Karen, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Buying in Baja E9

August 9, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Buying in Baja E9

00:00 /

Buying in Baja E9

Have you ever dreamed of owning an exotic Mexican Villa? Or even just a small beach shack? It’s possible!!

Melissa Murphy of Harcourts Baja grabs her mug and joins Carla to chat Cabo San Lucas life and how she helps Americans achieve home ownership in a foreign country. Melissa and her family decided to chase a dream and make a permanent move from perpetually gray Oregon to sunny Cabo San Lucas. Working with her brokerage, she learned the ins and outs of real estate in Mexico and set up a branch with her business partner. Now they guide Americans through the buying process.

Can Americans actually own property in Mexico?? Tune in to find out!

Taking a trip to a tropical locale is exciting and fun! But what if you want to own a home there? What is the process for buying property in a foreign country, and most importantly, is it even possible? Join Carla and her guest Melissa Murphy of Harcourts Baja as they explore what it means to own property in our neighbor to the south, Mexico.

Harcourts is one of the oldest real estate companies in the world, founded in 1888. With the ground breaking in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Harcourts is now in 11 countries, with 1100 offices, and over 11,000 agents representing Harcourts worldwide.

The company is dedicated to the values of People First, Doing the Right Thing, Being Courageous, and Fun & Laughter. They are people focused, leading with heart, integrity, and humor. The Harcourts Baja office brings those values to Baja California and Cabo San Lucas like no other company.

Melissa Murphy has proudly represented Harcourts North America for over 5 years and she’s honored to have an opportunity to share more about what Harcourts Baja offers.

Melissa started her real estate career in 2007, at the bottom of the market crash. She left teaching middle school, rolled up her sleeves, and went to work helping homeowners and buyers navigate an unprecedented and challenging market. She resourcefully addressed her clients’ needs and goals to help them to success.

Melissa transformed those early experiences into continued success supporting and serving clients for the next 15 years. She works diligently and passionately to educate clients, advocate for their best interests, and facilitate smooth transactions.

As a mom, wife, runner, dog-lover, friend, and realtor, Melissa leads with her heart and puts her passion into serving her clients. She is committed to listening and understanding clients’ wishes, putting them first, and advocating for their goals.

As an entrepreneur and adventure-seeker, Melissa opened the first Harcourts in a new country with a business partner to serve the growing demand for second homes, expatriate life, and investment properties.

Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter 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.

Know Your Avatar E116

August 3, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Know Your Avatar E116

00:00 /

Know Your Avatar E116

The Tycoons welcomed fellow veteran podcaster, Tersh Blissett, to the show. The conversation was full of valuable life and business advice. Tersh is an advocate for creating that “wow” factor in customer service which has contributed significantly to his success. He restructured his business model to go from low margin, high volume to high margin, low volume. One of the biggest takeaways was learning the power of saying “no.” It is the key to unlocking growth and it’s often a hard lesson to learn.

Every time you say yes to something, you are saying no something else. If you answer every call, you are part of the problem. Create a process and delegate. Write down what you do daily to know where your time and effort is spent so you can create those processes and the ability to track progress. Know what your avatar is and recognize if something doesn’t fit. This includes not just knowing your audience and how to market to them, but also knowing your employees and their abilities.

Tersh talked about it all and you don’t want to miss his advice on balancing work and life. You can learn more about Tersh by just Googling his name.

Service Business Mastery podcast is a group of people who own and operate several home service businesses, including 2 HVAC, 2 Plumbing, 1 Electrical business, and 1 Digital marketing agency.

They interview experts within and outside of these industries to get a better idea of things that have and have not worked so that everyone listening can learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

Tersh Blissett is the founder of the Service Business Mastery podcast, which he has been the host and producer of since 2017. This show focuses on helping teach those in the home service industries how to become more profitable while also growing as leaders within their business and personal lives.

He is dedicated to giving back to the industry and was named Top 40 Under 40: The News (HVAC-R) for his exceptional influence and willingness to give back to the industry that has provided so much for him and his family.

Tersh is a serial entrepreneur and has created multiple profitable home service businesses that have also scaled in size while in the same small town market. One of his most recent businesses is an innovative brand called Service Emperor Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Electrical & more… – Savannah and the Coastal Empire’s leader in providing superior customer satisfaction while providing unbelievable WOW service.

Providing integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all he does comes naturally since Tersh is a Veteran of the Air Force’s 165th ASOS Special Operations unit’s Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). Not only has he served our country, but he is devoted to serving our community.

Tersh has the distinguished honor as the President of the Small Business Chamber of Savannah for the 3rd year. He is also privileged to be a board member of Savannah Buy Local and on the Executive Board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of the Low Country. Tersh is the founder, host, and producer of the Shop Small SAV podcast where he assists in highlighting local small businesses. Additionally, he is also involved in a multitude of volunteer work in the Greater Savannah area.

Tersh incorporates these essentials into his life while still prioritizing his wife and four children. He enjoys reading extensively, teaching his little ones responsibility, and instilling humor in most situations. Tersh devotes time to give his all to his family and friends because he knows the importance of nurturing those fundamental relationships.

Tersh Blissett is a powerhouse leader as a business owner and family man. Find your focus for success and follow him on social media @tershblissett.

Tersh’s Recommended Book List For Professional Development: www.kit.co/tersh/reading-for-success/

Connect with Tersh on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow Service Business Mastery podcast 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.

Austin Peterson and Landon Mance are registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. Ryan Weissmueller and Fintrepid Solutions are separate from and not affiliated with Backbone Planning Partners/Lincoln Financial Advisors.

Securities and investment advisory services offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker/dealer (member SIPC) and registered investment advisor. Insurance offered through Lincoln affiliates and other fine companies. Backbone Planning Partners is a marketing name for registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors.

Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. and its representatives do not provide legal or tax advice. You may want to consult a legal or tax advisor regarding any legal or tax information as it relates to your personal circumstances.

The content presented is for informational and educational purposes. The information covered and posted are views and opinions of the guests and not necessarily those of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.

Business RadioX® is a separate entity not affiliated with Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.

Mermaids in the Pool with Samantha Pinkal from GPEC E11

August 3, 2022 by Karen

Mermaids-in-the-Pool-with-Samantha-Pinkal-from-GPEC-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Mermaids in the Pool with Samantha Pinkal from GPEC E11

00:00 /

Mermaids in the Pool with Samantha Pinkal from GPEC E11

Samantha Pinkal from GPEC joined us for an unbelievably informative session on economic development. It was so interesting to listen to her describe how collaborative GPEC is with the various municipalities and agencies to attract and retain businesses and market sectors for the sustained growth of the greater Phoenix area.

We encourage you to especially listen towards the end of the episode about “the mermaids in the pool” story; it epitomizes how to “WIN”.

The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), named the top economic development organization (EDO) globally in 2021 by the International Economic Development Council, works to attract and grow quality businesses and advocate for the competitiveness of Greater Phoenix.

A data-driven regional EDO, GPEC works with 22 member communities, Maricopa County and more than 190 private investors to accomplish its mission and serve as a strategic partner to companies across the world as they expand or relocate to Greater Phoenix. Over the past 32 years GPEC has fueled the regional economy by helping 895 companies, creating nearly 164,000 jobs and $33.4 billion in capital investment.

Greater Phoenix is in a relentless pursuit of innovative and entrepreneurial-focused companies looking to thrive and scale in a vibrant, dynamic region. There is an undeniable spirit about Greater Phoenix; one rooted in strength, collaboration and resilience. Greater Phoenix is Greater Together.

Samantha Pinkal joined GPEC as Vice President of Business Development in June 2021. Sam’s primary focus is on the growth of the industrial and advanced manufacturing industries in the region.

With a diverse background in both the private and public sectors, her specialty is in acting as a liaison between clients and communities with a unique understanding of both side of the deal and how best to navigate to optimal solutions. From site selection to site layout and logistics, she’s passionate about helping clients make informed, strategic decisions.

Originally from southwest Nebraska, Samantha graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. She spent a decade working for The Weitz Company, a national general contractor in Phoenix, managing large commercial projects and in Business Development and Marketing.

Most recently she worked for City of Surprise Economic Development Department as a Project Manager for two-and-a-half years, where she led business attraction efforts in the enterprise commercial and industrial sectors.

Samantha is a member of Chief, a private networking organization for executive women across the country, and serves in leadership positions for AZCREW, ULI’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and various board and committees with Greater Phoenix organizations.

She enjoys spending time at the lake on her stand-up paddleboard, tracking down murals in every city she visits, and playing sand and indoor volleyball.

Connect with Samantha on LinkedIn.

About Your Hosts

Meet JJ Levenske

JJ Levenske is a seasoned construction executive with over 30 years of experience in the commercial and industrial sectors. From pre-construction services to complex quality controls and close-outs, he brings a commitment to delivering the highest levels of professionalism and customer service.

JJ’s dedication to construction has allowed him to become an industry expert which he aims to share with customers and investors alike. JJ does not believe in mediocrity and strives to see the “end at the beginning” for each project, effectuating a higher return on investment for the entire team.

Early on in his career, JJ worked as a cost engineer conducting feasibility estimates, strategic capital estimates, cost planning, and analysis of value engineering for the technology, petrochemical, and food industries. He went on to develop and implement a variety of systems for estimating, scheduling, resource management, and cost tracking while holding Project Manager and Senior Management Positions.

During his tenure, JJ has been involved in $1 billion worth of construction services. A strong entrepreneurial acumen allows him to be the perfect advocate for your facility based business solutions.

Meet Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is a knowledgeable construction professional with over 40 years of experience. His experience ranges from residential to the commercial and industrial sectors.

Robert began working in the trades immediately out of high school and quickly advanced to Journeyman status. Robert went on to estimating, operations, senior level management and then business development.

Robert is consistently building relationships and networking with those associated with all aspects of development and construction. Robert has become a respected source for prefabricated construction solutions.

Robert enjoys spending time with Pam, his wife of 42 years, their 3 children, and 10 grandchildren.

About Our Sponsors

Bleuwave is a Phoenix-based general contractor with a specialty in land development & site improvement, pre-construction, design build, remodel and renovations, construction management, and post construction.

Bleuwave is passionate about what they do and takes pride in their partner’s success.

When you need it done right the first time, call Bleuwave.

Follow Bleuwave on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tori Contracting’s smaller, cohesive structure results in superior workmanship and economical solutions.

The Tori Contracting team has construction experience acquired by performing highly successful work for hotels and casinos, restaurants, retail stores, healthcare facilities and a wide range of commercial and themed projects.

We provide design assist capabilities from start to finish…from schematic design and development through construction documents with the aid of our full-time AUTOCAD staff.

Digital Transformation of Operational Workflows E28

August 2, 2022 by Karen

Digital-Transformation-of-Operational-Workflows-feature

AZ TechCast

Digital Transformation of Operational Workflows E28

00:00 /

Digital Transformation of Operational Workflows E28

In an increasingly digital world, it’s critical for business leaders to explore digital transformation, or the creation and modification of business processes, culture and customer experiences, to meet changing business and market demands. But where to start?

The July 2022 episode of the Arizona Technology Council’s AZTechCast podcast featured experts including Kristen Harder, digital marketing manager at ZorroSign, Steve Irons, president of DocSolid; and Tiffany Ma, senior solution consultant at OneStream Software. 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 innovative technology solutions that are helping companies reimagine their operational workflows.

Throughout this hour-long episode, this panel of startup experts spoke about why it’s extremely important for companies to explore digital transformation to not only become more efficient, but to future-proof their continued growth and success. All three speakers agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic played a pivotal role in accelerating the switch from paper and pencil record-keeping to the implementation of digital solutions, like the ones each of their companies offer.

OneStream Software provides a market-leading intelligent finance platform that reduces the complexity of financial operations. OneStream unleashes the power of finance by unifying corporate performance management (CPM) processes such as planning, financial close and consolidation, reporting and analytics through a single, extensible solution. We empower the enterprise with financial and operational insights to support faster and more informed decision-making. All in a cloud platform designed to continually evolve and scale with your organization.

OneStream is an independent software company with over 1,000 customers, 200 implementation partners and 1,100 employees, our primary mission is to deliver 100% customer success.

Tiffany Ma joined OneStream in 2016 with over 13 years of experience in Corporate Performance Management (CPM) consulting services delivery.

She has led several workstreams for large-scale implementations as well as been the sole developer for smaller scale efforts.

Prior to joining OneStream Software in 2016, Tiffany had worked at UC Berkeley implementing Hyperion Planning and continued as their planning administrator.

Before joining UC Berkeley, Tiffany worked at Deloitte as a consultant implementing EPM solutions focused on Oracle Hyperion Planning and Essbase.

Follow OneStream on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

DocSolid creates, sells and supports the Airmail2 Digital Mailroom and Digital Records Room solutions for a hybrid workforce. Reliable, secure, direct-to-DMS delivery of digital documents is a best practice for leading law firms and corporate legal departments worldwide.

DocSolid’s patented Paper2Digital® solutions reduce the costs, risks and inefficiencies of paper records.

Steve Irons is the President of DocSolid, a market-leading provider of enterprise scanning, printing, workflow, and consulting solutions.

DocSolid provides patented, enterprise solutions that streamline paper-burdened business activities and integrate with line-of-business software.

Steve holds 12 patents, he is a thought leader about the intersection of paper and people, and frequently publishes and speaks on these topics for industry organizations including ILTA, ARMA, and ALA.

Steve has generated corporate investment ventures with HP, 3M and Iron Mountain. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Northern Arizona University.

Follow DocSolid on LinkedIn and Twitter.

When the risk is personal and everything is on the line, Z-Sign or don’t sign! ZorroSign, Inc. uses blockchain for superior privacy, security, and compliance. The company’s multi-chain blockchain platform integrates digital signatures, identity-as-a-service (IDaaS), intelligent forms via AI/ML, patented fraud prevention, automated compliance, document management, user authentication and document verification. Organizations, businesses, and individuals around the world trust ZorroSign’s web3 solutions to safeguard the privacy and security of their digital documents, and provide an immutable chain of custody for transactions.

CEO and co-founder, Shamsh Hadi, is committed to advancing technology while advancing sustainability, and ZorroSign participates in environmental conservation through three key initiatives: First, the company’s web3 technologies enable a paperless life—transacting business and government digitally instead of printing, faxing, scanning, and shipping documents to collect signatures. Second, ZorroSign has partnered with One Tree Planted and is a proud sponsor of Million Tree Challenge. And third, ZorroSign’s platform drive the “Save a Tree, Plant a Tree” program, whereby ZorroSign will plant a tree on behalf of our customers every time they save 8,000 pages of copy paper.

Kristen Harder graduated from Grand Canyon University in 2021 and has been working for ZorroSign ever since.

She is a firm believer in understanding the why behind the what. So to contextualize what that means for her current stage of life, she is working for @ZorroSign to bring trust and security back into a world filled with fraud and cybercrime.

Outside of work you can always find her with a camera or a cup of coffee in hand!

Follow ZorroSign on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.

Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

August 1, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

00:00 /

Karen Jayne with Stardust Barbara Blalock with Treasures 4 Teachers and Tom Mehlert with AZ StRUT

Stardust Non-Profit Building Supplies provides quality reclaimed materials for reuse. Founded in 1997, Stardust was created when a local philanthropist and founding Board member was about to undertake a complete home remodeling project. As with any major remodeling project, the first step is to remove everything from the home, essentially gutting the structure in preparation for rebuilding.

On the weekend before the demolition was to begin, the Founder told several friends to take whatever they wanted out of the house. When the Founder and his wife returned to inspect the property prior to demolition they were surprised to discover every usable material had been removed from the house including cabinets, plumbing fixtures, lighting and electrical supplies and flooring. The Founder’s friends used the materials to remodel their own homes, sold items to those who could not afford the prices of large retail stores or donated items to others in need. It is from this humble beginning that Stardust was born.

Over the past 25 years, Stardust has increased its focus on diverting usable building materials from local landfills while providing a resource for low income homeowners who are interested in remodeling their homes. Stardust operates retail warehouse stores selling building supplies donated by manufacturers, distributors, contractors and individuals. This process diverts over 5.0 million tons of reusable building materials from local landfills every year making new and nearly-new materials available to our community at 50-80% off retail prices.

Proceeds generated by Stardust Reuse Centers are used to support Deconstruction and Gifts In Kind programs. Stardust Deconstruction services offer removal and pick-up of materials to further encourage recycling and environmental stewardship. Stardust Deconstruction crews remove useable building materials from homes and businesses in return for donation of the items removed. Gifts In Kind, operated in partnership with Valley of the Sun United Way, annually distributes over $22 million in usable materials donated by local retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot to nonprofit organizations for use by their clients or to support their operations.

Stardust’s Gifts In Kind program supports over 400 non-profit agencies in Maricopa County and touches the lives of over 200,000 individuals and their families every year. It is through these community service programs and partnerships that Stardust is able to serve a wide range of individuals from young to elderly, all living at or below the poverty level.

Chief Executive Officer, Karen Jayne has over 30 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit leadership, management, program design, and fund development.

In 2011, Jayne was appointed to CEO of Stardust and in her tenure she has increased diversion rates of usable building materials and launched the Gifts In Kind program which has distributed more than $75 million worth of reusable household items to fellow nonprofit organizations.

She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She has served in leadership capacities on the board of the Organization of Nonprofit Executives as well as the national Building Materials Reuse Association and Social Enterprise Alliance Arizona Chapter.

Currently she serves as a board member for the Arizona Recycling Coalition and a member of USGBC AZ Market Leadership Advisory Board and the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits Policy Council.

Follow Stardust Nonprofit Building Supplies on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

With an average of more than $700 annually coming from their own pockets, educators are struggling to get their students the essential supplies they need to be successful learners.

Treasures 4 Teachers (T4T) has found a way to support educators with those needs by collaborating with community businesses, other non-profit agencies, and individual donors to collect new and re-usable resources and make them available for low or no cost to educators in our community.

Barbara Blalock is the Founder and Executive Director or Treasures 4 Teachers.

She has been in education and nonprofit roles throughout her career which led her to start Treasures 4 Teachers.

Barbara has been recognized in the community for awards and grants to support her mission of providing free and low cost supplies to teachers across Arizona.

Connect with Barbara on LinkedIn and follow Treasures 4 Teachers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

AZ StRUT is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports Arizona’s technical education and a community effort towards a more sustainable future.

Tom Mehlert has over thirty five years in technology and education.

He’s still excited to be with AZ StRUT, an organization that combines computer electronic reuse with technical education.

Follow AZ StRUT on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Building Community One Relationship at a Time E25

July 28, 2022 by Karen

E25-Building-Community-One-Relationship-at-a-Time-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Building Community One Relationship at a Time E25

00:00 /

Building Community One Relationship at a Time E25

Another great LIVE show in the books! It was great to have Randy and Lloyd on the show together. Not only was there alignment in the conversation around conscious business, community focus, and education improvement, there is also a new relationship built between the two of them in the Phoenix Business Community. This is another beautiful example of how we can make change in the community- one relationship at a time.

These two are making amazing change in the Phoenix community and showcasing the importance of building strong communities. Along with the discussions of culture and community, there were some great tidbits and takeaways from the conversation that can be acted on immediately.

What were some of the takeaway tidbits?

Never discount anyone
Articulate who you are
Everyone wants to make a difference. Just find what is meaningful to you

Just because the recording is over, doesn’t mean the involvement stops there. There were some great discussions that include some actions that you can take to get involved.

Time to Take Action!

September 12th Event at Grand Canyon University- Beyond Zero Movie Screening Event

After a life changing epiphany, the CEO of a global public company embarks on a high stakes quest to eliminate all negative environmental impacts by 2020. To succeed they must overcome deep skepticism, abandon the status quo and ignite a new industrial revolution.

The full event will include snacks and drinks, networking, movie screening, and an on stage conversation with the film’s producer. You can find more details by emailing Randy.gibb@gcu.edu and let him know that you heard about it on the Culture Crush Business Podcast.

Classroom Supply Drive and Annual Fundraiser for the Million Dollar Teacher Project

The Million Dollar Teacher Project could use your support. They are doing their best to support students by supporting teachers and can use a little more help in doing so. There is an annual fundraiser and a classroom drive going on right now.

Email lloyd@mdtproject.org to learn more and let him know that you heard about it through the Culture Crush Business Podcast.

Million Dollar Teacher Project is a nonprofit organization that partners with Title I Schools, in marginalized communities, on creating community-centered strategies to help them increase how their teachers are recognized, drive more support directly into their classrooms and create innovative ways to impact how their teachers are compensated.

Lloyd Hopkins is the Executive Director/Founder of Million Dollar Teacher Project. Lloyd is an organizational leader with extensive experience in community and nonprofit work. He has worked in and around education for 18 years.

He graduated from Arizona State University with his degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership and took his passion for ensuring quality education for all to launch the teacher recruitment and retention program, Million Dollar Teacher Project.

In addition to being a Founder and Executive Director he is also an entrepreneur and philanthropist. As a philanthropist he is the Chair of Real Engagement through Active Philanthropy (R.E.A.P) which is a fund under the Arizona Community Foundation the supports programs making positive impacts on African-American Youth and is currently working with an Achieve60AZ Taskforce on improving attainment for the African American community in Arizona.

For his efforts he was recently a finalist for the Phoenix Center of the Arts Mayor’s Arts Awards for his Million Dollar Teacher Tree program and was honored by the East Valley NAACP with the Malala Yousafzai Equity in Education Award. He is also an alum of Valley Leadership’s Class 40.

Connect with Lloyd on LinkedIn and follow Million Dollar Teach Project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Randy Gibb, PhD, joined GCU in July 2014 and served as the dean of the Colangelo College of Business until 2022. His team grew the college based the pillars of servant leadership, ethics, and entrepreneurism and promoted the ideals/concepts of free market capitalism and business as a form of ministry.

In July 2022, he stepped into the role as Provost. Dr. Gibb served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and commanded two Air Force flying units and retired as a Colonel and Command Pilot.

He also has academic leadership experience and taught as Department Chair of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Behavioral Science and Leadership Department, helped lead the human systems integration program at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, OH, as a Senior Military Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering and Management Department, and served at Arizona State University as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Human and Environmental Systems Department.

Dr. Gibb has extensive experience in aviation safety, human factors, visual perception and spatial disorientation, as well as leadership development. Dr. Gibb, originally from Wisconsin, earned his PhD and MS in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University. He also has an MA from the U.S. Naval Command and Staff College in Newport, RI, and was a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1986.

Dr. Gibb served on the Governor’s Workforce Arizona Council, Canyon Angels founding board, WESTMARC board of directors, and Arizona’s board of Conscious Capitalism.

Connect with Randy on LinkedIn, and follow Grand Canyon University on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About Culture Crush

Culture is not just a tag word to be thrown around. It is not something you throw in job descriptions to draw people to applying for jobs within a company.

According to Marcus Buckingham and Ashely Goodall in their book Nine Lies About Work, “Culture is the tenants of how we behave. It’s like a family creed. This is how we operate and treat each other in the family.”

As a growing company- Culture Crush Business Podcast is THE culture improvement resource that supports companies and leaders. Our Mission is to improve company cultures so people WANT to go to work. Employees and leaders should like where they work and we think this is possible.

Within the company: Culture Crush has Vetted Resources and Partnerships with the right people and resources that can help improve your company culture.

On this podcast: We focus on everything surrounding businesses with good company culture. We will talk with company leaders to learn about real-life experiences, tips, and best practices for creating a healthy work environment where employees are finding joy and satisfaction in their work while also striving and growing within the company. We also find the companies that offer resources to help improve company culture and showcase them on the show to share their tips and tricks for growing culture.

About the Host

Kindra Maples is spartan racer, past animal trainer, previous magician’s assistant, and has a weakness for Oreo cookie shakes. Her journey working with people actually started working with animals as a teenager (don’t worry we won’t go that far back for her bio).

She worked for over 15 years in the zoo industry working with animals and the public. Her passion of working with animals shifted into working with people in education, operations and leadership roles. From there her passion of leadership and helping people develop has continued to grow.

Then came the opportunity for leading the Culture Crush Business Podcast and she jumped on it. Leadership, growth, and strong company cultures are all areas that Kindra is interested in diving into further.

Shout Outs

We want to thank a few people for their behind the scenes effort in helping this relaunch to come to life. James Johnson with Tailored Penguin Media Company LLC.– It is a small, but powerful video production company with a goal to deliver the very best by articulating the vision of your brand in a visually creative way. Gordon Murray with Flash PhotoVideo, LLC. -Flash Gordon has been photographing since high school and evolving since then with new products that will equip, encourage, engage, and enable. Renee Blundon with Renee Blundon Design – She is not only one of the best free divers (that’s not how she helped with the podcast) but she is great with graphics design and taking the direction for the vision that you have while also adding creative ideas to bring to your vision to life.

These are just a few of the folks that supported the relaunch of the podcast. If you would like to be part of the Culture Crush team or would like to support underwriting the show- please reach out: info@culturecrushbusiness.com

Most Valuable Player E115

July 28, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Most Valuable Player E115

00:00 /

Most Valuable Player E115

The Tycoons welcomed Rod Watson, National Director at Aston Rose. Get to know Rod as he opens up about his athletic background and how it paved the path for his success in real estate. His dedication on the court carried through into his career proving to be a layup with luxury real estate.

Rod has not only been a successful basketball player, entrepreneur and father, he is also an MVP throughout his community putting emphasis on being the change and solution for problems we face in today’s society. Rod explains the importance of understanding cultural backgrounds in order to properly relate on a more personal level with clients. Tune in to hear Rod’s story and how you can be a leading factor of change in your community.

The sports and entertainment world’s most iconic pros are represented by only one brokerage of agents. In 2020, a formulation was birthed for a luxury real estate company bearing the Aston Rose name founded on the future of innovation.

Only one brand can sportfully deliver a lifestyle that caters to you, beyond the unique properties and personal touch of our sports and entertainment advisors.

Our website, which has a global network of homes for sale, allows you to search property listings worldwide and includes a vast inventory of luxury properties for sale, such as homes, condominiums, townhouses, villas, developments and more.

Rod Watson has built a formidable reputation as a trusted professional in the Southern California real estate market, specializing in marketing and selling high-end homes. But to him, service is king.

By focusing on his luxury clients’ needs and goals, he identifies early opportunities and curates bespoke strategies and creative solutions that forge direct pathways to success.

Rod’s commitment to making his clients’ lives easier is appreciated by people at the summit of their industry — whether that’s entertainment, sports, or business — and garners his active list of repeat and referral clients.

About the Show

About Your Hosts

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

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.

Liens and Preliens and Laughs Oh My with Amy Houk E10

July 27, 2022 by Karen

Liens-and-Preliens-and-Laughs-Oh-My-with-Amy-Houk-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Liens and Preliens and Laughs Oh My with Amy Houk E10

00:00 /

Liens and Preliens and Laughs Oh My with Amy Houk E10

Robert and J.J. meet up with Amy Houk, Chief Marketing/Product Officer with Prelien Pro Technologies to discuss all things liens and preliens. Amy is the authority and shares her wealth of knowledge with the guys, and shares the why behind Prelien Pro Technologies and the development of software for the world of construction. If you are a general contractor, subcontractor, or supplier this episode is a must have as a reference to often misunderstood statutes pertaining to the lien and prelien process and your rights.

General Contractors, Subcontractors and suppliers learn the answers to often misunderstood processes surrounding your lien rights.

Prelien Pro Technologies, Inc. began when a team of consultants were asked to develop an easier workflow for lien companies to manage the hundreds of prelien notices submitted to their company weekly. Once they dove into the structure and processes lien companies were utilizing, it became very obvious that the lack of “out-of-the-box” solutions was crippling this industry. Lien companies were spending 10’s of thousands of dollars to create custom, single-user solutions or relying on a dos-based, single desktop solution for software that was cumbersome, antiquated, and rigid. Shocked by what they found, they sought out the guidance of one of the most dynamic and successful CTO’s to wrestle the “ dot-com boom” they could find… one laptop, one monitor, and one hot conference room later, a dream team of developers, innovators, and consultants came together to form what would become Prelien Pro Technologies, Inc.

As they researched and learned more about this industry, they also found that construction companies were forced to submit their notice requests on an equally outdated interface. The team was shocked to hear that most construction companies weren’t too bothered by the legacy look and feel as most software they used at the time was just as clumsy. Realizing that the construction industry was ripe for a solution to weave together all of these processes and workflows, the team devised a strategy – to learn the lien management industry from the inside out. They achieved this by creating their own lien company, collaborating with the construction industry, and building a solution that solves all of the obvious (and not so obvious) issues this process had on the overall performance and cost of a project.

This strategy led to an immeasurable amount of input from the construction industry – not just from the builders, but also the suppliers, the funders, the developers, and the insurers. The team built relationships with every level of construction to prepare and plan for a development strategy that would lead them on a two-year journey of discovery, development, and some trial and error to create a single application – bringing together the multitude of excel spreadsheets, three-ring binders, filing cabinets, fax machines, and single-task applications that “solved” their day-to-day issues.

Today, Prelien Pro Technologies, Inc. has fully deployed its construction lien software (cls) application to the captive lien company with a second onboarding in mid to late 4th quarter, 2021. That application currently supports 466 construction firms, 1500 users, and 10 lien preparation professionals. They have also created the only fully embedded experience with Procore technologies and have a focus group of our target general contractors currently using the prelien pro application. Because of the strategic development plan outlined by our CTO, all further development is 75% (or more) completed as the foundational Prelien Pro Technologies, Inc. platform fully supports the additional products and services.

Amy Houk’s history as a founding member of Prelien Pro has seen the company grow from a handful of valued relationships to a large and growing community of clients, industry partners, association affiliations, and friendships.

Amy brings a cool and dynamic element to the team. Her ability to forge relationships and create an open dialogue with clients has been a vital asset to our team. She brings over 20 years experience offering a variety of services and consultation to businesses.

Her expertise and knowledge with construction companies and the industry has made her a pivotal addition to the team.

When Amy isn’t working with the team, she spends her time promoting women’s equality in construction, donating her time to construction associations, going on photo safaris with her husband of 15 years, taking construction pics, traveling, and spending time with family (especially her new grand baby).

Follow Prelien Pro Technologies on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About Your Hosts

Meet JJ Levenske

During his tenure, JJ has been involved in $1 billion worth of construction services. A strong entrepreneurial acumen allows him to be the perfect advocate for your facility based business solutions.

Meet Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson is a knowledgeable construction professional with over 40 years of experience. His experience ranges from residential to the commercial and industrial sectors.

Robert enjoys spending time with Pam, his wife of 42 years, their 3 children, and 10 grandchildren.

About Our Sponsors

Bleuwave is passionate about what they do and takes pride in their partner’s success.

When you need it done right the first time, call Bleuwave.

Follow Bleuwave on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tori Contracting’s smaller, cohesive structure results in superior workmanship and economical solutions.

We provide design assist capabilities from start to finish…from schematic design and development through construction documents with the aid of our full-time AUTOCAD staff.

E107 Now that’s Smart with Melissa McDonald

July 27, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

E107 Now that's Smart with Melissa McDonald

00:00 / 50:37

E107 Now that’s Smart with Melissa McDonald

In this episode of Project Management Office Hours, PMO Joe welcomed Melissa McDonald for an in-studio discussion. We get to hear Melissa share the story behind starting her own consulting firm and why she’s called The Smart PM! Melissa and Joe also discussed Smartsheet, PMO Leadership, Benefits of starting your own business, Serving in the military and so much more.

Melissa is the Founder and Managing Director of The Smart PM LLC, a Woman Veteran Owned Small Business that provides expert Project Management services and support through the advanced use and development of Smartsheet’s collaborative work management platform. She shared, “My niche is Smartsheet. It was a tool that I found a couple of years back and I’ve brought it to different organizations with me and it’s been a great tool.”

Why Smartsheet? “I needed something more than Excel, not as difficult as MS Project for that. So I’d heard of Smartsheet and I looked into it, and you can start off small. You don’t have to buy a huge program.” Wonder where the Smart PM name comes from? As PMO Joe said, “So, Smart PM tremendous experience, served our country, supported our country also as a military spouse, educated in universities and in the military, educated in the use of technology to support industry. Folks, I’m trying to build if you’re wondering where the Smart PM name comes from, it’s all of these things contributing.”

Listen to the full episode to hear the full story from Melissa.

Connect with Melissa:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissacmcdonald/

Connect with The Smart PM:
https://thesmartpm.pro

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

The Smart PM is a Woman Veteran-Owned Small Business with Certified Project Management Professionals and Smartsheet Product and Professional Services providers. They are a 3x top 5% Smartsheet automation recognized user (aka “Automagician”). They develop and optimize custom programs in Smartsheet that actually work for PMOs, Operations, and your business processes.

TSP consultants are PMP, PMI-ACP, CCMP, SAFe, ITIL, and Smartsheet certified with more than 20 years of project portfolio management experience in the US Army, IT, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, and Construction.

Their services can expand outside of a PMO and include: assessment, design, custom development or pre-built solutions, consulting, training, or optimizing your current business program. They have designed and built HR Performance Assessment programs, Acquisitions & Dispositions templates, Month End tools, PPM tools, and so much more.

They are located in Phoenix, Arizona 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 LLC, a Woman Veteran Owned Small Business that provides expert Project Management services and support through the advanced use and development of Smartsheet’s collaborative work management platform.

Melissa is a Smartsheet Silver Partner and Reseller. More importantly, she is a former three-time PMO Director and Smartsheet user herself. TSP empowers PMOs, Departments, and Enterprises in project delivery and operational efficiencies to work smarter.

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 the Department of Defense, IT, Healthcare, Finance, Engineering, Marketing, 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 and The Women’s National Memorial. Outside of work, she loves to cycle, hike, and travel with her family.

Follow the Smart PM on LinkedIn.

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