Karen, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Lea Waide with Alley Taproom and Professional Athlete and Speaker Rhonda Rajsich

November 9, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Lea Waide with Alley Taproom and Professional Athlete and Speaker Rhonda Rajsich

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Lea Waide with Alley Taproom and Professional Athlete and Speaker Rhonda Rajsich

Alley Taproom is a local beer and wine bar, featuring an entirely local menu including fresh pressed juices, mocktails and sangrias made with home grown herbs.

Lea Waide is a true southern girl, raised in her formative years between Mississippi and Tennessee. She spent her entire life enthralled in the entertainment world, growing up as a competitive dancer and landing her first professional dance gig at age 16.

After three years at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Lea left for Las Vegas to pursue her career more seriously, where she worked as a dancer, acrobat and aerial artist. She finished her degree in business and marketing at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, as she continued dancing in the show Imagine at the Luxor. During that time, she created the sold-out “Red Affair,” attended by hundreds of Las Vegas entertainers.

After many years in entertainment, Lea began planning special events and transitioned into the hospitality industry, where she has worked for the last 18 years. She currently works as the lead bartender and supervisor for what Forbes Magazine recently called, “the best VIP club in Los Angeles.” Lea has managed everything from small private gatherings to large scale celebrity driven events, such as the Video Music Awards (VMA’s).

Lea’s sister, Sara, is a long-time resident and realtor of the Phoenix area. They had been planning to retire their parents to Arizona, when the time was right. Once a pandemic shut the world down, Lea took that opportunity to hone her idea for a business, write a plan and complete a timeline for moving herself and her parents to Arizona.

Lea moved to Phoenix in 2020 and has made the connections and partnered with necessary people to get her concept off the ground. In March 2022, she worked on the opening team for Carcara at Sheraton Phoenix downtown.

Her partner is Phoenix native and professional racquetball player Rhonda Rajsich. They live downtown full time with their new maltipoo puppy.

Connect with Lea on LinkedIn and Instagram and follow Alley Taproom on Facebook.

Rhonda Rajsich has been speaking throughout her athletic career. After a violent attack outside her home in Hermosa Beach, CA in 2008, she gained a new perspective and new life lessons to share with as many people she can reach in hopes of helping them.

Rhonda has recently turned more of her focus to cultivating her speaking career and writing her first book.

Rhonda is the most decorated professional racquetball player in U.S. history. She started playing racquetball at the age of two, as her father took her to the gym while he played. She grew up playing a bit of everything, but focused on racquetball and basketball throughout her youth and young-adulthood.

Rajsich was also a decorated basketball player, earning top honors and achievements in high school, which earned her a full-ride scholarship to a Division I school in east Texas, Stephen F. Austin, to play basketball for the Ladyjacks. Rhonda intended to play professional basketball in the WNBA, and had the opportunities to do so, but when she qualified for a spot on the US TEAM for racquetball, she refocused her efforts.

She chose to give racquetball her full attention and try out the Pro Tour. Just three months into her first pro season, Rhonda made the finals of her first US Open, taking out the #1 player in the world. At the end of that rookie season, Rajsich was ranked #3 in the world, and has not looked back. She has sustained a Top-5 position in the world rankings for her entire professional career, and achieved #1 in the world for 4 consecutive seasons.

Rhonda’s passion and love of sport is without question, as is her enjoyment in sharing the experiences and camaraderie of competition and travel. She does countless exhibitions, clinics, appearances, autograph signings, and motivational speeches throughout the year, and goes above and beyond to help create an experience to remember, to inspire, and to enjoy. Always entertaining, Rhonda has a way of truly engaging and energizing a crowd.

Her dynamic yet humble personality and jaw-dropping abilities have made Rhonda Rajsich a remarkable model of all that is right in sport.

Connect with Rhonda on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Elia Covino with Body Politik

November 9, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Elia Covino with Body Politik

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Elia Covino with Body Politik

Body Politik is a thoughtfully curated studio featuring two incredible rooms: one for strength-based, core-focused Lagree classes on the Megaformer machine and a Versa Climber studio, which is a cardio class that allows you to climb to your favorite beats on the vertical climber under a state-of-the-art light show.

Both methods offer high-intensity but low-impact, full-body workouts. Lagree classes are 50 minutes and Versa Climber are 30 minutes.

Lagree classes are currently available for sign-up 7 days a week, classes starting Saturday November 12, with the Versa Climber studio side opening in January, just in time for the new year.

Elia Covino’s love of group fitness classes began at age 15, but teaching or running a fitness business was never in the plan, at least in the beginning of her career.

Elia studied pre-law at University of Miami and completed a law degree at Florida International University and is a licensed attorney in both Florida and Illinois. She also worked in high-end, luxury hotels for over 15 years in both South Beach, Miami and downtown Chicago.

Over 7 years ago, Elia took her first Lagree class and was instantly hooked. Within months of being a Lagree client, Elia became certified to teach and quickly became a highly sought-after instructor in Chicago in both Lagree and eventually cycling.

Obsessed with the method, Elia would seek Lagree classes all over the country, traveling to cities that offered them, studying the method, the instructors and studios. It was during this unintentional ‘market research’ where the idea of starting a fitness business blossomed.

Fast-forward to 2022, Elia relocated to Scottsdale to join her family and bring both Lagree and Versa Climber fitness to the Valley. Body Politik is getting ready to open its doors to the community, blending the best of the fitness and hospitality industries, offering an experience and workout that are unmatched.

Connect with Elia on LinkedIn and follow Body Politik on Facebook and Instagram.

E113 Healthcare Focus with Kris Sprague, Mickey Namamura and Tony Antonios from the PMO Global Alliance

November 9, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

E113 Healthcare Focus with Kris Sprague, Mickey Namamura and Tony Antonios from the PMO Global Alliance

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E113 Healthcare Focus with Kris Sprague, Mickey Namamura and Tony Antonios from the PMO Global Alliance

In this episode of Project Management Office Hours, PMO Joe welcomed Kris Sprague, Mickey Nakamura, and Tony Antonios all representing the PMO Global Alliance Strategic Healthcare group. In this episode we focused on the work being done by the PMOGA team as well as PMO Leadership and Project Management in Healthcare as well as trends in the industry.

One of the items the PMOGA Strategic Healthcare group is doing is penning whitepapers to help educate and communicate about healthcare project management. The first white paper they authored is, “New Ways of Working in the New Normal Post-Covid 19”. To learn more and contribute to the group you can visit the group website, https://www.pmoga.world//healthcare

We also had a great discussion on the uniqueness of project management in the healthcare industry. Mickey shared, “the impact of what they do is magnified because at the end of that It service is a potential patient that you can adversely impact, as opposed to making a mistake on some other type of industry where maybe you can go back and correct the dimensions of whatever product you have. In healthcare, it’s not a product, it’s a person.”

Listen to the entire episode to hear the full story from Kris, Mickey and Tony.

Connect with Kris Sprague:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmodirector/

Connect with Mickey Nakamura:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickeynakamura/

Connect with PMOGA Strategic Healthcare Group
Website – https://www.pmoga.world//healthcare

To see the guest list for upcoming shows – https://www.thepmosquad.com/podcast

Thank you to THE PMO SQUAD and The PMO Leader for sponsoring this show.

The PMO Squad is a leading provider of PMO and Project Management services in the US. They assist clients building and improving PMOs, provide Project Management Consulting services, deliver custom Project Management Training and provide Project Management staffing services.
Learn more about The PMO Squad – https://www.thepmosquad.com

Where do PMO Leaders go for Information, Learning, Networking and Services? The PMO Leader community has “Everything You Need to Become a Great PMO Leader”. One PMO World, One Community!
Learn more about The PMO Leader – https://www.thepmoleader.com

Kris Sprague is the Head of Program and Project Planning at Regeneron. He is an executive-level professional with extensive experience building and leading project management organizations and PMOs that assist business leaders in achieving their strategy.

In 2021, he was recognized by the PMO Global Alliance (PMOGA) as one of the Top 4 PMO Leaders in the Americas and one of the world’s top sixteen.

Mickey Nakamura is an innovative & dynamic executive with Senior Transformation, Corporate Development, Strategic Planning & Execution, Digital IT, Information Technology, Enterprise PMO – Portfolio/Program/Project/Product, & Customer Experience successes.

He is accountable for $1.2 billion programs at diverse Fortune 100 Corporations including Healthcare, Higher Education, Government, & Start-up organizations. His passion, expertise, & talent for championing organizational high performance, change, & agility enables vision, strategy, & sustained new ways of working.

He has earned a trusted reputation for robust business solutions creating value, managing complex relationships, & achieving service excellence by promoting a servant leader & people 1st philosophy.

Tony Antonios is a Senior Leader with 10+ years’ experience across EPMO / PMO, Operations, Transformation, Product, and Service Design. His industry experience includes Telecommunications, ICT Managed Services, Healthcare, and Financial services.

Tony has a strong record of accomplishment in designing and implementing both operational and strategic change, to deliver improved financial outcomes, operational efficiency, service excellence, as well as employee and customer experience.

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Joe Pusz started THE PMO SQUAD to bring real world PMO Leadership experience to the consulting space and to advocate for Project Management through his blog PMOJOE.com. The old saying is “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Following this mindset Joe left Corporate America in 2013 to start THE PMO SQUAD and work with fellow Natural Born Project Managers to advance Project Management Best Practices.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

THE PMO SQUAD focuses exclusively on PMO and Project Management consulting. Corporate America is full of Accidental Project Managers running projects who haven’t been trained to be PMs. To help solve this problem THE PMO SQUAD is on the Leading Edge with PMO As a Service. PMO As a Service allows our clients to focus on their respective core competencies while THE PMO SQUAD delivers Project Management expertise. Contact Joe at 678-591-7868. Follow The PMO Squad on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Where do PMO Leaders go for Information, Learning, Networking and Services? The PMO Leader community has “Everything You Need to Become a Great PMO Leader”. One PMO World, One Community! Learn more about The PMO Leader – www.thepmoleader.com

Dollars & Cents (and Sense) E15

November 9, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Dollars & Cents (and Sense) E15

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Dollars & Cents (and Sense) E15

This week’s show is all about female wall smashers in male dominated industries! Carla chats with Jackie Yoder of Wilde Wealth Management Group about what it’s like to love math, earning respect in an office full of guys, setting great examples for their kids, giving back, and helping to bring more women into the fold.

Wilde Wealth Management Group provides comprehensive retirement, investment, real estate, insurance, legal and tax planning services all under one roof.

A fee-based firm with in-house Senior Financial Advisors, Certified Financial Planners, Certified Public Accountants, attorneys, and mortgage and insurance specialists all working together toward clients’ diverse goals, the firm has been recognized by Forbes and has been named to Barron’s “List of Top 1,200 Advisors” annually for 14 years, most recently ranking No. 2 in Arizona.

Currently, Wilde Wealth Management Group has several offices across Arizona located in Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, Sedona, Tucson, and Payson as well as affiliates and partners in Indiana, California and New Mexico.

Jaclyn Yoder, 36, is COO of Wilde Wealth Management Group, which provides retirement, investment, real estate, insurance, legal and tax planning services under one roof.

Yoder took on the executive position in March 2020, days before COVID-19 gripped the nation at which time she also became the pandemic director as well. (Prior, she worked as an advisor for Edward Jones since 2017). Resolute, Yoder helped grow the business from $1.2 billion in 2019 to $2.83 today.

The single mother of two also expanded the brand, which at the time had offices in Scottsdale, Tempe and Glendale, bringing on offices in Sedona, Tucson and Payson as well as additional partners statewide and in New Mexico.

Yoder also doubled the size of the Scottsdale headquarters to accommodate their growth and opened a wholly new office in California. Yoder serves as chair of Wilde for Arizona, the firm’s community outreach arm, overseeing all volunteer efforts, sponsorships and fundraising.

Outside of Wilde, Yoder sits on the board of Chrysalis and was previously a mentor at New Pathways for Youth. Yoder has both a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and MBA. She also holds her Life and Health License, Series 7 and Series 66 registrations.

Follow Wilde Wealth on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

About the Show

Smashing Through Walls is geared toward a guide through complex commercial real estate and finance topics while adding humor and anecdotes along the way. Discover what is going on in the valley and beyond with host Carla Magee, broker at MHG Commercial.

About Our Host

Carla Magee’s background is designed with the investor in mind. After obtaining her finance degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, she worked for large corporations like Boeing and Microsoft. With a critical eye and flair for analytics, she was able to shave millions in lost profits, managing cross-functional teams by utilizing her Green Belt in Six Sigma and Masters Certification in Project Management.

Ultimately she realized that she couldn’t be contained in an office environment working for the corporate world. Being an investor herself, she came into real estate as an investment & multifamily property specialist, effectively applying her education & skillset. Carla excels in helping investors make sound decisions for their financial goals, in real estate negotiations, and takes deep pride in educating homebuyers and sellers.

On a personal note, Carla is a busy wife & mother to two daughters. In addition to an ever growing career and podcast, she also enjoys volunteering and being active in the community. She has a deep love for Arizona and although she travels whenever possible, she always finds her way back to the beautiful Sonoran Desert.

Connect with Carla on LinkedIn.

About Our Sponsor

MHG Commercial emerged from the highly successful and innovative residential brokerage: My Home Group. MHG Commercial’s vetted and experienced advisors have a wide range of complementary professional expertise that span over 100 years of cumulative experience.

Encompassing every aspect of commercial real estate from office to industrial development, raw land to luxury commercial, and multifamily to subdivision development. We excel at out of the box thinking and transactions that require a more hands-on approach and ingenuity.

No matter the property type or service need, our commercial advisors are committed to your objectives. Combined with business finesse and unsurpassed market intelligence, MHG Commercial brokers help you determine and surpass your business goals.

Follow MHG Commercial on Facebook and Instagram.

Exploring Community Collaborations E26

November 8, 2022 by Karen

Exploring-Community-Collaborations-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Exploring Community Collaborations E26

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Exploring Community Collaborations E26

Cox Communications is committed to creating more moments of real human connection. We bring people closer to family and friends through technology that’s inspired by a culture that puts people first, and we’re always working to improve life in the communities we serve.

Our world-class broadband applications and services are helping create smart homes and smart cities that will bring more comfort, convenience, security, entertainment and connectivity to the lives of the people we serve.

Our company is full of dreamers and doers; people who make plans and who make things happen. And, of course, people who have fun doing it.

Jeannine Watanabe is a result driven leader with deep expertise in technical solutions, strategic planning, finance, and project management. Her engaging leadership style is bolstered by exceptional relationship and communication skills.

Joining Cox in 2006, Jeannine Watanabe has held several positions including Director of Network Operations, Director of Infrastructure, Senior Manager of Application Development and Project Manager. Currently Jeannine is responsible for 27 Network Engineering Facilities and a team of 80 people that deliver Cox Business and Residential Services to their customers.

She is adept at leveraging numbers to drive business decisions, while creating a culture of accountability. She won a Synergy Award for her Leadership in 2016. Prior to Cox, Jeannine worked for Sprint as Program Manager working on billing systems and prior to that was an Oracle DBA working on Linux building retail websites.

Jeannine is passionate about community service and serves on the Board of the Children’s Cancer Network, where she leads the Governance Committee. The organization serves children and their families who have been impacted by cancer by providing support services with the intention to ensure each family realizes that they are not alone in their fight against cancer.

She has also joined the board of Junior Achievement to help achieve their mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy, as well as the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce DEI Committee.

Connect with Jeannine on LinkedIn.

About Our Sponsor

SciTech Institute™ was established as the Arizona Technology Council Foundation as the conduit for collaboration among STEM industry, academia, civic, and non-profit organizations in Arizona. Now, rebranded and named the SciTech Institute™ the goal centers around aligning assets and resources to motivate individuals to pursue STEM-related educational and career paths or find a passion while engaged in community events during the SciTech Festival.

The Chief Science Officer program highlights the 6th-12th graders that have been selected as leaders in their schools and communities to receive training to build a world-class community of diverse STEM-literate workers and knowledgeable, engaged citizens. Science For All allows for tax credit donations to provide engaging experiences for students while RAIN (Rural Activation Innovation Network) focuses on resources for the rural areas of Arizona.

As a STEM Learning Ecosystem, SciTech Institute™ focuses on collaboration and connecting individuals with opportunities! STEM Professionals are encouraged to engage with the future workforce by serving as a mentor, leadership coach, panelist, keynote and session trainer during a variety of conferences hosted or sponsored by SciTech Institute™ and The Arizona Technology Council.

Teachers and Administrators are invited to connect with the resources available while activating a large network of STEM champions for student projects, judges at events, volunteers, exhibitors and more. SciTech Festival Event Coordinators are supported during the planning and execution of community STEM events around the state by the SciTech STREET Team Members and the growing network of volunteers. The possibilities are endless! SciTech Institute™ looks forward to connecting with you today. Visit SciTechInstitute.org today for more information.

Follow SciTech Institute on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Your STEM Unplugged Hosts

After grow up in rural New York and joining the United States Army, Kelly Greene learned quickly to adapt to her surroundings to be successful. She attended Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.

She also enlisted in the United States Army and after graduating from training, Kelly traveled the world with the military. While stationed in Misawa, Japan, she fell in love with learning about cultures around the world. Even as a deployed Soldier during Operation Iraqi Freedom for two tours, she found opportunities to connect with the local children to form the Victory Base Council Girl Scouts with her fellow servicemen.

In 2013, she was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and traveled the country by air. During this deployment, she had the opportunity to utilize the most advanced technologies available to the tactical HUMINT operations in theater. Upon return from combat, she retired with 21 years of service and began teaching. From 6th grade Math to 7th grade STEM, Kelly used her enthusiastic nature combined with her strong classroom management to design curriculum based on the Engineering Design Process!

Now, as the Chief Operating Officer at SciTech Institute, Kelly is excited to serve the communities in Arizona and beyond to share their interest in STEM!

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.

Claire Conway serves as the Arizona STEM Ecosystem Programs Manager at SciTech Institute. In her role, she collaborates with STEM partners in industry, education, nonprofit, government, and community organizations across Arizona to develop regional STEM hubs that connect and align efforts in our local communities.

She also coordinates statewide working groups on the future STEM workforce and STEM programming in Arizona libraries. As a facilitator of the Arizona STEM Ecosystem, she is a connection point between students such as the Chief Science Officers, educators, out-of-school programs, workforce opportunities, and industry experts.

Claire holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California, where she conducted research in biomaterials and nanomedicine and coordinated volunteer programming for the university. An Arizona native and lifelong STEM enthusiast, she is passionate about fostering a STEM community where ALL students are able to chase their passions and access the many
opportunities our state has to offer.

Connect with Claire on LinkedIn.

Giving Power Back to Small Business E129

November 2, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Giving Power Back to Small Business E129

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Giving Power Back to Small Business E129

Paul Mulhern joined the Tycoons to talk about how he is working to put power back into the hands of business owners. From the very beginning you can tell that Paul’s buzzword is “free” and he strives to do everything he can for small business owners. His company, MBCARD, is all about allowing businesses the power to control their money from start to finish while providing full transparency to all his employees. With so many businesses going cashless, Paul knows how important it is to have systems that work.

Tune in to see exactly how Paul works to give small businesses a leg up and give power back to the business owners. Learn more about Paul at www.mbcard.com and read about his program at www.visa-usa.co.

It’s 1985, Mulhern Bankcard, Inc. dba MBCard set up businesses in the US to accept credit/debit cards, checks, gift cards, etc. as a form of payment for their businesses.

Our new program our customers do not have to pay for credit card processing and it comes with free credit card processing equipment. All businesses qualify – retail, e-commerce, and MOTO.

Paul Mulhern has been in the merchant services industry since 1985 setting up customers all across the US to accept credit cards at the form of payment at their businesses.

He sat on the advisory board for national city processing and has sold his book of business twice.

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn and follow MB Card on Facebook.

About the Show

Tycoons of Small Biz spotlights the true backbone of the American economy, the true tycoons of business in America… the owners, founders and CEO’s of small businesses. Join hosts, Austin L Peterson, Landon Mance and the featured tycoons LIVE every Tuesday at 1 pm, right here on Business RadioX and your favorite podcast platform.

About Your Hosts

Austin Peterson is a Comprehensive Financial Planner and co-founder of Backbone Planning Partners in Scottsdale, AZ. Austin is a registered rep and investment advisor representative with Lincoln Financial Advisors. Prior to joining Lincoln Financial Advisors, Austin worked in a variety of roles in the financial services industry.

He began his career in financial services in the year 2000 as a personal financial advisor with Independent Capital Management in Santa Ana, CA. Austin then joined Pacific Life Insurance Company as an internal wholesaler for their variable annuity and mutual fund products. After Pacific Life, Austin formed his own financial planning company in Southern California that he built and ran for 6 years and eventually sold when he moved his family to Salt Lake City to pursue his MBA.

After he completed his MBA, Austin joined Crump Life Insurance where he filled a couple of different sales roles and eventually a management role throughout the five years he was with Crump. Most recently before joining Lincoln Financial Advisors in February 2015, Austin spent 2 years as a life insurance field wholesaler with Symetra Life Insurance Company. Austin is a Certified Financial Planner Professional and Chartered Life Underwriter. In 2021, Austin became a Certified Business Exit Consultant® (CBEC®) to help entrepreneurs plan to exit their businesses.

Austin and his wife of 23 years, Robin, have two children, AJ (21) and Ella (18) and they reside in Gilbert, Arizona. He is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in French and of Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management with a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in sales and entrepreneurship.

Connect with Austin on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Landon Mance is a Financial Planner and co-founder of Backbone Planning Partners out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He rebranded his practice in 2020 to focus on serving small business owners after operating as Mance Wealth Management since 2015 when Landon broke off from a major bank and started his own “shop.”

Landon comes from a family of successful entrepreneurs and has a passion and excitement for serving the business community. This passion is what brought about the growth of Backbone Planning Partners to help business owners and their families. At Backbone Planning, we believe small business owners’ personal and business goals are intertwined, so we work with our clients to design a financial plan to support all aspects of their lives.

In 2019, Landon obtained the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation through the Exit Planning Institute. With this certification, Backbone Planning Partners assists business owners through an ownership transition while focusing on a positive outcome for their employees and meeting the business owner’s goals. Landon is also a member of the Business Intelligence Institute (BII) which is a collaborative group that shares tools, resources and personnel, and offers advanced level training and technical support to specifically serve business owners. In 2021, Landon became a Certified Business Exit Consultant® (CBEC®) to help entrepreneurs plan to exit their businesses by counseling owners about exit options, estimating the value of the business, preparing the business for exit and tax considerations.

Landon enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, stepson, and new baby twins. He grew up in sunny San Diego and loves visiting his family, playing a round of golf with friends, and many other outdoor activities. Landon tries to make a difference in the lives of children in Las Vegas as a part of the leadership team for a local non-profit. He regularly visits the children that we work with to remind himself of why it’s so important to, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Landon received his B.S. from California State University Long Beach in business marketing and gets the rest of his education through the school of hard knocks via his business owner clients.

Connect with Landon on LinkedIn.

After serving in C-level finance and operational roles for multiple entrepreneurial companies, Ryan Weissmueller realized his dream to serve the entrepreneurial community even further by founding Fintrepid Solutions.

Using nearly two decades of experience with the creation, growth and ongoing support of small and midsize businesses, Ryan has developed a rich skill set in delivering customized, nimble solutions to support leadership teams and their companies as they face new challenges at various stages over time.

Successful businesses face new challenges as they evolve over time. Fintrepid Solutions exists to help its clients navigate those challenges, providing clarity and confidence so they can become more sustainable, more profitable and more valuable.

Having supported nearly 100 clients since its founding in 2016 the Fintrepid Solutions team delivers customized solutions for each client, combining both strategy and execution to achieve business goals.

For its efforts partnering with businesses seeking to buy and sell, Fintrepid Solutions received the 2020 M&A Firm of the Year for the Southwestern US by Acquisition International.

Follow Fintrepid Solutions on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Project Management and Technology E37

November 2, 2022 by Karen

Project-Management-and-Technology-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Project Management and Technology E37

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Project Management and Technology E37

How much easier would life be if there was an app to streamline your business or you could outsource all of your projects to someone else? Sounds amazing right? Check out this episode of Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast to hear how it’s possible.

Host, Kelly Lorenzen was on-air with Joe Pusz, PMP, Founder of The PMO Squad and The PMO Leader, Melissa McDonald, PMP, Founder of The Smart PM, and Ben Johnson, Owner of Arizona Web Pro. All four business owners shared advice, insights, and lessons learned.

Ben, Kelly, Joe, and Melissa talked about business ownership, community, philanthropy, project management, and technology. This is a great episode to listen to if you want to learn more about any of the above. These guests are experts in their field and share so many great tidbits.

The PMO Squad is a Phoenix-based Project Management Consulting firm which helps organizations deliver projects better. Their team of Project Management experts assist clients across all industries with Solutions Made Simple to improve their project delivery capabilities. Our Customer Focused and Purpose Driven Approach provides custom Agile and Project Management solutions to fit your needs.

They have been recognized as the 2022 Small Business of the Year, micro category, by the Phoenix Business Journal. Their Founder and President is a Finalist for 2022 World PMO Influencer of the Year by the PMO Global Alliance.

You can count on The PMO Squad for all your Project Management resource needs, to build or improve your Project Management Office, Project Management training, or PMOaaS to take on the full Project Management needs of your organization.

Now approaching their 10th year in business, The PMO Squad has earned the Platinum Medallion designation in 2021 and 2022 from the Department of Labor HIRE VETS program for the work they do hiring and retaining Veterans. They are also Co-Founders of VPMMA, Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance, a 501c3 non-profit organization supporting Veterans and Military Spouses transitioning to civilian project management careers.

Joe Pusz, PMO Joe is an internationally recognized leader in the Project Management and PMO community. He is a frequent Keynote Speaker, Author, Project Management Innovator and was recently named a Finalist for 2022 World PMO Influencer of the Year by the PMO Global Alliance. Joe speaks on topics of Leadership, PMOs, Purpose Driven Mindset, the Project Management Journey, and a variety of other trending Project Management topics.

He is the Founder and President of THE PMO SQUAD, a Phoenix-based PMO and Project Management Consulting firm serving clients across the United States. The PMO Squad was named 2022 Small Business of the Year, Micro Category, by the Phoenix Business Journal. Joe is the host of the Project Management Office Hours Radio Show and Podcast providing Project Management Leaders a voice within our community. Now in the 5th season, the show has over 40 million plays and downloads featuring guests from around the world.

Joe is also Co-Founder of VPMMA, the Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance which is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization assisting Veterans seeking to transition into civilian Project Management careers. He is the Founder of The PMO Leader global community. The community is the only global e-commerce community for PMO Leaders and teams to share content, gain knowledge, and exchange experiences.

Joe supports our industry having served as a Judge for the Global PMO Awards, participates with the PMI Executive Roundtable on PMOs, and is a long-time member of the Project Management Institute. He has been a PMI Volunteer, Sponsor, and Mentor.

Follow The PMO Squad on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Smart PM is a Woman Veteran-Owned Small Business with Certified Project Management Professionals and Smartsheet Professional Services providers that love what they do! They are recognized 5x as top 5% Smartsheet Automators who will help your organization adopt, implement, and optimize your use and knowledge of Smartsheet to fit your processes to prioritize, manage, and see the work you are doing.

TSP consultants are Project, Agile, Change Management, and Smartsheet certified with more than 30 years of project portfolio management experience in public and private sectors. Their services expand outside of project management and include Smartsheet assessment, design, development, administration, training, and optimization for your current business programs and processes.

The Smart PM provides dedicated support by working together to create a smarter business solution for your team and the know-how to take it to the next level. TSP team members are nationwide and provide onsite, virtual, and hybrid consulting options, as well as the availability to travel to your location.

Melissa McDonald is the Founder and Managing Director of The Smart PM, a Woman Veteran Owned Small Business that provides expert Project Management and Smartsheet services and support. Melissa is a Smartsheet Silver Partner. More importantly, she is a former three-time PMO Director and Smartsheet user herself. Melissa and her team at TSP will enhance your organization with project management best practices and advanced Smartsheet know-how.

Melissa has more than 20 years of experience managing people, projects, and portfolios in both the government and private sectors. She has supported clients in various industries, to include Defense, IT, Healthcare, Finance, Engineering, HR, and Operations. Melissa has a Master of Science Degree in Project Management (MSPM) from Boston University and Bachelor of Science in Physics from Xavier University. In addition, she is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP), Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), SAFe Agilist, and Certified Smartsheet Professional Services Provider and Trainer.

Before joining the consulting industry, Melissa worked her way up in corporate American from a Project Manager to implementing and leading PMOs. And before that, she proudly served on Active Duty in the United States Army as an Engineer Officer. Melissa has spent over 20 years supporting the military community and has received the U.S. Army Forces Command Dr. Mary E. Walker Award and 2013 Volunteer of the Year for the Vicenza, Italy Military Community. She is an active member of PMI, The PMO Leader, and The Women’s National Memorial. Outside of work, she loves to road bike, hike, and travel the globe with her family.

Follow The Smart PM on LinkedIn.

Arizona Web Pro is a web development and automation business focused on simplifying complex data solutions.

Ben Johnson is a web developer, a data engineer, a digital nomad, a father, and tinkerer.

Connect with Ben on LinkedIn.

About Collaborative Connections

Kelly Lorenzen started the “Collaborative Connections” show to bring her clients and favorite charities together to meet each other, connect and collaborate in life and business.

She hopes to build a stronger community one show at a time.

About Our Sponsor

KLM is a one-stop support shop for small business owners who are starting, growing, or trying to sustain. Our purpose is to foster the growth and prosperity of small businesses in our community.

Entrepreneurs & small business owners come to KLM for support in all areas of business. KLM clients think of us as a concierge, business snuggy, another arm, or duplicate for the business owner; They call us when they need us. Business owners can continue to do what they love while having the support they need when they need it.

About Your Host

Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM, is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of business-ownership experience. She is also a certified project management professional.

Kelly’s expertise is in business development, customer service, marketing, and sales.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn, and follow KLM Consulting on Facebook.

Historic Firsts: Arizona and the James Webb Telescope E31

November 1, 2022 by Karen

AZ TechCast

Historic Firsts: Arizona and the James Webb Telescope E31

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Historic Firsts: Arizona and the James Webb Telescope E31

On December 25, 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most complex space telescope ever built. Four days later, Webb’s massive sunshield deployed and within weeks, its primary mirror started unfurling. On August 12, 2022, Webb’s first images were released, and our view of the universe was forever changed. But what did it take to get here?

The October 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Erik Novak, general manager at 4D Technology; Marcia Rieke, professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona; and Fred Van Milligen, vice president, research and development at VIAVI Solutions. These leaders joined Karen Nowicki, president and owner of Phoenix Business RadioX, and Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, in discussing the nearly insurmountable challenges they faced, the exciting innovations developed and the cosmic collaborations that led to the most successful space telescope ever launched.

Throughout this hour-long episode, the panel of three experts convened virtually to introduce themselves, describe the direct role that they and their organizations played in building the JWST and explain how Arizona’s optics and photonics and aerospace industries really drove the telescope’s development even though NASA is headquartered on the other side of the country. For those unfamiliar with optics and photonics, the speakers defined this field as the study of light, as well as the generation, detection, and manipulation of light photons through emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification and sensing. But beyond the dictionary definition, they emphasized that optics and photonics touch the lives of every day Arizonans through the cameras on their cell phones, the semiconductors that power their appliances and the light emitted from their car headlights.

Originally founded as Optical Coating Laboratories Inc (OCLI) in 1948, VIAVI Solutions Optical Security and Performance Products (OSP) business has been a leading innovator in the thin-film optical coating industry for over 70 years.

VIAVI develops and manufactures color-shifting pigments that enable overt authentication for banknotes worldwide. VIAVI also develops, designs, and manufactures specialty thin-film optical coatings and micro-optics for applications in consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, industrial, and other markets.

Other VIAVI product lines include a line of miniature near infrared spectrometers and special effects pigments for automotive, apparel and other applications

Fred Van Milligen is Vice President of R&D for the Optical Security and Performance Products Division of VIAVI Solutions, where he leads a world class team of Scientists and Engineers.

This team focuses on products and applications in the areas of Banknote Anti-Counterfeiting, Consumer Electronics, Spectroscopy, and Government and Aerospace. The team currently consists of approximately 90 people, largely located in Santa Rosa, CA and Rochester, NY with an expectation of a growing presence in Chandler, AZ.

This team has been active in many NASA based projects such as OSIRIS-REX, NIRCAM for the Webb Telescope, New Horizons, and Chandra X-Ray Telescope, among many others.

Follow VIAVI Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The University of Arizona is public university with a strong record of research accomplishments in addition to educating students.

Marcia Rieke is both a professor and the leader of a research team that developed a camera for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The development of the camera was conducted jointly by Rieke’s team and a group at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, CA.

The JWST Mission was led by Goddard Space Flight Center on behalf of NASA.

Rieke has worked on several previous space missions, and has been active using Arizona’s ground based telescopes. Her research interests span the range of studying planets orbiting other stars to studying the first galaxies to form after the Big Bang.

She came to the University of Arizona as a post-doc right out of graduate school, and has remained at the university for her entire career.

Connect with Marcia on LinkedIn.

4D Technology specializes in instruments to measure surfaces and optical features in difficult environments, like a factory floor–or inside a cryogenic freezer.

By using interferometer principles combined with unique, patented technology, they produced four optical measurement systems that were essential in qualifying the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror array, secondary mirror, backplane structure and the primary mirror segments.

NASA used 4D Technology’s instruments to test the primary mirror in vacuum chambers and cryogenic chambers. The instruments are effective because of incredibly fast, single-frame three dimensional surface measurements. By acquiring fast and in one frame, the technology is vibration-immune.

Carrying these capabilities forward, the principles have been miniaturized and adapted into handheld devices and systems that can be mounted on robots in production lines. One is used by aviation maintenance shops to inspect wear and damage in jet turbines.

By taking highly precise 3D measurements of defects, they speed overhauls while providing a greater level of certainty about the airworthiness of parts. Another is used by automobile manufacturers to measure car materials before and after painting, to ensure the finish is successful.

Dr. Erik Novak is Vice President and General Manager at 4D Technology, where he was worked since 2013. He has been developing instrumentation for precision metrology for more than 24 years in applications such as semiconductor, optics, aerospace, automotive, photovoltaics, and medical devices.

Erik has received seven international product awards, holds over a dozen patents, and has more than sixty publications and book chapters related to surface measurement and industrial process control.

Follow 4D Technology on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About AZ TechCast

AZ TechCast is dedicated to covering innovation and technology in Arizona and beyond.

Through the art of connected conversation, AZ TechCast’s guests will share their expertise, success stories, news and analysis about the region’s leading startups, companies and emerging technologies, as well as the latest industry trends and critical issues propelling the state’s growing technology ecosystem.

About Your Hosts

Steve Zylstra serves as president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, a role he assumed in 2007. He is responsible for strategy, operations, finance and policy development. Zylstra is a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards in Arizona.

Zylstra serves on numerous councils, committees and boards, was named “Leader of the Year, Technology,” by the Arizona Capitol Times, and “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal. In addition, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of science in technology from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz.

Zylstra earned a bachelor’s degree in automotive engineering technology from Western Michigan University.

Karen Nowicki is a successful author, speaker and the creator of Deep Impact Leadership™ and SoulMarks Coaching™. She is a two-time recipient of the prestigious national Choice Award® for her book and personal development retreat. Karen was crowned the first-ever “Mompreneur of the Year” Award in 2010 for the southwestern states. She was recognized for her leadership, business acumen, and work-life balance.

Karen has been an expert guest on regional TV and radio shows, including Fox Phoenix Morning Show, Sonoran Living, Good Morning Arizona, The Chat Room, and Mid-Day Arizona. She has been a regular contributor to many print and online magazines – publishing articles and blogs for business and education.

In addition to working with private coaching clients, Karen is also the Owner & President of Phoenix Business RadioX. The Business RadioX Network amplifies the voice of business – serving the Fortune 500,000, not just the Fortune 500. Phoenix Business RadioX helps local businesses and professional associations get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, profession, and community.

Of all the experiences Karen has had the privilege of participating in over her vast career, she shares that Phoenix Business RadioX is a pinnacle adventure!

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and follow Phoenix Business RadioX on Facebook and Instagram.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bianca Buliga is a trilingual first-generation American of Romanian ethnicity. A marketing professional with experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Bianca currently works as Director, Marketing & Communications for the Arizona Technology Council.

Previously, Bianca worked as Marketing Communications Lead at Proctorio, a learning integrity platform that offers remote proctoring software ensuring exam integrity for learners around the world.

Bianca also worked as Senior Marketing Manager at SEED SPOT, a social impact incubator that educates, accelerates, and invests in impact-driven entrepreneurs creating market-based solutions to social problems. In January of 2020, Bianca was selected as an awardee of the Mandela Washington Reciprocal Exchange Program and traveled to the African island of Mauritius to run entrepreneurship programming for 15 impact-driven ecopreneurs on behalf of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Bianca has also completed comprehensive consulting projects for IBM, ESAN Business School, and the Peruvian government, and interned at the Arizona House of Representatives and U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.

Bianca earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University in 2014 and her Master’s degree in Global Affairs and Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 2017. She is an avid reader, yogi, and world traveler always planning her next trip.

Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn.

About Our Sponsor

The Arizona Technology Council, Arizona’s only statewide organization serving the technology sector, fosters a climate of innovation to enhance technology in Arizona.

A trusted resource in strengthening Arizona’s technology industry, the Council proactively eliminates impediments that companies face, accelerates the entrepreneurial mindset in the state’s expanding innovation ecosystem, and works to create a destination for companies to be, thrive and stay.

Follow Arizona Technology Council on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Grace Opens the Door to Candor E7

November 1, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Grace Opens the Door to Candor E7

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Grace Opens the Door to Candor E7

Amit Basak, who leads Full Potential Solutions and Perch Insights says that to create peak flow at work, we need to integrate excellence and accountability with grace – having deep empathy for where the other person is coming from. And then take 100% responsibility as a leader to create an environment in which people can realize their full potential.

Practicing grace doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to low performance or people not living the values. Amit shares that to be in integrity, he practices radical candor, providing tough feedback when that is needed. He recalls one of his earliest experiences as a teenager with radical candor when his wrestling coach said: “I am disappointed in you.”

Amit grew from this because he trusted his coach. Listen to this episode of Rooted & Unwavering and learn how, with grace, we can have even the toughest conversations.

Full Potential Solutions empowers companies to forge more profitable customer relationships by applying a values-based and data-driven approach to everything we do. Unlike other service providers promising better services at ever cheaper cost, Full Potential puts our people first to achieve breakthrough client results.

Our thriving team and advanced omni-channel solutions reduce customer acquisition costs and expand lifetime value for many of the world’s leading customer-first brands.

Amit Basak has had a successful 25-year career serving in leadership roles for global companies, creating value by applying his own life values to everything he does. His deeply held beliefs about grace, integrity and the importance of team shape every decision he makes from whom to hire, how to lead, and how to help his clients achieve their goals for growth and bottom-line success.

He is CEO, Chairman and President of Perch Insights, Full Potential Solutions with this North Star in mind. Working across a variety of industries, including marketing services, consumer-driven healthcare, private equity, enterprise technology and business process outsourcing, Amit listens carefully to understand his client’s needs so he can provide the best technology-enabled solutions to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.

Amit holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A., cum laude from Yale University in Ethics, Politics & Economics. He is the Chairman and President of Full Potential and CEO of Perch Insights.

In addition, he serves as Executive Chairman of AffinityX, a strategic partner of Full Potential, and was a co-founder of Staley Capital, a growth capital firm focused on technology-enabled business services companies that produced >10x returns for investors.

As Chairman of Acclaris, an administrator of consumer-directed healthcare accounts, he helped to lead a transformation into a SaaS company that produced a 3x return for investors. He started his career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and private equity at J.H. Whitney.

Amit is currently a board director of YPO New England and YPO Seacoast, a new YPO chapter focused on developing more Conscious leaders who live their lives with clear commitments and seek to approach human relationships with an “Above the Line” mentality of kindness, curiosity and collaboration.

In addition, he serves on the board of Nashoba Learning Group, a school and adult program dedicated to helping people like his own two sons realize their full potential while living with severe autism. Back in 2004, health professionals were just beginning to identify the autism epidemic and services for people like his sons were focused on simply keeping patients safe and healthy.

Amit and his wife, Una, wanted more for their boys, and today, because of places like Nashoba Learning Group, people with autism have a chance to be seen for what they can do, rather than what they cannot.

So, no matter what your goals are or what “Full Potential” looks like for you and your company, Amit and his team will help you thrive, as they have for so many others.

About Rooted & Unwavering

Peace, Compassion, Wisdom, Purposefulness, Creativity and Strength come online in us when we deeply connect with the true, unwavering greatness that lives within ourselves and others.

In this podcast and radio show, Hylke Faber, seasoned transformational coach and author of the award-winning Taming Your Crocodiles series, engages in deep inquiry with leaders from all walks of life about courageously connecting with our true selves, others and the world at large.

How do we stay connected to our true selves and our greatness, especially when we are challenged? How do we rest in the heart, also when our mind keeps us restless? What becomes possible when we truly stay committed to our own and others’ best selves, also when we don’t feel it? How do we practice staying connected to our true selves, in the midst of our busy lives?

Join us and leave inspired to act on your heart’s greatness and that of the people around you.

About Our Host

For as long as he can remember Hylke Faber has been curious about what this life is about. His ongoing inquiry has become his work: helping people individually and collectively to discover what is possible in life and express that authentically and fearlessly.

Hylke started his work life with Towers Perrin as consultant and then as Partner with Strategic Decisions Group, serving a wide range of industries, including financial services, manufacturing, consumer electronics and life sciences companies. A major shift occurred during this critical phase of his life. He had become the typical, hard-charging, 16-hours-a-day strategy consultant, and was burning out at a rapid clip.

When he discovered meditation, everything changed. He was so taken by his new discoveries that he chose to bring to business what he was learning: that there is a way we can have it all – we can be fulfilled, do work we love, and create extraordinary results with others. He thinks of it as creating a sense of ease in business.

He learned how to coach and facilitate human transformation completing his coaching certification with Newfield Network and by working at Axialent, the culture and leadership company. After a few years, he founded Co-Creation Partners together with other leaders in the field of transformation and personal development. Then he formed Constancee to help people grow by creating the conditions where deep personal, interpersonal and organizational shifts happen routinely.

He leads Growth Leaders Network, the culture and team development consultancy. He has also taught coaching at Columbia Business School Executive Education and has contributed to Harvard Business Review. He is currently teaching a course on Climate Conscious Leadership at Arizona State University. His award-winning book, Taming Your Crocodiles: Unlearn Fear & Become a True Leader, was published by Dover in 2018.

His next book, Taming Your Crocodiles Practices for Leadership Depth, came out in 2020. Besides helping others grow, which he loves, he is a trained opera singer, enjoys hiking and writing, is an avid reader, in particular of biographies, and is always in the process of growing himself. He integrates all of what he learns in his work with executives.

Connect with Hylke on LinkedIn.

About Our Sponsor

Realizing Your Greatness

We are a team of experienced facilitators and coaches dedicated to helping individuals, teams and organizations thrive by helping them recognize their innate greatness and putting it to work.

- Executive Coaching: we work with clients individually to help them connect to their calling and use every challenge as an opportunity to help them grow more into what makes them great.
- Team Performance: we help teams evolve to their next level of excellence, connectedness and impact by working on the root drivers of team performance.
- Culture Development: we help organizations to evolve their culture by creating clarity about where they aspire to go, and by building role models, coaches and systems that catalyze people being energized to work the new way.

Key Notes: we deliver powerful speeches at conferences and other events that help audiences become energized, more connected to themselves and each other, more open to discovery and ready to commit to the next stage of learning in their career and life journeys.

Growth Leaders Network (GLN) serves Fortune 500 companies, smaller organizations and non-profits globally.

GLN clients report that we catalyze significant business transformational impact and profound shifts in people, team and organizations at the root cause level.

Learn more about the Growth Leaders network here.