John Ray, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Carley Stephens, Gas South

November 14, 2022 by John Ray

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Carley Stephens, Gas South (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 565)

Carley Stephens with Gas South joined host John Ray LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit. They talked about her role at Gas South, giving back to children in need, telling your own story, Women in Leadership Summit, and much more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit held at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

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

Carley Stephens, Director of Community Affairs, Gas South

Carley Stephens is the Director of Community Affairs at Gas South. She oversees all of Gas South’s corporate citizenship or philanthropic giving in the communities they serve, and their employee engagement in those communities.

She has helped Gas South give millions back in charitable donations for children in need. She has been with Gas South since 2017.

Gas South

Gas South is the largest retail natural gas provider in the Southeast.

In December 2020, Gas South acquired Infinite Energy and now serves over 425,000 residential, business and governmental customers throughout the Southeast. While growing in size, their purpose remains the same, to “Be A Fuel For Good”. They are dedicated to putting people first in everything we do. That means they offer low rates with no deposit, exceptional customer service and our commitment to give 5% of profits to support children in need.

Gas South is also committed to investing in our employees. By encouraging their associates to grow in their careers, we can make our employees’ lives better—and that makes Gas South better. Since 2016, they’ve been recognized as one of the “Top Workplaces in Atlanta” four times by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They approach every day knowing we have an opportunity to make a difference, and the difference is good.

Gas South is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cobb EMC, one of the country’s largest electric cooperatives.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit, presented by the Women INfluencing Business Committee

The 2022 Women in Leadership Summit, organized by the Women INfluencing Business Committee of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, was held on November 2, 2022, at the Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Powered by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC), the Women INfluencing Business Committee strives to engage female leaders and enhance the standing of professional women within the community. Its annual awards program recognizes women with exceptional vision who have implemented innovative ideas in both the workplace and community and who inspire others.

Website

Questions and Topics in the Interview

Gas South
Giving Back to Children in Need
Telling Your Own Story
Women in Leadership Summit

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.

Since 2000, Office Angels® has been restoring joy to the life of small business owners, enabling them to focus on what they do best. At the same time, we honor and support at-home experts who wish to continue working on an as-needed basis. Not a temp firm or a placement service, Office Angels matches a business owner’s support needs with Angels who have the talent and experience necessary to handle work that is essential to creating and maintaining a successful small business. Need help with administrative tasks, bookkeeping, marketing, presentations, workshops, speaking engagements, and more? Visit us at https://officeangels.us/.

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Tara Heaton, En Pointe Communications

November 14, 2022 by John Ray

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Tara Heaton, En Pointe Communications (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 563)

Tara Heaton, Founder of En Pointe Communications joined host John Ray LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit. They discussed En Pointe Communications, authentic leadership, workplace culture, the Women in Leadership Summit, and much more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit held at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

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

Tara Heaton, Founder, En Pointe Communications

Tara helps leaders, speakers, and salespeople craft and deliver messages that move people. She empowers businesses to define their distinction and turn networking and prospecting into revenue.

With years of neuroscience research and success in competitive sales as a foundation, En Pointe Communications has discovered how to employ science, art and sport to close sales, open minds and generate action.

They work with individuals in a remote coaching setting that delivers results!

Website | Facebook | Tara’s LinkedIn

GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit, presented by the Women INfluencing Business Committee

Website

Questions and Topics in the Interview

En Pointe Communications
Authentic Leadership
Workplace Culture
Women in Leadership Summit

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Colette Varco and Alexis Mitchell, Frazier & Deeter

November 11, 2022 by John Ray

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Colette Varco and Alexis Mitchell, Frazier & Deeter (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 562)

Colette Varco and Alexis Mitchell with Frazier and Deeter joined host John Ray from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit. They chatted about their roles at Frazier & Deeter, the firm’s reputation as a great workplace for women, sessions and speakers at the Summit, and more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit held at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

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

Colette Varco, CPA, Tax Manager, Frazier & Deeter

Colette Varco is a Manager in Frazier & Deeter’s Tax Practice and has been with the firm for nearly 5 years. Previously, Colette worked in public education and with Alvarez & Marsal Tax and LLC (A&M), where she worked with the Real Estate tax group on multi-tiered flow-through partnerships and with high-net-worth individuals. 

Her range of experience includes federal and state tax compliance and consulting services. While at A&M, Colette was also involved with mentoring new associates and recruiting at local colleges. 

Alexis Mitchell, Tax Supervisor, Frazier & Deeter

Alexis Mitchell is a Tax Supervisor in the Alpharetta office specializing in pass-throughs. She has been with Frazier & Deeter since 2015.

Frazier & Deeter

The Alpharetta office of Frazier & Deeter is home to a thriving CPA tax practice, a growing advisory practice and an Employee Benefit Plan Services group.

CPAs and advisors in the Frazier & Deeter Alpharetta office serve clients across North Georgia and around the country with services such as personal tax planning, estate planning, business tax planning, business tax compliance, state and local tax planning, financial statement reviews, financial statement audits, employee benefit plan audits, internal audit outsourcing, cyber security, data privacy, SOX and other regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions and more.

Alpharetta CPAs serve clients ranging from business owners and executives to large corporations.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit, presented by the Women INfluencing Business Committee

Website

Questions and Topics in the Interview

Frazier & Deeter
Women INfluencing Business Committee
Women in Leadership Summit

Regulatory Concerns for 2023

November 11, 2022 by John Ray

Regulatory Concerns for 2023 (Advisory Insights Podcast, Episode 17)

On this episode of Advisory Insights, Stuart Oberman of Oberman Law Firm looked ahead to 2023 and covered some of the basic HR-related compliance reviews businesses should conduct at year end 2022, including manuals and checklists, time tracking and overtime policies, employee vs. contractor classification, and more. Stuart also urged employers use this time to verify their compliance with the FLSA, the Affordable Care Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, OSHA, and EEOC.

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

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:01] Broadcasting from the studios of Business RadioX, it’s time for Advisory Insights. Brought to you by Oberman Law Firm, serving clients nationwide with tailored service and exceptional results. Now, here’s your host.

Stuart Oberman: [00:00:20] Welcome everyone to Advisory Insights. This is Stuart Oberman. Well, I’ll tell you, folks, 2023 is almost here. So, at this time of year, it is a mad, mad scramble to get everything organized, closed out for 2022, and then see what we have for 2023. So, this is a perfect, perfect time that our clients, big or small, whether you make $100,000 a year or whether you’re half-a-billion to a billion dollars, it’s all, all, all regulatory time. So, what are we going to cover?

Stuart Oberman: [00:01:30] As we review regulatory concerns for 2023, it’s a mad scramble now. Our clients, whether they’re big, they’re small, whether they make $1,000 a year or half-a-billion dollars or a billion dollars, it is all regulatory time. So, what I want to do is really take a look at what are the basic things that you need to really look at on an H.R. Process, whether it is local, regional, national landscape. Human resources is an extremely, extremely hot topic right now.

Stuart Oberman: [00:02:01] You know, when you have states that are regulating hair color, when you have states that are regulating non-compete agreements, when you have states regulating background checks, whether we have employee classification issues, whether we have IRS issues, let’s take a quick look at some of the things that we need to look at and what everyone needs to look at as a checklist for 2023 starting today.

Stuart Oberman: [00:02:28] One, I want everyone to do a complete compliance review. What does that mean? That means all your manuals, all your checklists, all your personnel issues, all your tax forms, whatever you need to do to make sure that those personnel files are absolutely in order we need to take a look at.

Stuart Oberman: [00:02:50] Second step in this wonderful world that we live in of the revolving employee coming and going, boomeranging, the great resignation. I forgot the biggest term now is a great – I don’t know, where employees just sort of float along and they really don’t check in or check out. They just float and, eventually, wait to be fired.

Stuart Oberman: [00:03:13] I want you to take a look at hiring and recruiting, you know, what is your onboarding process. That’s the next one, employee onboarding. Do you have the regulatory matters? Do you have the offer letters, which we’re going to cover in another episode. Do you have the background checks? Are you granted permission to do background checks? Are you granted permission to do criminal checks? I mean, these are the things that you really, really have to take a look at as far as onboarding goes.

Stuart Oberman: [00:03:42] Do you have a training process in place for the employees or are they just sort of floundering? Have they received non-disclosure agreements? Have they received social media, cell phone, internet policy agreements? These are all the things that you need to handle right when they start the first day.

Stuart Oberman: [00:03:58] So then, let’s take a look at our payroll and time keeping measures. Huge topic issue. Are you properly paying your employees for overtime? We’re going to cover that issue as it relates to commuting employees in a couple episodes down the road. But how are you paying your employees? Are they W-2? Are they 1099? Are you paying them for travel time to the job, paying spending the night? Are you traveling?

Stuart Oberman: [00:04:25] You know, we’re going to get into a little bit of the The Portal-to-Portal Act. You’re probably thinking, what in the world is that? Well, that’s an early, early law that’s been around for about 60 or 70 years that, honestly, most H.R. people do not know about. So, timekeeping measures. Are you tracking time? How are you tracking time? Is it manual? Is it by computer? Is it by software?

Stuart Oberman: [00:04:48] Because what happens is we have some employers that will not pay their staff overtime until they reach 46 hours. Now, there’s a five hour gap there every week. That can be very, very costly. Do you have a policy in place? Is your OT policy, whatever that may be – I’ll use the word defensible – defensible? Is it defensible against the IRS? Is it defensible against the Department of Labor, no matter where your state is, or federal? What do those things look like?

Stuart Oberman: [00:05:26] Classification, independent contractor or employee. Do you pass the simple smell test? I think it was back in ’84, I believe, or the early ’80s, the IRS set up 20 checkmarks, if you will, on what you need to look at to determine whether a person is an employee or independent contractor. Are we looking at the control test? The old saying, if you control the time, place, and manner of an individual, they are an employee. So, that could be a very, very, very costly mistake.

Stuart Oberman: [00:06:05] Next question is proper record considerations. Are you keeping track of those? So, there’s a couple of things you need to look at when you’re saying you’re tracking those. So, I want you to take a look at do you comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA, the minimum wage, overtime? Should that be reviewed? Absolutely. Are you looking at the Affordable Care Act? Do you comply with that? Simple things. Do you have enough employees to comply with those areas? American with Disabilities Act, the ADA, are you looking at those? Occupational Safe and Health Act, OSHA – OSHA, the big guys. Family Medical Leave Act, are you looking at that, FMLA, 50 employees or over?

Stuart Oberman: [00:06:53] Do some of your employees that are 15 or some of your companies that are 15 and more employees, do they qualify for that? And then, the beloved agency, the EEOC, which is a nasty, nasty governmental organization that, really, I say nasty, but they do a lot of good things. And we’re going to cover some areas on that down the road.

Stuart Oberman: [00:07:15] So, what are the next things? EEOC retaliation. So, if your employee reports you to a governmental agency or state agency or even a local agency, and you retaliate, well, what does that mean? You can’t fire, you can’t demote, you can’t reprimand, you can’t punish your employees because they simply went ahead and reported you, which they are allowed to do. The question is, how do you deal with that internally and do you have a retaliation process? That has to be reviewed. You’ve got to look at your H.R. You have to have specific guidelines for non-retaliation.

Stuart Oberman: [00:07:57] And, lastly, I’m going to take a look at federal guidelines for 15 or more employees. Now, have you even looked at whether or not the FLSA even applies to you? The question is it will. Affordable Care Act, Medical Disabilities Act, OSHA, FMLA, EEOC, do those even apply to you if you have 15 or more employees? If you don’t know the answer to that question, you’re way out of compliance.

Stuart Oberman: [00:08:24] And I would urge everyone to take a look at what their guidelines are, ask questions, seek counsel, go to the C-suites of your company. And if you are not in compliance, now is an absolute great time because people wait to the second, third, fourth quarter to do this. Now’s the time to deal with it going into 2023.

Stuart Oberman: [00:08:49] Folks, that is our H.R. concerns for 2023 entering. I want you to really take a look at these things and make sure because it is really a trap for the unwary if you are not.

Stuart Oberman: [00:09:02] Folks, Stuart Oberman, Oberman Law Firm and Advisory Insights. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 770-886-2400 or email stuart, S-T-U-A-R-T, @obermanlaw.com. We’re going to have some great, great topics to follow on our next podcast. So, everyone, have a fantastic day. Thank you.

Outro: [00:09:25] Thank you for joining us on Advisory Insights. This show is brought to you by Oberman Law Firm, a business-centric law firm representing local, regional, and national clients in a wide range of practice areas, including health care, mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, and regulatory compliance.

About Advisory Insights Podcast

Presented by Oberman Law Firm, Advisory Insights Podcast covers legal, business, HR, and other topics of vital concern to healthcare practices and other business owners. This show series can be found here as well as on all the major podcast apps.

Stuart Oberman, Oberman Law Firm

Stuart Oberman, Founder, 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 healthcare 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

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Lena, Flipping Gorgeous

November 10, 2022 by John Ray

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Lena, Flipping Gorgeous (Organization Conversation, Episode 49)

Lena from Flipping Gorgeous joined host Richard Grove in the Wall Control Booth LIVE at Haven Conference 2022. Attending her first HAVEN, Lena talked about transitioning from real estate to DIY during the pandemic. She and Richard talked about being real on social media, how it all came together for her, what creativity really is, working on her dream home, and much more.

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.

Lena, Owner, Flipping Gorgeous

Lena is a realtor turned renovator on a mission to help inspire people to create a beautiful life with their own hands.

A few years ago she stepped away from her real estate career to focus on raising her three small children. She started to tackle projects around her house and refinish furniture. It allowed her to reconnect with her creative passions.

Lena began documenting her new passion for DIY on TikTok, which has become her largest platform. Sharing her authentic approach has empowered her audience to take on projects that previously felt intimidating. She loves producing instructional videos that take the end user through a project step-by-step.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

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.

Outside of Richard’s work at Wall Control he enjoys helping other business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs along their own paths to success by offering personal business coaching and advising through his website ConsultantSmallBusiness.com. Richard has developed an expansive and unique skillset growing and scaling Wall Control through a multitude of challenges to the successful brand and company it is today. Richard is happy to share his knowledge and experience with others who are looking to do the same within their own businesses.

Connect with Richard:

Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Richard’s Website

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

Ed Mysogland, Indiana Business Advisors, and host of How to Sell a Business Podcast

November 10, 2022 by John Ray

Ed Mysogland, Indiana Business Advisors, and host of How to Sell a Business Podcast

On this episode of Business Leaders Radio, Ed Mysogland joined host John Ray to discuss his work at Indiana’s largest business brokerage. Ed discussed how Indiana Business Advisors works with business owners looking to exit, the firm’s long track record of successful transactions (about 2,200!), what a business owner should do to prepare for a sale, and more. Ed also announced the rebranding of his podcast, Defenders of Business Value, into the How to Sell a Business Podcast, which will be produced and distributed by Business RadioX®.

Business Leaders Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX® in Atlanta.

Indiana Business Advisors

Indiana Business Advisors is the leading and largest business brokerage firm in Indiana specializing in marketing and selling Main Street and Lower Middle Market businesses. With more than 175 Indiana businesses available for acquisition and more than 220 franchisers seeking to expand in the state, their access to a network of 10,000 businesses of all sizes nationally and internationally keeps them at the forefront of business brokerage. Your success is their success.

Since 1981, Indiana Business Advisors has taken the mystery and confusion out of buying a business. Because they possess the depth of knowledge, experience, and key business relationships required to give you discreet, full-service, investment banking-level professionalism through every step of the transaction. IBA’s experience covers a wide variety of industries, including business services, consumer services and products, manufacturing, and distribution.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Ed Mysogland, Managing Director, Indiana Business Advisors, and host of How to Sell a Business Podcast

As its Managing Partner, Ed guides the development of the organization, its knowledge strategy, and the IBA initiative, which is to continue to be Indiana’s premier business brokerage by bringing investment-banker-caliber of transactional advisory services to small and mid-sized businesses. Over the last 29 years, Ed has been appraising and providing pre-sale consulting services for small and medium-size privately-held businesses as part of the brokerage process. He has worked with entrepreneurs of every pedigree and offers a unique insight in consulting with them toward a successful outcome.

The development of his experience stems from appraising many types, sizes, and interests. He has valued businesses in 28 states over his career. He has saved buy-side clients millions and successfully defended the business value of his sell-side clients. He has served as an expert witness and has taught about business valuation and exit planning.

Ed is a graduate of the distinguished Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Series; chapter President of the Exit Planning Institute and has served several not-for-profit organizations.

Find Ed’s podcast at howtosellabusinesspodcast.com.

Questions and Topics

Indiana Business Brokers
When to begin exit planning
Kinds of buyers
Clean up your books
Value Drivers
About How to Sell a Business Podcast

Business Leaders Radio is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. The show can be found on all the major podcast apps and a full archive can be found here.

Brian Slack, Vistage International

November 9, 2022 by John Ray

Brian Slack, Vistage International (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 561)

On this edition of North Fulton Business Radio, Vistage International Chair Brian Slack joined host John Ray to discuss the CEO mentoring groups he leads. Brian discussed the value CEOs find in surrounding themselves with like-minded peers, his own journey as a CEO, success stories, and much more.

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

Vistage International

Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders. We offer the most effective approach to achieve better results, grow your company faster and maximize your impact as a leader.

For more than 65 years, Vistage has helped CEOs, business owners and key executives reach new levels of success.

Your Vistage group gives you the perspective you need to make better decisions.

A Vistage peer advisory group is made up of 12-16 other CEOs or local business owners. It’s like having a confidential, private advisory board to troubleshoot problems, vet ideas, and identify blind spots.

The local business leaders who make up the peer advisory group are always from non-competing industries and have no agenda but to help each other succeed. Vistage offers different programs for CEOs, small business owners, key executives, and emerging leaders.

When you’re a Vistage member you’re part of a group of other CEOs, business owners or key executives who are committed to helping each other make better decisions, get better results and become better leaders.

After coaching 100,000+ CEOs for over 65 years, Vistage has identified a proven approach for making better decisions and getting better results for your business.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Brian Slack, CEO Peer Advisory Board Chair, Vistage International

Brian Slack is an accomplished business executive with a consistent record of meeting and exceeding goals. Specific areas of focus, general corporate management, Sales and Marketing Management, Sales Development, and National and Key Account Expansion. Strategic and analytical thinker; able to plan and implement complex programs to penetrate new markets and customer types for increased revenues; demonstrated leader of world-class performing teams; results driven for success in highly competitive markets.

He is retired from Pro-Link, a national full-service janitorial supply, marketing, distribution, and buying organization. Pro-Link has more than 100 member companies and over 120 distribution points throughout the United States.

Questions and Topics in the Interview

What is Vistage?
What types of companies and people are involved with Vistage?
What are the goals of Vistage Groups? How do Vistage Groups Work?
Tell us about your qualifications
Why do you believe in the concept the way you do?

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.

Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates

November 8, 2022 by John Ray

Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 560)

Chris Smith made a return visit to the North Fulton Business Radio studio to discuss recent tax law changes business owners should be aware of, including an important change of pass-through entity elections which Georgia-based businesses can make for the 2022 tax year. Chris also chatted with host John Ray on his firm’s growth, the talent acquisition challenge which all accounting firms face today, what clients should look for if they’re thinking about selecting a new CPA, and much more.

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

CB Smith & Associates

CB Smith & Associates is a Georgia-based business advisory and CPA firm that delivers big-firm expertise and acumen with small-town thoughtfulness and warmth.

They help bring to light the stories that numbers tell — about the health of your business, the soundness of your financial or tax plan, and the options that can lead you to a path of success. They believe that awareness makes opportunity visible.

As trusted advisors, they have a partnership philosophy that is designed to help you better understand your financial outlook. Whether you have a small or midsize business or you need to enhance your personal financial strategy, the team at CB Smith & Associates is committed to providing you with responsive accounting consultation and business guidance that moves you closer to your goals.

Their mission is to be a strategic partner in the preservation and enhancement of your wealth. They listen first, take a personal interest in your goals and aspirations, understand your obstacles and challenges, and present and implement valuable solutions with integrity, quality of service, and professional expertise.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Chris Smith, CPA, CGMA, Founder and Partner, CB Smith & Associates

With 30 years of financial experience, Chris Smith is passionate about his work. Since founding CB Smith & Associates in 2003, he has led the accounting firm’s growth from one to three office locations in Georgia. It now has 21 employees, including a solid team of certified public accountants and other tax professionals.

CB Smith & Associates is a business advisory and full-service accounting firm that works in tandem with its sister company, Reliance Payroll LLC, a full-service payroll and human resources outsourcing firm. Prior to starting his own firm, Chris was a corporate controller.

He earned a degree in accounting from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business and is active in local community groups such as the Rotary Club and numerous CPA groups.

Questions and Topics in the Interview

Tell us about CB Smith & Associates
Where are your offices?
As a public accounting and business advisory firm, what do you do for businesses and individuals?
What are some tax Law changes in Georgia that individuals and businesses need to know?
Last year, the Georgia Governor signed House Bill 149 into law (resulting in Rule 560-7-3-.03 being adopted). Explain the law to us and tell us more about pass-through entity elections and what business owners need to know.
What should companies know about the new lease accounting standards?
Why is it important for a business owner to have a CPA (or team of CPAs) on their team?
Are you currently hiring/recruiting?

Andy Kalajian, Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC

November 7, 2022 by John Ray

Andy Kalajian, Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 559)

Andy Kalajian joined North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray to discuss the mix of generations in the workplace and its effect on corporate culture, millennials in the workplace, causes of poor employee engagement, why employees are seeking more meaning and purpose in their work, how he helps teams diagnose and solve nagging performance difficulties, and much more.

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

Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC

Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC is a Personal and Professional Leadership Development company.

They believe in Transformational Thought in Action! Transformational thought in action means that your thoughts become your actions. Those actions invested in your life, over time, become your habits.

When you invest your habits in your life over time, those habits produce your Character. And your Character determines the destiny of your life. With this model, you can understand why Character development is so very important! And Character Development is Leadership Development. This is why we believe that at Fort Leadership We Create Healthy Corporate Cultures One Character at a Time! They do this by conducting Executive Leadership Group Training at 1000 Avalon in North Fulton or via Zoom!

The workplace is comprised of 4 working generations. All four of these Generations are working in the United States right now. “The young adults are taking longer to grow up, middle- age adults are taking longer to grow old, and the elderly are taking longer to leave this earth.” Tim Elmore author of A New Kind of Diversity “As a people, we are growing older, more unequal, more diverse, more mixed race, more digitally linked, less married, less fertile, less religious, and less confident” Paul Taylor Pew Research Center.

Further dividing us in the workplace is the music we listen to, the heroes we celebrate, and the villains we denigrate. We are divided by our use of technology, the news outlets we watch, the events that we celebrate, and the politics venerate In the 1960s and 70s, work was a place where the employees made a living. People got their purpose and meaning from churches or houses of worship. We lived within 15 miles from where we were born and raised and so we had family all around us. We had a sense of community from bowling leagues, card parties, and the Rotary or Kiwanis club.

Today, all of this social responsibility has fallen on the workplace. The workplace is where Gen Y and Gen Z expect to get their meaning & purpose, it’s where they get their friend groups and their sense of community. They want everyone to agree with their politics. When you add the emotion of fear exacerbated by Covid and their sense of the fragility of life itself, they want and need the workplace to be their therapist too.

Now with this as a backdrop, it’s easier to understand why there is such a large exodus from the workforce. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that 38 million workers left the workforce in 2021. Furthermore, they indicated that another 4.4 million headed for the exits in February 2022. Clearly, some Boomers took early retirement after Covid or just decided the heck with it, it is not worth it anymore.

Like the aftershocks of an earthquake, Covid is still causing tremors in our workplace. This is why Fort Leadership believes that strong Character driven Leadership is vital to the workplace and to the nation today! It is time for Leaders to stand up and teach the next generation what it looks like to model servant leadership. It’s time for leaders to sharpen their leadership skills. It’s time for leaders to invest in their leadership teams so that they can lead the people safely through turbulent storms. It’s time to gather them one by one, by one, and teach them the necessary skills to help them not to just survive, but to thrive.

So do you have a leadership growth plan for yourself? If not, why not? And do you have a Leadership Development plan for your people? As the leader, it’s incumbent on you to make the right decisions. This is your call to action!

Company website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Andy Kalajian, Founder & President, Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC

Andy Kalajian has been a highly sought-after public speaker for more than 25 years. He has received public acclaim for his brand, EnTheos, Latin for Spirit Within and predecessor to the word Enthusiasm. Andy enthusiastically delivers powerful talks and lessons steeped in wisdom literature and their practical application to busy lifestyles. His tagline, transformational thought in action, serves as a reminder to the participant that one can, indeed, permanently change the destiny of their life by changing the nature of their thoughts and actions.

Andy was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. As a young boy he discovered his passion for serving others in medicine and his gift for public speaking. At the age of 12, Andy, at the urging of his father, began to earn his own way as a Golf Caddy. His sense of adventure also led him, along with his father, to the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved the Rank of Eagle Scout. In High School, Andy was fed books from his mother, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

While a golf caddy, Andy was awarded the prestigious Evans Scholarship, a full academic and leadership scholarship, to study at Michigan State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology. In 1985, he coupled his lifelong passion for medicine and serving people with his gift of enthusiastic speaking and moved to Atlanta to begin his career in Medical Sales.

As a young professional, Andy’s Mom continued to fuel his desire for wisdom literature from authors/speakers Zig Ziglar, Earl Nightingale, Les Brown, Stephen Covey, and John Maxwell. Andy applied the character traits instilled in him from the Boy Scouts and the leadership skills taught to him by John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, and others to enjoy over 30 years in an award-winning medical sales career. It was during this time that Andy was asked to speak to groups as small as 4 or 5 and as large as 500+ all over the US and Puerto Rico.

Andy is very involved in the lives of his two children, Mallory and Drew. For 12 years they were engaging in monthly adventures with the YMCA Adventure Guides program where Andy volunteered in several leadership positions including Nation Chief. Andy and his wife, Sherrie, have four adult children and are active members of Pastor Andy Stanley’s congregation at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Andy enjoys time invested with his wife Sherrie, his family, and friends. He still has a voracious appetite for reading the wisdom literature and the biographies of the American Founders. He enjoys weight lifting, aerobics, golf and hiking the outdoors. Andy continues to have a passion for speaking, coaching, and training others to lead a life of significance.

Connect with Andy Kalajian on LinkedIn.

Questions and Topics in the Interview

Who is Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC and how are you helping folks out there?
Can you give our listeners some insights as to what you are learning about our nation’s workforce in this post Covid world we are ALL living in?
How are the Millennials impacting the workforce today?
Why are so many workers leaving their employers?
How can employers solve the problems with employee engagement and employee retention?