John Ray, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Workplace MVP LIVE from SHRM 2022: Greg Hawks, Hawks Agency

August 2, 2022 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Studio

Workplace MVP LIVE from SHRM 2022: Greg Hawks, Hawks Agency

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Workplace MVP LIVE from SHRM 2022: Greg Hawks, Hawks Agency

Speaker and culture specialist Greg Hawks of the Hawks Agency joined Jamie Gassmann live from SHRM 2022. He shared the mission of his firm, his impressions on the culture shifts from the pandemic, the key points of his presentation at SHRM, and much more.

Workplace MVP is underwritten and presented by R3 Continuum and produced by the Minneapolis-St.Paul Studio of Business RadioX®.

This show was originally broadcast live from the 2022 SHRM Annual Conference held at the New Orleans Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Greg Hawks, Hawks Agency

Greg is on a mission to shape environments where everyone gets to contribute their best daily! For two decades he has mentored leaders, developed teams, crafted culture, and empowered employees. His approachable personality and vibrant demeanor are useful attributes for attacking mediocrity. Motivated to grow high-capacity performers who serve, sell and lead with excellence, Greg is relentless in discovering ways for individuals, teams, leaders, and organizations to grow.

LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter

Hawks Agency

Hawks Agency values a relentless spirit, retaining an amusing attitude while creating distinct experiences that provide consistent excellence in every encounter.

They create content that sticks in the mind and hearts of audiences, compelling them towards action! Whether consuming online or in-person, they fashion experiences that move individuals and organizations forward.

They are here at this time in history to impact humanity in a significant way. They believe words, ideas, beliefs, and the spaces they occur in matter. They know partnership and collaboration is the best way to make an impact!

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook

About Workplace MVP

Every day, around the world, organizations of all sizes face disruptive events and situations. Within those workplaces are everyday heroes in human resources, risk management, security, business continuity, and the C-suite. They don’t call themselves heroes though. On the contrary, they simply show up every day, laboring for the well-being of employees in their care, readying the workplace for and planning responses to disruption. This show, Workplace MVP, confers on these heroes the designation they deserve, Workplace MVP (Most Valuable Professionals), and gives them the forum to tell their story. As you hear their experiences, you will learn first-hand, real-life approaches to readying the workplace, responses to crisis situations, and overcoming challenges of disruption. Visit our show archive here.

Workplace MVP Host Jamie Gassmann

**Jamie Gassmann, Host, “Workplace MVP”**

In addition to serving as the host to the Workplace MVP podcast, Jamie Gassmann is the Director of Marketing at R3 Continuum (R3c). Collectively, she has more than fourteen years of marketing experience. Across her tenure, she has experience working in and with various industries including banking, real estate, retail, crisis management, insurance, business continuity, and more. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications with special interest in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master of Business Administration from Paseka School of Business, Minnesota State University.

R3 Continuum

R3 Continuum is a global leader in workplace behavioral health and security solutions. R3c helps ensure the psychological and physical safety of organizations and their people in today’s ever-changing and often unpredictable world. Through their continuum of tailored solutions, including evaluations, crisis response, executive optimization, protective services, and more, they help organizations maintain and cultivate a workplace of wellbeing so that their people can thrive. Learn more about R3c at www.r3c.com.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:02] Broadcasting live from SHRM 2022 at the New Orleans Convention Center, it’s time for Workplace MVP. Brought to you by R3 Continuum, a global leader in helping workplaces thrive during disruptive times. Now, here’s your host.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:19] Hey, everyone. You’re host, Jamie Gassmann here, at the SHRM 2022 Exhibit Hall. And I am in our show sponsor, R3 Continuum’s booth. And joining me is Greg Hawks.

Greg Hawks: [00:00:31] Yes, I am.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:32] Welcome, Greg.

Greg Hawks: [00:00:32] It is a pleasure to be here. I love your booth set up. The colors are fabulous. Location is delightful. People are all over the place. Thanks for letting me sit down.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:40] Yeah. Well, I’m glad you sat down. And I love your energy.

Greg Hawks: [00:00:44] Thank you so much.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:44] And thank you for the compliment on the booth. You worked so hard to design those, so I appreciate that.

Greg Hawks: [00:00:49] Absolutely. It’s a great color. It really is.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:50] Yes. Yes. It’s inviting.

Greg Hawks: [00:00:52] It’s distinct. And I love green, but it’s like a teal but it’s a little minty. It’s a lovely minty flavor. Yes, indeed.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:02] So, I’m really excited you sat down. So, I know you own your own agency.

Greg Hawks: [00:01:06] I do.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:06] So, tell us a little bit about what your agency does and what you do for HR Leaders.

Greg Hawks: [00:01:11] Well, for HR Leaders, we work in culture. That’s what we do. So, we have three, I’ve got myself and two other folks, on our team that are culture specialists. So, we do a lot of speaking. So, I do a lot of keynote speaking at organization events, at HR conferences, state conferences around the nation. And then, we serve some consultancy around how they’re shaping an ownership culture.

Greg Hawks: [00:01:31] So, our mission is shaping environments where everyone gets to contribute their best daily. So, we’re really focused on this idea of how do we cause people to get better every day. And so, that’s the way kind of metrics are best, how are you the best version of you. That’s what people talk about. I’m like, “Today is it, baby.” You don’t get any better than this because today is last year’s future. And so, everybody’s like, “I’ve got this idea of what I’m going to be.” And so, we really work with leaders and teams on really shaping the environments where people can bring their best daily.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:00] Yeah. And I got to imagine, with the change in work environments across the country, where you’ve got a hybrid or you’ve got full remote work or they’re bringing people back and there’s that hesitation, talk to me about how has culture evolved in organizations?

Greg Hawks: [00:02:18] Here’s what I have found with culture and organizations that immediately shifted to the remote workforce that didn’t have it before, is that, in that initial season, it magnified who they already were. So, the organization had cultures that were literally people first. You know, the language that people use about we respect our people, we care for our people, COVID magnified it.

Greg Hawks: [00:02:41] So, I’ve got a client in Atlanta, they sent everybody home, and immediately they replicated their desk environment at home, in both places, and they said, “Whenever we come back, you’ll have your stuff here, and you’ll have your stuff there, and we’ll just work, whatever.” They just immediately. Whereas, other people were, like, stingy or they just didn’t care. They just didn’t have it in their culture that they really did respond to challenges that kept their people first, if you will.

Greg Hawks: [00:03:10] And so, in the initial season, I’d say the first year or so, it really magnified it. Now, we’ve been through the transformation of it, what we see is people who really value innovation and the thoughtfulness of always keeping their people first is how they’re structuring their conversations.

Greg Hawks: [00:03:26] Because culture isn’t within a building anyhow. When people think of culture not in a workplace, they think of Paris, they think of New York City, they think of Minneapolis. Every location has a culture and it’s not based on what happens inside of a building. It’s based on the traditions, and the communication, and the look. There’s so many elements that create culture for a people group. And so, just because people are distributed, it doesn’t make it more difficult if those values are entrenched in the hearts and minds of people.

Greg Hawks: [00:03:58] And so, the challenge leaders are having is they’re so used to having a physical structure to fashion that in. That now being mindful of, whether we’re Zooming or we’re just having phone calls more or everybody’s just distributed and we’re no longer hiring in a geographical location, all over the nation is now our place, and people don’t have to move, it’s how do we instill our heart, how do we instill our way of thinking, how do we instill the way we communicate. Because those things aren’t contained in a building, but they really reflect a lot about who we are as an organization. I mean, really the values that we have.

Greg Hawks: [00:04:36] So, for me, the remote world has really magnified if people really align with their values. It’s really exposed what the culture is because you can’t lie about it. We see how people are as a collective in our teams or organizations in these companies. And it’s just not as well hidden when everybody comes together and they got the words on the wall and this is what we’re about, but didn’t really have to play it out every day.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:02] So, with that, exposure to the true identity or the true culture of the organization, do you think that for some that’s contributed to that Great Resignation or that great reshuffle that we’ve experienced over the last year?

Greg Hawks: [00:05:15] I’ve got a friend, Ben, who calls it the great reprioritization. He’s like, “It doesn’t flow well,” but it is that.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:05:21] Yeah. I keep hearing different names.

Greg Hawks: [00:05:22] I know. I mean, resignation is the one that got it because that was the actual activity. I absolutely think so, you know, there’s a combination because people recognized that they weren’t as cared for as maybe they thought they were. And they also recognized, “I want to give my life every day in an organization and a place with people that my own personal values align with.” And so, I would definitely say it’s exposure. People don’t talk about it in that language, but that what was exposed on who the company really is, what values really mattered.

Greg Hawks: [00:05:56] Because as people and as teams, because we’re made of people, we act out of our beliefs. Like, however anybody is acting, it’s because there’s a belief structure within their own internal value system. And so, that plays out true in an organization. And so, when that was revealed and keeps being revealed, honestly, it was a collective courageousness that was like, “I just don’t want to do this anymore in life.”

Greg Hawks: [00:06:17] So, that’s my thought on it. The exposure definitely did give people a sense of at least the playing field level on how people really think about me here. And then, What do I want to do with that? What’s acceptable to me? What’s not acceptable to me?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:31] Yeah. And I know you presented here at SHRM. I heard your presentation was amazing.

Greg Hawks: [00:06:36] It was fabulous this morning. So much fun. Thanks for saying that.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:38] You know, they got me chained in the booth here talking about work culture, right? I’ve got lots of things to do. But, no, I heard your presentation went really, really well. Talk to us about what you presented on.

Greg Hawks: [00:06:50] I did my ownership culture message because I’ve owned single family properties, so I do this idea of kind of a comparison. Because people, as you know, they’re like, “We need people to buy in around here. We just need you to own it.” And it’s a very subjective idea. And I own single family properties, and so I talk about how renters perceive living in a home and how owners perceive it differently. And so, I’ve got these five attributes what an ownership spirit looks like, whether it’s around commitment, or increasing value, or reach for responsibilities, or being inclusive, and then valuing the whole house.

Greg Hawks: [00:07:24] And so, I give HR professionals, and really leaders and organizations, some clarity on if you want people to buy in, then be very specific about what that entails. And if you create a place, you shape the culture, you shape this environment where people can bring their best daily around what commitment looks like. Because here’s what you find, people want to do a good job at work. People are fulfilled when they feel like they’re succeeding. And when they don’t feel like that, it’s as much to do with the environment that they’re doing it in, the leadership that’s leading, and then their own sense of ability to do it.

Greg Hawks: [00:08:00] And, oftentimes, it seems to reflect so much on the individual instead of the culture that they’re in. And so, I’ll talk about contribution, because one of the characteristics is people who have an ownership spirit want to contribute. And yet, oftentimes, we create an environment where we say, “We don’t want to hear that. No, no, no.” You know want to say they’ll crush your spirit. Then, you go in, start out really eager and really excited, and then they just, like, squash your spirit. And they’re like, “Fine. I’m not going to share anything more.”

Greg Hawks: [00:08:26] And so, all of a sudden, they want people to give their best, but their environment actually produces renters in the workplace instead of people with the spirit of ownership. And so, that was a little bit where I talked about. I love this message. It’s a good language for people. Everybody who’s owned or rented understands that. And it just really gives a construct for organizations to think about what they’re inviting their employees to bring and what that can look like in an organization.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:08:51] Yeah. It sounds like there’s some interesting kind of new approaches of thinking about that environment.

Greg Hawks: [00:08:56] Absolutely.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:08:57] So, if there was one or two key takeaways that you wanted that audience to leave with, what would they be?

Greg Hawks: [00:09:04] There are several key takeaways, but one of my favorite things, because I talk about increasing value, and oftentimes people will say, “Well, I don’t have access to a budget. I’m not in charge of anybody.” And so, the offering is, the way you increase value is through encouragement that you can use free words to become more valuable and to cause others to feel valuable.

Greg Hawks: [00:09:26] And so, I’ll interact with somebody in the audience and I’ll say really positive, specific things to them, and appreciate them in a way. And I don’t know them, but I can assume I get to know them a little bit what they’re doing, and I’ll just say to them. And one of the takeaways is, people like people who like them. So, I’ll say it again because some people don’t understand that, people like people who like them. So, I’m always an advantage. Jamie, I like you. I start out liking you before I know you, not based on who you are, but based on who I am.

Greg Hawks: [00:09:54] And most leaders, most people go, “I’m going to get to know you. I’m going to see what you’re like. I’m gonna figure you out. And then, I don’t know if I’ll like you or not.” And what that does is, you’re going to be more different than me than like me. And differences create distance.

Greg Hawks: [00:10:05] But if I start out saying, “I like you.” I’ll start from the place of I already give that to us in a relationship, it creates this reciprocity that really engages people. And it’s not so that you have people like each other. It’s so that trust is accelerated. Because once we trust each other, then we can have really meaningful conversations and we get right to the heart of things that oftentimes people dance around, even because they just have personality differences and they don’t have the capacity within themselves to go, “I choose to like you based on me, not based on you. Because of that, we’re going to grow a better relationship.” So, that’s one that increase my value and your value in an organization.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:41] Yeah. I love that. I actually felt that. And you’re like, “I like you.” I’m like, “Oh. I like you too.”

Greg Hawks: [00:10:46] That’s exactly what happens.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:10:48] You instantly feel that.

Greg Hawks: [00:10:50] You instantly feel that. And it’s transformational. And, literally, just those words, when you say that to somebody, all the guard drops. It’s this weird connection thing that happens. Just what happened here.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:01] It’s like a human connection.

Greg Hawks: [00:11:02] It’s, literally, the best of the human connection.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:04] It’s like you have been accepted. It’s different.

Greg Hawks: [00:11:05] Yes. And you can start that out. Because most people are like, “Let me get a feel for you. Let me get to know you a little bit.”

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:11] You have one opportunity.

Greg Hawks: [00:11:12] And it’s all a defensive position. And when I start out liking you, I’m on the offense. I’m intentionally going to build rapport with you so we can really deal with things that need to be dealt with. And so many leaders don’t do that.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:24] I love that. You’re setting them up to bring their best selves to work because they can bring themselves to work.

Greg Hawks: [00:11:28] Yes. Exactly.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:30] That’s so cool. How powerful.

Greg Hawks: [00:11:31] It’s potent. Yeah, it really is.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:33] So, if anybody wanted to learn more from you, or just kind of get a little bit more information, or explore your agency –

Greg Hawks: [00:11:40] Come on. That would be just fabulous. I wish they would do that.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:43] … how do they get a hold of you?

Greg Hawks: [00:11:44] They can go to hawksagency.com, H-A-W-K-Sagency.com. It has all the information. It has our little team on there. It has video. All kinds of great resources on there. It’s just a great website. So, hawksagency.com. Thank you.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:11:58] Fascinating. Well, thank you so much for joining us.

Greg Hawks: [00:12:00] My pleasure.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:00] It’s been an absolute pleasure to have you on the show.

Greg Hawks: [00:12:03] Good, good, good. I hope people benefit from it. Let me know how I can help you guys.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:12:07] Perfect. Thank you.

Greg Hawks: [00:12:07] Okay. Thank you.

Outro: [00:12:12] Thank you for joining us on Workplace MVP. R3 Continuum is a proud sponsor of this show, and is delighted to celebrate most valuable professionals who work diligently to secure safe workplaces where employees can thrive.

Brock Kolls, Gr8BigIdeas LLC

August 2, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Brock Kolls, Gr8BigIdeas LLC

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 482)

Brock Kolls, Owner and Patent Agent at Gr8BigIdeas LLC, discussed the patent process for entrepreneurs. He and host John Ray talked about how Brock got into specializing in intellectual property and patents, products he helped develop at Coca-Cola and elsewhere, ways to protect your intellectual property, his connection with the tech community, types of patents, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Entrepreneurs, startups, and innovative companies have lots of ideas and can move through product development at a fast pace.

Protecting ideas is important, but ideas often evolve during product development. So how best to protect the early ideas as well as the final product?

Think differently about intellectual property. Embed a patent professional in your product development cycle or team to collaborate, capture, and create IP.

Change the way your company identifies new products and market opportunities. Think bigger and more disruptive. Act on insights.

Leverage fractional professional IP services to add in-house patent capabilities to your company. Invent more, pay less.

Get your talent involved in the patent creation process to patent smarter.

Working with private equity and venture capital firms, Gr8BigIdeas can support, mentor, and build IP for your portfolio companies.

They use a patent strategy that includes mentoring entrepreneurs and startups about the patent process. This approach engages the product developers and inventors to participate in refining ideas and collaborating in the development of patent applications.

They also integrate designing the patent applications into the product development cycle so that early ideas, the final product, as well as product variations for the future are all protected. They call it Bootstrap Patenting and they do it on a shoestring budget because that is how startups and entrepreneurs operate.

Company website | LinkedIn

**Brock Kolls, Owner and Patent Agent, Gr8BigIdeas LLC**

Brock Kolls is a registered US Patent Agent with more than 20 years of patent experience and a prolific inventor with more than 100 patents.

He founded Gr8BigIdeas to help entrepreneurs, startups, and innovative companies patent their ideas and assist corporates who are seeking to innovate in the technical community. He has startup experience raising more than $120 million in funding and a successful exit on NASDAQ.

In his startup, Brock invented a wireless cashless payment technology that is widely used today. He then became a member of Coca-Cola R&D. At Coke, he led a team of innovators in the design of cold drink equipment. One such innovation was the Coca-Cola Freestyle dispenser. After Freestyle, Brock successfully grew Coca-Cola’s open innovation program. The program scouted for technologies to meet Coke’s business needs worldwide.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Patents from a tech community perspective
Different types of patents
When to file, how to budget/manage costs
Unique needs and pitfalls to avoid for entrepreneurs and startups
The tech community in North Fulton
Non-tech ideas

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Tony Kimbrough, Veterans Empowerment Organization

August 2, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Tony Kimbrough, Veterans Empowerment Organization

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 480)

A veteran himself, Tony Kimbrough, CEO of Veterans Empowerment Organization, was in the studio with host John Ray to highlight the work of the VEO in helping homeless veterans find housing and rebuild their lives. Tony shared some of the issues veterans face, the VEO campus on the westside of Atlanta, systemic cultural issues at play, the need for affordable stable housing, employment, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

An estimated 2000 veterans throughout Georgia have little access to the resources they need for daily living. There are many invisible wounds that affect veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, depression, and anxiety – all of which can lead to homelessness.

VEO’s mission is to connect Veterans to vital resources that will assist in rebuilding their holistic well-being, and empower them to make positive changes in their life.

VEO offers a healing campus environment that allows veterans to rebuild their lives. Its mission is to empower veterans along their journey to self-sufficiency.

Veteran Empowerment Organization follows a Housing model. Their housing programs offer both temporary and permanent solutions to uplift low-income and homeless veterans. Through emergency beds, Veterans Empowerment Organization provides low-barrier access to ensure that veterans have a safe place to stay while procuring permanent housing placement. Veteran Empowerment Organization provides veterans with transitional housing as a way to garner permanent housing or independent living. Their residential site offers housing in a supportive, therapeutic community, with wraparound care including workforce development, mental health, and optimal wellness, and case management services to help veterans address their specific challenges and needs.

VEO’s Optimal Wellness program offers professional counseling from licensed clinicians and peer mentorship services with a focus on social reintegration.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

**Tony Kimbrough, CEO, Veterans Empowerment Organization**

Tony Kimbrough is Chief Executive Officer for Veterans Empowerment Organization.

Part of a family with a long military heritage, Tony Kimbrough joined the South Carolina Army National Guard during his junior year at The Citadel. His subsequent eight years of service as a military intelligence officer included a year with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, where he led an embedded training team.

Tony was formerly the Executive Director of Atlanta’s East Lake Family YMCA. He was recruited to Atlanta as head of the Arthur M. Blank Youth YMCA in 2015 and took on that role in 2017.

A native of Kentucky, Kimbrough grew up in Metro Atlanta, where his father was an executive with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and his mother a development officer with the YMCA.

After college, Kimbrough spent four years with Mannheim Auto Auctions in Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona before moving to the nonprofit sector, first with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and then with the YMCA.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

What are the problems veterans are facing?
What is VEO?
Tell us about your military journey and how you became involved with VEO
What services do you offer?
How can others get involved?

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Mike from Mike Built Something and m2.Labs

August 1, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Mike from Mike Built Something and m2.Labs

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LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Mike from Mike Built Something and m2.Labs (Organization Conversation, Episode 29)

Mike from Mike Built Something and m2.Labs was Richard Grove’s guest LIVE from HAVEN 2022. Mike is a carpenter, has M2.labs to teach skills and workshops, and is a brand ambassador for several brands including Freeform Paint Brush. He and Richard talked about Mike’s connections with brands, m2.Labs, time management, and much more. Mike even asked Richard questions about Wall Control products to see how he could help spread the word.

This show was originally broadcast live from the 2022 HAVEN Conference held at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.

Organization Conversation is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Mike, Mike Built Something and m2.Labs

Mike is a woodworker who specializes in charcuterie boards. He doesn’t sell them, but he teaches others to make them. He has an online learning platform, m2.Labs.

He first got interested in woodworking from his job at Georgia Pacific. He is in sales and is committed to building relationships.

M2.Labs website | Instagram | Facebook

About Organization Conversation

Organization Conversation is hosted by Richard Grove and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

About Richard Grove

Richard Grove, Host, *Organization Conversation*

Richard Grove‘s background is in engineering but what he enjoys most is brand building through relationships and creative marketing. Richard began his career with the Department of Defense as an engineer on the C-5 Galaxy Engineering Team based out of Warner Robins. While Richard found this experience both rewarding and fulfilling, he always knew deep down that he wanted to return to the small family business that originally triggered his interest in engineering.

Richard came to work for the family business, Dekalb Tool & Die, in 2008 as a Mechanical Engineer. At the time Wall Control was little more than a small ‘side hustle’ for Dekalb Tool & Die to try to produce some incremental income. There were no “Wall Control” employees, just a small warehouse with a single tool and die maker that would double as an “order fulfillment associate” on the occasion that the original WallControl.com website, which Richard’s grandmother built, pulled in an order.

In 2008, it became apparent that for the family business to survive they were going to have to produce their own branded product at scale to ensure jobs remained in-house and for the business to continue to move forward. Richard then turned his attention from tool and die to Wall Control to attempt this necessary pivot and his story with Wall Control began. Since that time, Richard has led Wall Control to significant growth while navigating two recessions.

Connect with Richard:

Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

About Wall Control

The Wall Control story began in 1968 in a small tool & die shop just outside Atlanta, Georgia. The first of three generations began their work in building a family-based US manufacturer with little more than hard work and the American Dream.

Over the past 50+ years, this family business has continued to grow and expand from what was once a small tool & die shop into an award-winning US manufacturer of products ranging from automobile components to satellite panels and now, the best wall-mounted tool storage system available today, Wall Control.

The Wall Control brand launched in 2003 and is a family-owned and operated business that not only produces a high-quality American Made product but sees the entire design, production, and distribution process happen under their own roof in Tucker, Georgia. Under that same roof, three generations of American Manufacturing are still hard at work creating the best tool storage products available today.

Connect with Wall Control:

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Finding the Right Team Members on Your Own Advisory Board, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

August 1, 2022 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Finding the Right Team Members on Your Own Advisory Board, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

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Finding the Right Team Members on Your Own Advisory Board, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

In a commentary from a recent Family Business Radio episode, host Anthony Chen notes that a business owner can’t be an expert in every aspect of their business, and he advocates for finding experienced professionals to add to one’s advisory board, whether for one’s personal finances or a family business.

Anthony’s commentary was taken from this episode of Family Business Radio. Family Business Radio is underwritten by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

family owned craft breweries — **Anthony Chen**

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (RAA), member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of RAA. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd. Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090 ext. 5075 or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long-term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance. Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

The complete show archive of Family Business Radio can be found at familybusinessradioshow.com.

Three Things You Must Know About Key Performance Indicators, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

August 1, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Three Things You Must Know About Key Performance Indicators, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

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Three Things You Must Know About Key Performance Indicators, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

In this commentary from a recent episode of ProfitSense, Bill explains three important aspects of key performance indicators, what they are, and how to measure them.

ProfitSense with Bill McDermott is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Bill’s commentary was taken from this episode of ProfitSense.

About ProfitSense and Your Host, Bill McDermott

ProfitSense with Bill McDermott dives into the stories behind some of Atlanta’s successful businesses and owners and the professionals that advise them. This show helps local business leaders get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. The show is presented by McDermott Financial Solutions. McDermott Financial helps business owners improve cash flow and profitability, find financing, break through barriers to expansion and financially prepare to exit their business. The show archive can be found at profitsenseradio.com.

Bill McDermott is the Founder and CEO of McDermott Financial Solutions. When business owners want to increase their profitability, they don’t have the expertise to know where to start or what to do. Bill leverages his knowledge and relationships from 32 years as a banker to identify the hurdles getting in the way and create a plan to deliver profitability they never thought possible.

Bill currently serves as Treasurer for the Atlanta Executive Forum and has held previous positions as a board member for the Kennesaw State University Entrepreneurship Center and Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity and Treasurer for CEO NetWeavers. Bill is a graduate of Wake Forest University and he and his wife, Martha have called Atlanta home for over 40 years. Outside of work, Bill enjoys golf, traveling, and gardening.

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow McDermott Financial Solutions on LinkedIn.

Dr. Mark McLaughlin and Shannon Ross, Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center

August 1, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Dr. Mark McLaughlin and Shannon Ross, Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 479)

Wellstar radiation oncologist Dr. Mark McLaughlin and Director of Oncology Services Shannon Ross joined host John Ray to discuss the new Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center built on the Wellstar North Fulton campus. This comprehensive care center will serve as one of only two locations in metro Atlanta featuring state-of-the-art CyberKnife® technology for radiation therapy. Dr. McLaughlin and Shannon covered the services it will bring to patients, why CyberKnife® technology improves patient experience and outcomes, their unique approach to collaborative patient care, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

People face cancer with confidence at Wellstar because of their multidisciplinary care model, physicians’ expertise and advanced treatments close to home. In fact, they have more than 300 healthcare providers that provide expert cancer care at nine cancer programs with convenient locations across Georgia.

Their multidisciplinary teams surround patients and their families with knowledgeable and compassionate support. Specialty programs for patients are led by physicians with advanced training. Here, patients see leading specialists who are experts in their fields.

Wellstar invests in state-of-the-art technology and participates in clinical trials to give patients access to a variety of advanced treatments including minimally-invasive surgery, high precision radiation dosages by CyberKnife and TrueBeam delivery systems, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion (HIPEC) as well as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies based on the latest advances in biomarker testing. Patients who qualify for clinical trials have access to groundbreaking treatments, often years before they are FDA-approved.

Because of Wellstar’s integrated approach to cancer treatment, their programs are nationally recognized by The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancerand the Care Continuum Centers of Excellence (CCCOE), a program of the GO₂ Foundation for Lung Cancer, among others.

Radiation Oncology

At Wellstar, radiation oncologists design a personalized plan for each patient. Radiation therapy delivers targeted energy from X-rays or radioactive sources to destroy cancer cells in a localized area.

Cancer is caused by cells with mutations in the DNA that cause them to grow uncontrollably. Wellstar radiation oncologists use advanced radiation techniques and technology to turn cancer’s strength into its greatest weakness. Radiation attacks cancer by altering the DNA within cancer cells and preventing them from reproducing and growing. Radiation therapy is completely painless—what patients experience during the radiation treatment is similar to undergoing imaging X-rays.

Radiation is effective for treating patients with many different types of cancer, including lung, breast and prostate cancer. Wellstar radiation oncologists design the best radiation therapy for each person based on the cancer type, the stage and various factors. The patient may benefit from radiation alone, or combined with other cancer treatments such as surgery, targeted therapy, immunotherapy or chemotherapy.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Radiation Oncologist, Wellstar Radiation Oncology

Dr. McLaughlin received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Duke University and his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He completed his surgical internship at Shands Teaching Hospital, College of Medicine at University of Florida, where he also completed his residency in radiation oncology. Dr. McLaughlin also holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University.

Dr. McLaughlin is board-certified in radiation oncology. In his spare time, he enjoys sports, travel, gardening, boating, martial arts, and reading.

Shannon Ross, Director of Oncology Services, Wellstar Health System

Shannon Ross is Director of Oncology Services for Wellstar.

Shannon began his career as a radiation therapist and found a passion for creating an effective and caring patient experience and transitioned to the operational side of oncology care.

Shannon joined Wellstar in November 2021.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Tell us about the new Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center
More about Dr. McLaughlin
Expansion of cancer care at Wellstar
Cyberknife technology
STAT Clinics approach

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Cindy David, Cindy David Designs & Cindy David Yoga

August 1, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Cindy David, Cindy David Designs & Cindy David Yoga

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Cindy David, Cindy David Designs & Cindy David Yoga (Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett, Episode 5)

On this episode of Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett, Julie’s guest was Cindy David, who owns and operates both Cindy David Designs and Cindy David Yoga. Julie and Cindy had a lively conversation about how she got into making jewelry, her driving force, her yoga practice and how she became a teacher, her favorite hobbies, and much more.

For listeners, Cindy also offered a discount using code Julie15 for a free yoga class on her yoga website or 15 percent off jewelry at her jewelry website. These offers expire on December 31st, 2022.

At the end of the show, Julie shared a Quick Tip about focusing on the bigger picture.

Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett is presented by Julie Hullett Concierge, LLC and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Cindy David Designs

Throughout history, every culture has used jewelry as a means of expression.

Its purpose has been to symbolize unions, commemorate births, be worn as protection, and is valued in spiritual and healing practices. As an adornment, jewelry is meant to be pleasing to the eye and senses. Cindy David, founder and master designer of Cindy David Designs, is rooted in these principles and dedicated to producing high-quality, one-of-a-kind pieces of “wearable art.”

Cindy’s Mediterranean heritage, extensive world travels, and innate artistic talents come together to create her original designs, using natural Gemstones, Semi-precious stones, Swarovski Crystals, Freshwater pearls, and Silver and Gold components. Cindy allows herself to marry stones and metals not traditionally imagined, yet when combined form beautiful works of art that adorn the wearer with vivid color and will be treasured for years to come.

Cindy also designs custom pieces for her clients upon request, utilizing their input along with her gift of color and materials to style and create an individualized work of art. Cindy David Designs is a Nashville-based company dedicated to providing beautiful jewelry for all.

Over the years, her designs have been featured in many prestigious Art Museums across the country including the Ringling Brothers Museum of Art (Sarasota), Dallas Museum of Art, The High (Atlanta), Knoxville Museum of Art, The Frist (Nashville), etc. In addition to the art museum circuit, she has sold her designs in many high-end boutiques all around the country.

She has exhibited in many high-end Art & Craft Shows across the country. She has been featured in Nashville Lifestyles magazine, had her jewelry featured on Today in Nashville, and is constantly wearing her own designs where women will literally buy things off her neck, wrists, and fingers! She specializes in doing custom jewelry designs for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, keepsakes, bespoke jewelry and “just b/c” gifts. Every piece is a piece of art for her and designed with much love.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Cindy David Yoga

Cindy David has been practicing yoga for over 20 years now and it has had a holistic life-changing impact in every area of her life.

After an intensive 4-month teacher training, Cindy emerged like a phoenix from the ashes with this profound sense of inner well-being, a new sense of confidence, and the ability to start speaking her own inner truth. Since that time, she has become certified in Kundalini Yoga and started to directly work with the Chakra energy system. Depending on the student, she offers Vinyasa/Power Flow Yoga and Kundalini. Oftentimes, she combines both of these types of yoga in her classes in her own signature program, “FLowlini”.

During the pandemic, she was one of the first yoga teachers to go online and started offering “FB lives” just to get people moving and out of the COVID crazies.

She works with private clients all the time and started working with a fun group of 75-85 year olds. She learns as much from them as they learn from her. Additionally, Cindy has taught all over Nashville at Studio Indigo, Small World Yoga, and the Gordon Jewish Community Center.

In the community, she teaches at Faith Family Medical Center, The Next Door (a recovery center for women in addiction), and the Women’s Prison. She also teaches in high-end apartment complexes from Sylvan Park, to the Gulch and everywhere in between.

Lastly, she hosts fun yoga events – Yoga Brunches, Yoga & Mimosas, and 1/2 day retreats from her Nashville home backyard.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Cindy David, Owner, Cindy David Designs & Cindy David Yoga

Cindy has been designing jewelry for the past 20 years. She has come a long way from working with plastic beads and plated metals being sold at the I-24 Expo Center and Flea Markets. And, even then her designs sold out at these shows. While working at Coca-Cola, she got her “big break.” While running errands for her then boss, she ran into a lady at Starbucks who complimented her on her jewelry and Cindy shared that she was a “jewelry designer.” She was intrigued and asked if Cindy would come to her small real estate office.

Cindy showed up to that tiny real estate office of 4 women and not only sold out of her current designs, but took orders for the same pieces! She made more money in that 1.5 hour appointment than in a whole week working at Coca-Cola! Shortly, after that fortuitous meeting, she left Coca- Cola and Cindy David Designs was born. The rest is HER-story!

Cindy David has been practicing yoga for over 20 years because it brought a sense of calm and inner peace that she had only heard about through “Spiritual Masters” but didn’t think was available to her. While in a Hot Vinyasa Class, the teacher’s words made such an impact on her that she signed up immediately for Teacher Training immediately and has now been teaching for 3 years.

Cindy lives in Nashville with her two rescue cats. After her two loves of yoga and making jewelry, Cindy loves travel and cooking.

About Time Well Spent

Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett features stories from busy professionals who have created more time to do what they love. Every other week, your host and personal concierge Julie Hullett speaks with entrepreneurs, community leaders, and influencers to answer the question: What would you do if you had more time?

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

Julie Hullett, Host of Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett

Julie Hullet, Host of *Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett*

Julie Hullett is the host of Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett.

Julie Hullett is a personal concierge and entrepreneur in Nashville, TN. She founded Julie Hullett Concierge, LLC in 2011 to give people their time back so they can do more of what they love. No stranger to big ideas and pursuing passions, Julie left corporate America to create her business. She capitalized on her skills—multi-tasking, attention to detail, and time management, to name a few—to build a successful business that gives back. Her clients enjoy ample free time. They’ve traveled more, spent more time with those they love, and have even created their own businesses.

Connect with Julie:

Website| LinkedIn | Instagram. Sign up to receive her newsletter.

Dental Law Radio Rebrands and Relaunches as Advisory Insights Podcast

August 1, 2022 by John Ray

Dental Law Radio

Dental Law Radio Rebrands and Relaunches as Advisory Insights Podcast

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Dental Law Radio Rebrands and Relaunches as Advisory Insights Podcast (Dental Law Radio, Episode 32)

Over the past year, Oberman Law Firm has grown significantly, adding attorneys with various areas of expertise which extend well beyond the firm’s highly regarded and well-known work with dental practices. Consequently, the firm is rebranding and relaunching Dental Law Radio as Advisory Insights Podcast. Advisory Insights will cover the same legal, business, HR, and other topics addressed in Dental Law Radio, and will do so aimed at other healthcare practices and business owners as well.

Advisory Insights is underwritten and presented by Oberman Law Firm and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. The show series can be found here as well as on all the major podcast apps.

Stuart Oberman, Oberman Law Firm

Stuart Oberman is the founder and President of Oberman Law Firm. Mr. Oberman graduated from Urbana University and received his law degree from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Oberman has been practicing law for over 25 years, and before going into private practice, Mr. Oberman was in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 Company. Mr. Oberman is widely regarded as the go-to attorney in the area of Dental Law, which includes DSO formation, corporate business structures, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, advertising regulations, HIPAA, Compliance, and employment law regulations that affect dental practices.

In addition, Mr. Oberman’s expertise in the health care industry includes advising clients in the complex regulatory landscape as it relates to telehealth and telemedicine, including compliance of corporate structures, third-party reimbursement, contract negotiations, technology, health care fraud and abuse law (Anti-Kickback Statute and the State Law), professional liability risk management, federal and state regulations.

As the long-term care industry evolves, Mr. Oberman has the knowledge and experience to guide clients in the long-term care sector with respect to corporate and regulatory matters, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). In addition, Mr. Oberman’s practice also focuses on health care facility acquisitions and other changes of ownership, as well as related licensure and Medicare/Medicaid certification matters, CCRC registrations, long-term care/skilled nursing facility management, operating agreements, assisted living licensure matters, and health care joint ventures.

In addition to his expertise in the health care industry, Mr. Oberman has a nationwide practice that focuses on all facets of contractual disputes, including corporate governance, fiduciary duty, trade secrets, unfair competition, covenants not to compete, trademark and copyright infringement, fraud, and deceptive trade practices, and other business-related matters. Mr. Oberman also represents clients throughout the United States in a wide range of practice areas, including mergers & acquisitions, partnership agreements, commercial real estate, entity formation, employment law, commercial leasing, intellectual property, and HIPAA/OSHA compliance.

Mr. Oberman is a national lecturer and has published articles in the U.S. and Canada.

Oberman Law Firm

Oberman Law Firm has a long history of civic service, noted national, regional, and local clients, and stands among the Southeast’s eminent and fast-growing full-service law firms. Oberman Law Firm’s areas of practice include Business Planning, Commercial & Technology Transactions, Corporate, Employment & Labor, Estate Planning, Health Care, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Privacy & Data Security, and Real Estate.

By meeting their client’s goals and becoming a trusted partner and advocate for our clients, their attorneys are recognized as legal go-getters who provide value-added service. Their attorneys understand that in a rapidly changing legal market, clients have new expectations, constantly evolving choices, and operate in an environment of heightened reputational and commercial risk.

Oberman Law Firm’s strength is its ability to solve complex legal problems by collaborating across borders and practice areas.

Connect with Oberman Law Firm:

Company website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Workplace MVP LIVE from SHRM 2022: Greg Hawks, Hawks Agency

Greg Hawks, Hawks Agency

Hawks Agency

About Workplace MVP

Workplace MVP Host Jamie Gassmann

R3 Continuum

Brock Kolls, Gr8BigIdeas LLC (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 482)

Gr8BigIdeas LLC

Brock Kolls, Owner and Patent Agent, Gr8BigIdeas LLC

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Tony Kimbrough, Veterans Empowerment Organization (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 480)

Veterans Empowerment Organization

Tony Kimbrough, CEO, Veterans Empowerment Organization

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Mike from Mike Built Something and m2.Labs (Organization Conversation, Episode 29)

Mike, Mike Built Something and m2.Labs

About Organization Conversation

About Richard Grove

About Wall Control

Finding the Right Team Members on Your Own Advisory Board, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Three Things You Must Know About Key Performance Indicators, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

About ProfitSense and Your Host, Bill McDermott

Dr. Mark McLaughlin and Shannon Ross, Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 479)

Wellstar Cancer Care

Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Radiation Oncologist, Wellstar Radiation Oncology

Shannon Ross, Director of Oncology Services, Wellstar Health System

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Cindy David, Cindy David Designs & Cindy David Yoga (Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett, Episode 5)

Cindy David Designs

Cindy David Yoga

Cindy David, Owner, Cindy David Designs & Cindy David Yoga

About Time Well Spent

Julie Hullett, Host of Time Well Spent with Julie Hullett

Connect with Julie:

Dental Law Radio Rebrands and Relaunches as Advisory Insights Podcast (Dental Law Radio, Episode 32)

Stuart Oberman, Oberman Law Firm

Oberman Law Firm

Connect with Oberman Law Firm:

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 482)

North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 480)

North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 479)