by bradculp

Susan Morgan grew up in Tennessee where her love for horticulture started early on as her father was a horticulturalist. After graduating from the University of Tennesee with a B.S. in Horticulture, she went on to receive her M.S. in Plant Sciences with an emphasis in Public Horticulture. She recently received a certificate in Horticulture Therapy from the Horticulture Therapy Institute at Colorado State University and holds an International Diploma in Botanic Garden Education from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London England.

Susan moved to Dallas when her husband’s job was relocated and has been at the Dallas Arboretum since 2007, where she is the Senior Manager of Therapeutic Horticulture. Prior to her work at the Dallas Arboretum, Susan was the assistant gardening editor for HGTV.com and Scripps Network. If you would like to contact Susan about her Horticulture Therapy programs at the Dallas Arboretum, you can reach her at 214-515-6595 or email her at smorgan@dallasarboretum.org.

Third-time guest Dara McMillan, LMSW, grew up in New York in a family of health care professionals. She received her Masters in Social Work from Boston University, and spent more than a decade as a social worker and a geriatric care coordinator. Dara moved to the Atlanta are in 1996. In her work as a social worker, Dara often observed clients in less than “accessible” living situations – either from a furniture placement perspective, or from a structural perspective. Dara and her husband Chuck are the owners of a unique company called My Accessable Home. Though there are a few other companies in the Atlanta area that specialize in renovations for seniors and disabled adults, their business is unique in that they bring a wholistic approach to the process. This is a great benefit to their clients as they truly understand both the physical and social needs of their clients and what will be needed to make their home safe to live in as they age. Dara will be hosting a free workshop in February together with Paige Joyner of CompliancePlus regarding federal HIPAA compliance. Additionally, you can see MyAccessableHome in “A Home For All Ages” at the Atlanta Home Show in March. Dara can be reached at (404) 274-1488 or visit them on the web at www.myaccessablehome.com.

Laura Jalbert, Founder of Mindful Transitions

December 22, 2011 by bradculp

Laura Jalbert is a rare Atlanta native! She earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Georgia (go Dawgs). Though Laura is a licensed clinical social worker trained in mental health, it wasn’t until an experience with a great grandmother that she knew she was meant to work with seniors. In her words, the senior community “chose her”! When her great grandmother developed an affinity with her, despite the lack of recognition of who she was, Laura knew she was destined to a career with seniors.

After graduating from UGA, Laura started her career in an assisted living community in Buckhead. She moved from their into an in-patient geriatric psych unit, then on to a private practice in a doctor’s office, where she still practices. In addition to this practice, Laura started a company in 2007 called Mindful Transitions. Mindful Transitions is focused on assisting seniors make transitions in life – whether emotional transitions due to a loss, or social transitions, due to a physical move. Her services are typically covered by Medicare or private secondary insurance. To find out more, visit Laura’s website at www.mindfultransitions.com. Alternatively, you can call her at (678) 637-7166.

Tips for Communicating with Seniors – Yohance Parker

December 16, 2011 by bradculp

Yohance Parker knows how to communicate! After graduating from Union College in Kentucky and spending a few years teaching physical education, Yohance entered the business world as a sales representative. After realizing that he (by his own admission) “wasn’t very good” at it, he started studying the art of communication. Yohance spent a number of years then working in a skilled nursing facility environment, both in a service and sales role. During this time, he developed a passion for serving seniors, and particularly in applying his communications skills to this population. After years of researching, observing and putting what he learned into practice, Yohance saw great improvements in his performance and realized that he could make a difference by teaching others how to be better communicators. Yohance is the Founder of “A Better You” and now coaches groups and individuals on the “Art of Communication” (also the title of his upcoming book due out in January).

If you would like more information on Yohance’s workshops and other materials, please visit www.onestepfromgreatness.com or email him at abetteryou7@gmail.com.

Mike Bolla of Heritage LifePath returns to host Warrior2Citizen and About Face

December 8, 2011 by bradculp

Join us as Mike Bolla, Founder of Heritage LifePath, returns to host Colonel Mike Roberts, President of Warrior2Citizen, and Joe La Branche of VFW Post 9143 in Cumming.

Michael Roberts Col (Ret) is the President and Co-Founder of Warrior2 Citizen, a program to help returning soldiers and their family’s transition from the front lines to the home front and deal with symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Col. Roberts has over thirty years experience serving as a trusted advisor and intelligence officer for military intelligence, homeland security, and intelligence agencies. Michael served “in theatre” over a fifteen year time span. He has been on the faculty and management staff of the Georgia Tech, GTRI, University of Georgia, USF, and other universities. Michael attended Stevens Institute for Technology and St. Peter’s College (MS, BS), National Security and Strategic Studies post graduate work from the Army War College, and has been credentialed as a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM^®) and Certified Management Consultant. He has two grown children and two grandchildren and resides in Georgia. Find out more about the Warrior2Citizen program by visiting their website at www.warrior2citizen.org, or emailing Col. Roberts at mr75rr@gmail.com.

Joe La Branche is a retired marine that received two Purple Hearts in Viet Nam. Joe is currently the Service Officer for VFW Post 9143 in Cumming Georgia. He is actively involved in the Post’s About Face program. This program picks up where the Warrior2Citizen program leaves off, providing assistance to veterans and their families in their area on an on-going basis. This assistance can be financial, emotional or whatever a family might need. To find out more about VFW Post 9143, visit their website at www.vfwpost9143.com, or send Joe an email at joevet2vet@bellsouth.net.

Thanks to Mike Bolla and Heritage LifePath for arranging today’s show! Reach Mike at (678) 602-9559, send him an email at info@heritagelifepath.org, or visit his website at www.heritagelifepath.org.