Karen, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

E93 Meet the Award Winning OneLink PMO Family

December 22, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

E93 Meet the Award Winning OneLink PMO Family

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E93 Meet the Award Winning OneLink PMO Family

In this episode of Project Management Office Hours Luis will be joined by OneLink team to talk to Joe about their journey, company culture, gratitude and recently being named 2021 The Americas PMO of the Year Award Winner.

What does gratitude mean to you? “With this opportunity we have the chance to share knowledge and we all should be grateful for having the opportunity to be together while being apart.” -Danny. There is so much to take away from a virtual world, we can connect faster and easier these days all with a click of a button.

“For us, the most important thing within our company culture is the wellbeing of all our community. We call our employees Incredybles®️.” -Luis The PMO Team is led by Luis Guardado and he will be joined by team members Jose Quinteros, Ivette Torres, Daniel Recinos, Lorena Mora, Maria Arias, and Marta Moreno.

OneLink shares with us the steps they take to deliver the best results; 1. Keep it simple, 2. One stop shop, 3. Incredible management, 4. Innovation. This approach is what sets OneLink apart from the rest, by putting people first.

To discover more, visit:

OneLink: https://onelinkbpo.com/inicio/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onelink

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelinkbposv

Twitter: https://twitter.com/onelinkbpo

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

The PMO Squad was recently awarded the Platinum Medallion from the US Dept of Labor with the HIRE Vets program. They are one of only 8 Platinum Medallion recipients in Arizona.

Learn more about The PMO Squad – 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 – www.thepmoleader.com

OneLink provides outsourcing services, management consulting, technological, and tailored-integrated solutions to clients across an omnichannel environment. With over 14,000 Incredybles®️ (As they call their employees) they deliver operational consistency for businesses of all sizes in Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil.

They believe that providing an excellent service depends on happy Incredybles®️. Therefore, their priority is their team. Every day, they work to maintain a happy and healthy environment that promotes personal and professional growth within the OneLink family. They strongly believe in an Employee-first approach as it drives top levels of client engagement and industry-leading agent retention.

At the core of the organization, 6 values dictate the way they operate. As a result, and thanks to their innovative approach, they are redefining the contact center experience by pairing new technology with Incredyble®️ people and by leveraging their expertise to deliver advanced solutions that create engaging experiences while transmitting their unique culture of happiness as they work towards their strategic partners’ results.

OneLink provides digitally enabled CX, BPO, and technology services to leading brands in North America and Latin America. Their comprehensive portfolio of complex CX, back office, chatbots, and many other automation services are continuously enhanced through digital engineering that allows them to support clients in different languages, including English, Spanish, as well as Portuguese, French, German, and Japanese.

In times of digitalization and as they come up with automated solutions to avoid costly “call centers”, they focus on interpreting data while implementing a more consultative approach that provide them the necessary tools to seed new ideas across all digital channels, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS among many others.

In 2020, Frost & Sullivan recognized this organization stating: “By becoming a strategic partner and applying state-of-the-art technology in all its operations, the Company provides a seamless experience to its customers regardless of their geography”.

Additionally, treating their clients as strategic partners, addressing their needs during pandemic times has allowed them to secure new large contracts. They have successfully adjusted labor size and seamlessly transition to IFH while optimizing thru automation, human skills, and proven cost benefits even in 24/7 operations.

They are #TheIncredyblePlacetoWork, but also a BPO with a purpose, their goal is to lead the BPO industry in every country they operate. We constantly develop new ideas to help them provide unique experiences for their clients and their customers in every interaction whenever and wherever they need us.

Luis Guardado is a highly engaged professional with 11 years of proven experience leading Project Management Offices (PMO) across Latin America, He has served in different multinationals as HSBC, TELUS International, and the United Nations; in this last experience, he was responsible for the Presidential Strategy Implementation in El Salvador.

Since 2014, he has been working as Regional Director of PMO and Business Development at OneLink, being responsible of the design and flawless execution for the company Strategy, generating value through the regional Project Portfolio Implementation, and Commercial- Business Development efforts across the region (6 countries – México, Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador). Since 2018, he has co-led The Corporate Innovation and Digital Transformation Unit along with the CIO.

He holds a master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration and Innovation, and he is an expert in project rescue and recovery methodology. In addition, he has served as a lecturer and university professor since 2008 teaching classes in Strategy and Portfolio and Project Management, Business Development, Design Thinking and Neurosemantics conferences
In addition, he has represented several boards of educational institutions and NGOs dedicated to promoting knowledge sharing, entrepreneurial projects, and social assistance with the focus of helping communities in need.

The year 2021 has been a hugely rewarding year for OneLink’s EMPO. The team has been world-wide recognized with The Americas PMO of the Year Award by the PMO Global Alliance, an award that represents their approach as enablers of business success and drivers of strategy, always putting people first.

In 2021, the ContactCenterWorld Association recognized Luis Guardado with the Best Project Manager in the Americas award, for his hard work in delivering innovative technology and business improvement strategies that exceed client’s expectations at OneLink.

At the Customer Experience Summit 2021, organized by the Colombian BPO Association, OneLink’s EPMO was recognized as the Best #PMO in the Americas for its business case: “Enablers of Business Success and Promoters of Corporate Strategy” in the category of Best Internal Operation. This award celebrates the excellence of companies that improve and professionalize the business-customer relationship.

ABOUT PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE HOURS SERIES

Project Management Office Hours is intended to provide Project Management professionals a place to drop in and discuss Success Stories, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned. Project Management Consultant Joy Gumz has shared with us, “Operations keep the lights on, strategy provides the light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward.”

Each of us has a unique story to tell, but collectively we share a message that organizations who embrace Project Management Best Practices perform better than those which don’t. Organizations which align Projects to Strategy perform better. Organizations with Engage Executive Sponsors deliver better results. Organizations which measure Project Management performance outperform those which don’t.

During our Project Management Office Hours, we hear directly from Industry leaders how to make an impact in our profession. How we, collectively, will Advance Project Management Best Practices, One Listener at a time!

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

2021 – A Whirlwind Year of Growth in Review E21

December 21, 2021 by Karen

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AZ TechCast

2021 - A Whirlwind Year of Growth in Review E21

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2021 – A Whirlwind Year of Growth in Review E21

Over the past year, Arizona has gained global recognition for its thriving technology ecosystem. Despite being on the tail end of a pandemic and facing supply chain challenges, Arizona has rapidly become an epicenter for electric vehicles, semiconductor manufacturing and many other rising industries. In fact, the growing number of technology companies calling Arizona home, as well as an increase of available jobs and competitive wages, are cementing Arizona’s role as a vibrant technology hub.

In the Arizona Technology Council’s December 2021 episode of TechCast, Phoenix Business RadioX owner and president Karen Nowicki was joined by Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC); Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor, Inc.; Vic Narusis, senior vice president of Business Development at the Arizona Commerce Authority; and Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council to not only reflect on the obstacles and victories of 2021 but predict what is in store for 2022.

Throughout this hour-long episode, this panel of economic development leaders agreed that 2021 seemed to be the beginning of the return to normalcy. After a year of small business closures and widespread uncertainty, 2021 was defined by resiliency and bouncing back. The experts also agreed unanimously on another positive note: when compared to other states across the country, Arizona is ahead of the curve in terms of economic recovery.

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 200 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.

Chris Camacho serves as president & CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), one of the longest-standing public-private partnerships for economic development across the country.

As Chief Executive, Chris leads the development and execution of the region’s strategic economic strategy, oversees domestic and international business development, and ensures the market position remains competitive through coordination with partner organizations, private sector leaders, and municipal and state leadership.

He has led the attraction of more than 460 companies during his tenure, creating nearly 85,000 jobs and $24 billion in capital investment. Some notable projects include TSMC, Apple, Silicon Valley Bank, Microsoft, GoDaddy, Yelp, Amazon, Garmin, General Motors, ElectraMeccanica, Zoom, HelloFresh, and headquarters including Benchmark Electronics, Carlisle Companies and Rogers Corporation.

In October 2021, GPEC was named the top economic development organization globally by the International Economic Development Council.

Follow Greater Phoenix on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sun Corridor Inc. is a transformative economic development organization representing one of the most dynamic and growing major business centers in North America.

Located in Southern Arizona and encompassing four counties (Pinal, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise), Sun Corridor Inc. is a CEO-driven regional alliance whose members aggressively champion mega-regional issues that impact economic competitiveness and quality of life.

The organization has helped to drive significant business investment into the Tucson and Southern Arizona region through primary job creation, resulting in an economic impact of $30.6 billion.

As the first President & CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., Joe Snell brings over 30 years of experience leading regional private economic development organizations in communities of various sizes. His knowledge on building strategic, competitive and balanced economic development efforts have resulted in Snell being nationally recognized for creating strong economies.

Sun Corridor Inc. is a transformative economic development organization representing Southern Arizona. Under Snell’s leadership, Sun Corridor Inc. has helped facilitate significant investment and job creation resulting in an economic impact of $25 billion to the regional economy. In 2015, Snell led the re-engineering of the organization resulting in a name change, new brand and expanded mission.

In his previous position as President of the Metro Denver Network, Snell developed critical infrastructure and strategies that resulted in Metro Denver being recognized as one of the fastest growing markets in the United States. Snell has established new economic development corporations and reengineered struggling organizations in several communities in the Southwest and Midwest.

Snell is a frequently requested speaker and lecturer on economic development and competitive issues. He is a former faculty member of the Arizona Economic Development Course and the International Economic Development Council. Snell is a regular contributor to various international and national media publications.

In 2019, Snell received the Global Visionary Award from BizTucson Magazine. Snell was named Father of the Year by the Father’s Day Council Tucson in 2019. In 2017 and 2018, Snell was recognized by Arizona Business Magazine for his leadership and contributions to the Arizona economy. The Arizona Economic Development Association has recognized Snell for “Deal of the Year” on two occasions in the last five years.

On March 28, 2002, Governor Bill Owens of Colorado honored Snell by proclaiming the day as Joe Snell Day throughout the state. Snell was named as Economic Developer of the Year in 1999 by the Economic Developers Association of Colorado.

Snell holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska. He is married and has three children.

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state’s leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy.

The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create – attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries.

Vic Narusis is the Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Arizona Commerce Authority, and has been with the ACA since 2019. Vic oversees the ACA’s Business Development Team, who are responsible for bringing businesses to Arizona and assisting companies in Arizona to grow and thrive. Vic and his team conduct site selection and coordinate local communities, utilities, education, workforce and logistics partners to identify and solve business needs. Vic also manages the ACA’s Foreign Trade/FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and the ACA’s Film and Digital Media teams.

Vic is an economic development professional with over 20 years’ experience working in previous roles in Illinois, six years in real estate development and 18 years in commercial banking.

In the past year, Vic and his team have been instrumental in winning historic and notable projects for Arizona including ElectraMeccanica, KORE Power, Intel and more, creating thousands of projected jobs for Arizonans.

Follow ACA on 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.

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.

Education and Life After High School E3

December 16, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Education and Life After High School E3

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Education and Life After High School E3

College and Career readiness is something that is extremely important for everyone to help plan for their future, but yet, we don’t talk about it nearly as much as we should. In episode 3 of Under the Rug, Mary invites her College Prep teacher Thomas Bieksha and Career Ready Tempe organizer Adrian Cascio to discuss those kinds of topics in education.

They go into depth of the struggles educators have had to bring this problem to light in districts and why those conversations are so critical to have. If you’re someone who doesn’t know what the future holds when it comes to college or just career futures in general, this podcast will answer all your questions on how to be prepared for the future.

Listeners would want to tune into this episode of Under The Rug to get more information on how to be more prepared for after high school and college and careers in general. It’s also i great way to learn more about how schools and districts are not doing enough to ensure every high schooler gets a chance for help in these difficult topics.

The City of Tempe Human Services Department is home to many supportive services to a wide range of community members.

The programs that are guest supports are College Connect, The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission and Career Ready Tempe. All of these programs work with high school students and young adults to prepare them with college, career and leadership opportunities.

Adrian Cascio is originally from the California Bay area, but spent most of his time in Arizona where he attended St Mary’s High School and obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work at ASU.

Adrian has over 10 years of experience as a case manager primarily working with youth transitioning out foster care and in the mental health system and teaching emotional wellness coping skills. Adrian currently supports three youth-focused programs within the City of Tempe Human Services.

Outside of work, Adrian enjoys spending time with his wife, Amber and two-year old son, Valentino and playing guitar.

Tempe Union is a high school district located in the East Valley of the Phoenix Metro Area. They serve over 13,000 valley students.

Thomas Bieksha is a 6 year educator out of Southern California.

He came to Arizona to attend Arizona State’s Teacher College and has worked as a classroom teacher since his graduation.

He continues to work at Corona del Sol high school in Tempe, Arizona.

About Under the Rug; The Things That Influence Our Workplace that Often Go Unspoken

This world has a lot to improve when it comes to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Education and Communication, and your host Mary Seitz wants to keep making a difference. Each Wednesday, join Mary on Under the Rug; The Things That Influence Our Workplace that Often Go Unspoken.

As a high school student at Corona del Sol High School and a part of the Career Ready Tempe program, she experiences professional working environments and ways to explore careers that interest her. This podcast is directed towards the people who want to make a difference within these problems, and believes these discussions are an important way to make a change.

Career Ready Tempe aims to help prepare and develop Tempe youth to participate in the future workforce by connecting them to college and career readiness support and partnering with Tempe businesses to provide youth with paid internship opportunities in fields that are in-demand.

Career Ready Tempe is a collaboration between the City of Tempe Human Services Department, Economic Development Department and the Tempe Chamber Foundation. The program is funded by City of Tempe Innovation Funds and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Career Readiness Lab Grant. The program has been strategically designed to align with industry needs and the initiatives of Achieve65Tempe, the City’s goal of 65 percent of Tempe’s adult population accessing post-secondary education, resulting in a certification to an advanced degree by 2030.

Career Ready Tempe serves income-eligible Tempe youth who are in their junior or senior year of high school.

The In’s and Out’s of Starting Your Own Business E2

December 16, 2021 by Karen

E2-The-Ins-and-Outs-of-Starting-Your-Own-Business-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

The In’s and Out’s of Starting Your Own Business E2

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The In’s and Out’s of Starting Your Own Business E2

Starting your own business is not as easy as people make it out to be, and many people say to get advice from others that have small businesses to get a better understanding. Well, look no further than this week’s episode of Under the Rug, where Mary Seitz and her Grandparents Marty and Denise Skalon discuss the trials and errors, failures and successes of their own businesses.

This episode is for the people who are thinking of starting their own small business, and to help them learn more about what it takes to get there. Marty and Denise talk about their business model and what made them successfully own a business for 25+ years after 2 previous failed organizations.

They also go into depth about the personal sacrifices they had to take to make sure it thrived. Even if you aren’t thinking of starting your own business, Marty and Denise have great tips for how to run a company, what worked for them and what didn’t.

Marden Electric LLC was a commercial/industrial electrical contracting company.

Martin Skalon’s 40 plus years in the construction industry gave him the knowledge that he needed to design and execute the jobs that Marden Electric completed.

He is a journeyman electritcian, a master estimator and fabricator.

He served on the Board Directors of the Arizona Chapter of the National Electrical Contractor’s Association (NECA) where he worked to make a better working environment for all electritcian’s in Arizona.

Denise Skalon has held many positions in the Business/Beauty industry most recently as General Manager for Marden Electric LLC.

Having co-owned other businesses with her husband Marty she always had a entrepreneurial drive that led her to having her own Mary Kay Cosmetic’s business. In this role she learned and studied business, sales and the cosmetics industry.

That business gave her the knowledge to work in the retail arena in 1995 which led her to a successful 20 year career with Shiseido Cosmetics. Denise held the position of Account Executive in Arizona. This position grew and changed as the brand developed in the state. She managed 11 retailers and 35 brand consultants where her staff was responsible for 4 million dollars in sales.

Her background as a hair stylist and makeup artist made Denise a very hands on Account Executive always leading by example.

In 2007 Marden Electric LLC opened. Ongoing with her career she continued to work with the Marden Electric business until her retirement from Shiseido Cosmetics in 2017. Upon retirement she focused her attention to expanding and developing Marden Electric until the business closed in 2021.

Now retired she is happily enjoying every day! Married for 52 years, 3 grown children and 10 grandchildren she is always ready to give advice and share her thoughts on life !

About Under the Rug; The Things That Influence Our Workplace that Often Go Unspoken

Career Ready Tempe serves income-eligible Tempe youth who are in their junior or senior year of high school.

Demystifying Therapy E8

December 16, 2021 by Karen

Mind Well

Demystifying Therapy E8

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Demystifying Therapy E8

On this episode of Mind Well, host Michelle Jones has a conversation with Sam Richardson the owner and director of Las Vegas Therapy. Michelle asks the questions you’ve never thought to ask a therapist. We talk about trauma, betrayal trauma and the key factors for healing including mindfulness. We also break down some myths and misconceptions about therapy and how to shift our mindset to move through fear and embrace mental health support.

Listeners who want an inside understanding of the therapy process and who want to reach out for mental health support but feel hesitant or even fearful about what to expect.

Las Vegas Therapy provides help with individual therapy, couples counseling, and family therapy in a safe & comfortable setting.

Our therapists have had experience and training to help you or a loved one overcome relationship problems, mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, grief or loss, and PMADS (Perinatal Mood or Anxiety Disorders).

Sam Richardson has been a licensed marriage and family therapist for about 15 years. He specializes in working with couples, especially infidelity, trauma/PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Sam is an approved supervisor for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and helps recently graduated therapists work towards becoming fully licensed.

Sam also works as a clinical supervisor for UNLV’s Marriage and Family Therapy program.

Connect with Sam on LinkedIn and follow Las Vegas Therapy on Facebook and Instagram.

About Mind Well

Mind Well radio show and podcast is all about connecting with wellness professionals and individuals with unique perspectives about developing wholeness and well being.

We recognize that every individual has the ability to connect to wholeness.

About Our Host

Michelle Jones is the President and Co-Founder of Trauma Integration, LLC.

Michelle is an educator and Certified Trauma Integration Practitioner. She loves truly connecting with people.

Michelle firmly believes in the inherent resiliency within each of us and loves uncovering the light and strength in the people she meets.

About Our Sponsor

Mind Well is sponsored by Trauma Integration LLC. Trauma Integration is an educational company that is passionate about helping people understand their own response to trauma.

We provide resources to individuals and train practitioners to guide clients to mindfully integrate their trauma response and find wholeness within. You can find us at www.integratetrauma.com.

Follow Trauma Integration on Facebook and Instagram.

Good Habits Drive Results E84

December 16, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Good Habits Drive Results E84

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Good Habits Drive Results E84

Karl Maier joined Landon on Tycoons and opened up about the successes and failures of small business ownership. He was able to track areas that brought businesses the most success and used that knowledge to start Abunden.

People are the key to quality and business growth and people need to effectively communicate and work together. Abunden provides the system and tools to build that structure to support communication, delegation and business growth. As Karl says, “good habits drive good results.”

Abunden provides easy-to-use software tools that helps business advisors guide their clients to grow rapidly.

The Abunden Tools are designed specifically for entrepreneurial companies with between 10 and 100 people. These companies traditionally see their growth stall because they have difficulty delegating tasks.

The Abunden Tools provide an integrated set of tools that provide the infrastructure which makes it safe to delegate.

Karl Maier founded Abunden, his third software company, to help internal and external business advisors be even more effective in helping their clients grow and succeed.

In his various roles over the past three decades, he has been part of the leadership team in five established companies that have at least doubled sales in two years.

Leveraging his successes, Karl developed the Abunden Framework© and led the development of the practical management tools in the Abunden Tools App. These online SaaS (Software as a Service) tools build the management structure for companies to grow and succeed.

Karl received both his MBA and BA from Rice University in Houston. He has been the chairperson for the Rice University Business Network and the Houston District Export Council and a board member for TIE Houston.

Follow Abunden on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.

Austin Peterson and Landon Mance are registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. 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. CRN-3949076-120721

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.

Jennifer Lindley and Constance Halonen-Wilson with Queen Creek

December 10, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Jennifer Lindley and Constance Halonen-Wilson with Queen Creek

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Jennifer Lindley and Constance Halonen-Wilson with Queen Creek

Queen Creek is positioned as a center of influence in the PHX East Valley, featuring a strategic location, land available for development and a young, highly educated workforce. Queen Creek offers limitless opportunities.

Jennifer Lindley has served in the Town of Queen Creek’s Economic Development Department since 2014 and is the key staff member for all downtown economic development projects. Jennifer has over 17 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and economic development.

Before joining the Town of Queen Creek, Jennifer was the Executive Director for the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership and served as the Vice President of the East Valley Partnership.

Jennifer is a member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Economic Development, Chair of the Board of Directors for Neighbors Who Care and a fellow of the International Downtown Association Emerging Leaders Program.

She holds a Bachelor of Science from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and has a Master’s in Business Administration from Benedictine University. Jennifer was recently named “Economic Developer of the Year – Medium Size Community” by the Arizona Association for Economic Development.

Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn.

Constance Halonen-Wilson serves as the Communications & Marketing Manager for the Town of Queen Creek. She oversees a variety of areas including media relations, written and digital communications, ceremonial events and various campaigns.

With more than 12 years in municipal and non-profit communications, Constance has worked in specialized fields including law enforcement and domestic violence in addition to general municipal communications.

Constance holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Knox College, a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from Benedictine University. Constance currently serves on the PRSA Phoenix Board of Directors.

Follow Queen Creek on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What It’s Like Being an Inclusive and Diversity Leader E1

December 9, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

What It's Like Being an Inclusive and Diversity Leader E1

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What It’s Like Being an Inclusive and Diversity Leader E1

In this first episode of Under the Rug, Mary invites her mother, Andrea Seitz, to speak about her job and experiences as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader at Amazon, AWS. They have a discussion about why diversity, equity and inclusion is so important and why it should be taught in a workplace environment. They also discuss best practices for business leaders to make their workplace a more diverse and comfortable place.

Along with business related questions, they talk about personal experiences that Andrea has had in this line of work; the most rewarding part of her job, and hardships she has had to overcome to be the person she is today. These are the topics Mary thinks are essential to have to make the world a better place, and she hopes you feel the same way too.

For over 15 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud offering. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit aws.amazon.com.

Andrea Seitz is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioner leading DEI strategies for Amazon Web Services (AWS). Prior to AWS, Andrea worked as an Employee Relations Manager with a focus on ADA accommodations, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) investigations, and Affirmative Action Plans.

Andrea’s background is in Communication and Conflict Management, receiving her BA in Communication from Arizona State University, and a Masters in Conflict Management from Columbia College of South Carolina. Andrea was trained as a mediator through the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Conflict Resolution Section, and has incorporated mediation, communication and conflict management strategies into every aspect of her career.

Andrea centers her work around being an on-ramp to DEI for people who want to step into the work of allyship, and being an advocate for equity and inclusion, and amplifying the voices of marginalized and underrepresented communities.

Andrea resides in Tempe, Arizona after spending 22 years in the Seattle area.

Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn.

About Under the Rug; The Things That Influence Our Workplace that Often Go Unspoken

Career Ready Tempe serves income-eligible Tempe youth who are in their junior or senior year of high school.

Exploring Computer Science E18

December 8, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Exploring Computer Science E18

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Exploring Computer Science E18

In celebration of CS Ed Week, hosts Kelly Greene and Claire Conway engage in a conversation with guests from a variety of computer science industry organizations including Microsoft, American Express, State Farm, TCS and GenTech Support.

Reginald Jackson from State Farm is a Infrastructure and Dev Ops Analyst with a passion for electric vehicles. Serene Gallegos Suero from Tata Consultancy Services is an Engagement Manager and celebrates her educator background by encouraging failure as an option.

American Express team members Amanda Pulawski and Shilpa Dhopate share about how they environment their work environment focused on the Agile model! Jenna Esek an education specialist from Microsoft shares her less than traditional career path to Computer Science and Michael Wilson from GenTech Support reveals how he found his passion in supporting the community with tech services!

In this episode of STEM Unplugged, our guests get right into our discussion about the importance of Computer Science here in our growing tech industry in Arizona. Each guest identifies a misconception and how they are working to myth bust the stereotypes of computer science professionals. They address ways to learn more about their company, careers and ways to address those misconceptions as individuals.

State Farm is a mutual company that makes its primary focus its policyholders. Our more than 55,000 employees and more than 19,000 independent contractor agents service 83 million policies and accounts throughout the U.S. Approaching its 100th anniversary in June 2022, it remains as the top insurance company and ranked 39 on the Forbes 500 list for 2021.

Passionate technologist with a love of all things STEM, Reginald Jackson’s current endeavors include launching a Tesla/EV based instagram called TheTeslaBruh along with the BasicBlackPodcast. He has not let a pandemic slow him down, it merely opened other opportunities in different areas.

His career spans over 25 years in the IT industry, working in various sectors from education, healthcare and now the insurance industry. Now more than ever with the working world transitioning to a work from home model, he has converted his office into a home studio where he creates content for podcasts and voiceover work.

He recently voiced a part for a COVID 19 play based in the Netherlands called “Off the Wall” by Tommy Hatim Sherif.

A current role he takes great pride in is “Nurse Support” for his Covid 19 fighting shero who is a travel nurse supporting Arizona, and California with their new boston terrier puppy Dutchess.

Connect with Reginald on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Tata Consultancy Services is a purpose-led transformation partner to many of the world’s largest businesses. For more than 50 years, they have been collaborating with clients and communities to build a greater future through innovation and collective knowledge.

TCS oﬀers an integrated portfolio of cognitive powered business, technology, and engineering services and solutions. The company’s over 500,000 consultants in 46 countries help empower individuals, enterprises, and societies to build on belief.

Recently, TCS announced plans to expand its operations in Arizona, investing more than $300 million by 2026 and hiring more than 220 employees by 2023, to meet the digital transformation needs of its customers.

TCS will also continue to expand the reach of its STEM and Computer Science education programs in Arizona by increasing teacher training and online content for students over the next two years.

Serene Gallegos Suero is an Engagement Manager on the Global Corporate Social Responsibility team at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

In her role, she leads the Ignite My Future initiative, the company’s flagship STEM education program. Her goal is to bring free, high-quality teacher professional development that incorporates computational thinking into all core subject areas.

A proud former NYC public school teacher, she has devoted her career to improving educational experiences, opportunities, and outcomes for young people from underrepresented communities.

Connect with Serene on LinkedIn and follow TCS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At American Express, we know that with the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. Whether we’re supporting our customers’ financial confidence to move ahead, taking commerce to new heights, or encouraging people to explore the world, our colleagues are constantly redefining what’s possible – and we’re proud to back each other every step of the way.

When you join #TeamAmex, you become part of a diverse community of over 60,000 colleagues, all with a common goal to deliver an exceptional customer experience every day.

Amanda Pulawski is an Electrical Engineer by degree; Software Engineer and Engineering Leader by trade. She has start-up to large-scale enterprise experience in domains ranging from B2B security products to Healthcare to Financial Services and including commercial enterprise software and DoD.

Amanda is a lifelong learner with an analytic mind she says she can’t seem to shut off, a student of feedback and an engineering and optimization enthusiast.

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn.

Shilpa Dhopate has a unique combination of broad software architecture experience and hands-on engineering skills. She has built and led winning product engineering teams and delivered innovative products that solve real-world problems.

She is known for her collaborative, transformational and innovative leadership, challenging herself and her teams to innovate, and driving technical change.

Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

The Microsoft Store Direct Sales and Support team is available to help you find the right solutions for your institution. From providing purchasing guidance, through setup and training, we’re here with you every step of the way.

Microsoft Store Direct Sales and Support offers free education training and expert support tailored to your institution’s unique needs. Our Microsoft Innovative Educator teaching and learning tools provide professional development credits as well as answer quick questions. Free virtual workshops are available for staff, teachers, students, and families. Reach out to schedule a discovery call and learn more.

Driven by a passion to create genuine connections while helping people, Jenna Esek has enjoyed navigating a series of community-focused customer-centric roles. Her desire to constantly learn, push herself, and take part in new experiences has led her to take on numerous challenges throughout her career.

Jenna started her Microsoft career with Microsoft Store in 2016. This combined Jenna’s passions for customer service, education, and technology, while also challenging her to become a subject matter expert on solutions she previously knew little about. Throughout four years, Jenna managed community initiatives and kept a growth-mindset, constantly seeking out new ways to help customers achieve more with technology.

With the closure of physical Microsoft Stores, Jenna has transitioned into a remote support role as an Education Specialist. She now has the ability to provide elevated resources and support to schools, with a consistent goal of helping classrooms run efficiently in a changing landscape.

Connect with Jenna on LinkedIn.

GenTech is a community tech hub managed by brilliant techs with backgrounds in engineering, IT support, computer science and programming. All of the high school and college students that work at GenTech are stakeholders in the company and are intricately involved in running the business.

GenTechs consistently exchange ideas about new technologies and collaborate with industry professionals. Our signature service is personal tech support where you will experience kindness and individual attention to your tech questions. GenTech has a full service, computer repair counter onsite. Virtual and home services are available.

Michael Wilson is a recent graduate of GCU in Cybersecurity and Information Technology. He expertly manages the GenTech store overseeing hardware intakes, daily operations, repair processes, scheduling and customer support.

Michael is excited to kick start his career in a meaningful way by helping the community in tech services and teaching kids the tech skills they need to prepare them for their future.

Follow GenTech on LinkedIn and Facebook.

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!

Claire Conway is the STEM Ecosystem Programs Manager at SciTech Institute.