Karen, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Shawn Banzhaf with ASU Pat Tillman Veterans Center

May 27, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Shawn Banzhaf with ASU Pat Tillman Veterans Center

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Shawn Banzhaf with ASU Pat Tillman Veterans Center

Our mission is to empower and engage our ASU military and veteran community with their academic and personal success here at ASU and beyond.

Shawn Banzhaf [Bon-zof] (he/him/his) is a highly innovative trainer and fresh author who inspires others around him to learn. He is considered by many to be an experienced developer of people, which is appropriate to the origin of his name: Banz in German (South) is a maker of vats and drinking vessels, and hafen means “pot.” He longs to help form people (vessels) to be most receptive to great things in life.

For twenty-one years Shawn served the United States in the Army National Guard. He retired as the acting First Sergeant of the 1057th Transportation Company. He is an Iraqi War Veteran, during which he was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge during 100 combat missions in and around Baghdad, Ramadi and Fallujah. His unit, the 1074th Transportation Company, was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation during their year long campaign. Training Soldiers was his passion and he was afforded the opportunity to train thousands of them during his military career. Shawn also served his community as a police sergeant before becoming a full-time pastor.

Shawn has been connected to the Trauma Informed Movement across Arizona, through which he has been a guest trainer on the topics of PTSD and suicide prevention within the veteran community.

Since 2015 Shawn has been a part of the Pat Tillman Veteran Center at Arizona State University and currently serves as the Senior Military Advocate for their center in service of over 10,000 military-affiliated students.

Shawn is a lead facilitator for ASU’s Trek for Vets in partnership with Huts for Vets Wilderness Therapy.

Shawn is the creator of the 5 Ls: A Practical Guide for Helping Loved Ones Heal After Trauma. He has trained over a thousand individuals on how using this method is a tool anyone can use with a loved one struggling with PTSD, whether veteran or not.

Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Spicy Learning – A Culture Conversation with Journeyage and YellowBird E11

May 27, 2021 by Karen

Spicy-Learning-A-Culture-Conversation-with-Journeyage-and-YellowBird-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Spicy Learning - A Culture Conversation with Journeyage and YellowBird E11

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Spicy Learning – A Culture Conversation with Journeyage and YellowBird E11

The Culture Crush Business Podcast is a podcast that we hope is for all listeners. With that being said, this is great episode to listen to if you are leading a company or working for a company that is trying to build their company culture into the onboarding and training for employees. Culture starts at the very beginning and Journeyage is helping to make that possible.

This is also a great episode for those company leaders and employees to listen to if they are wanting to find a few new tips for adding “spice” to their company culture. We want to help companies build their company culture while also showcasing the companies that have a great company culture. There are not many companies out there where you can show up to work on your first day dressed as the Easter Bunny (wink wink…. You should just listen to the show) but we are here to showcase them to the community.

This was an episode with Michael Zalle from YellowBird. Kindra, the Culture Crush Podcast host, and Michael were both attending the Behind the Mic event with PBRX and ended up in the same breakout room. After the connection and conversations, Kindra now works on the YellowBird team. Yay relationship building with PBRX!!!

YellowBird is an online marketplace that simply and easily connects Environmental Health and Safety Professionals with businesses on-demand. Their vetting process ensures the deep roster of nationwide professionals are interviewed, background checked, insured, and certified so they are ready to perform when needed.

YellowBird uses technology to save companies 25% and match professionals with projects 15X faster than traditional consultants or staffing agencies.

Michael Zalle is the Founder and CEO of YellowBird. As a career tech entrepreneur, Board member and advisor, he has a passion for making a difference through finding ‘the better way’ to solve big problems through tech. He’s responsible for creating and building new concepts and companies, resulting in multiple successful exits over a 25-year career.

He attended San Francisco State University and Pepperdine University with a focus on Business Management. Michael enjoys traveling with his wife of 20 years and two awesome kids.

He engages in a variety of outdoor sports including golf and tennis; he ranks himself an incredibly average golfer and perhaps even worse tennis player, but remembers a day when he was competitive at both.

Follow YellowBird on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Journeyage is an enterprise training solution for onboarding remote employees. We believe that one-size training doesn’t fit all, but one platform can! People have unique personalities, roles, locations, backgrounds, preferences, and possibilities. Use our robust personalization features to simply—and automatically—tailor what every employee experiences in the training you deliver to them.

50’s housewife by interest and intersectional feminist by passion, Lisa Glenn Nobles is just as likely to be whipping up strawberry jalapeno preserves as crafting a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging action plan for Journeyage.

Her professional passions include building systems, creating strong cultures that value humans over profits, and making Slack a fun place to be. When she’s not working on operations at Journeyage, she can just as likely be found:

Hiking in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve
Binge-watching Queer Eye while having a good cry
Planning her next international trip (South America, Japan, Kazakhstan and New Zealand are on the short list)
Hanging out with her husband throwing the ball to labrador Clarence or cuddling with ragdoll cat Honey

Lisa came to Journeyage after a journey through the nonprofit, operations, and education sectors, finding her true home at Journeyage (where she gets to do all those things!). She volunteers regularly with ConstellateAZ, a local nonprofit dedicated to getting high risk youth involved in entrepreneurship. If you’d like to share a recipe or an idea for generosity initiatives, Lisa can be found on Twitter and LinkedIn, and by email.

Follow Journeyage on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Culture Crush

Culture Crush is officially relaunched! We are thankful to Debra Caron who launched and hosted the show originally. Culture Crush is back with a new host but the same focus- highlighting what makes a great company culture and how it affects the overall success of a company.

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.”

On this long form podcast we will highlight companies local to Arizona and beyond that are crushing it with great 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.

About the Host

Kindra Maples is your new host taking the lead on the relaunch of Culture Crush! She 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 relaunching the Culture Crush 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: culturecrushpodcast@gmail.com

About Our Sponsor

For 23 years Catholic Education Arizona has helped serve underserved children with $268 million in scholarships. Catholic High Schools have a 99.4% graduation rate and 97% move on to higher education or military service.

Participating partners like APS, BBVA, and Grand Canyon University receive a dollar-for-dollar Arizona State Tax Credit. The corporate partners enjoy helping our future work force, Building the Arizona community and future leaders!

The partners also enjoy promotion in Catholic Education Arizona’s newsletter, social media channels and podcast! For more information, call 602-218-6542 or visit www.ceaz.org – they are changing lives one scholarship at a time!

The Locker Room – How Sportiqe is Growing a Safe and Conscious Place for Employees While Being a Profitable Business E10

May 27, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

The Locker Room - How Sportiqe is Growing a Safe and Conscious Place for Employees While Being a Profitable Business E10

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The Locker Room – How Sportiqe is Growing a Safe and Conscious Place for Employees While Being a Profitable Business E10

This show was a very unique show that we were excited to finally execute on. The Culture Crush Business Podcast and the People and Profit Podcast, sponsored by Conscious Capitalism Arizona, came together for a special crossover episode.

Matt Altman, with Sportiqe, was the best guest for this crossover experience. His knowledge and understanding of running and growing a conscious business was perfect for the conversation with co-hosts Jeremy Neis and Kindra Maples. Yes, businesses are here to make money and be profitable, but this can be done while also supporting the employees as humans. People and Profit should be on the same level. Your people are the ones that are going to take care of your customers. It is important to try and support their fundamental human needs; freedom, independence, community, family, and teamwork.

When we are connected together, we can help each other and there is a win- win outcome. They even had the chance to dive into the six values that Sportiqe has, that go beyond just writing on the walls. The “values and behavior are what drive a team and a family.” Teamwork, Evolve, Respect, Can Do, Integrity, and Fun are all values that have grown with the company and continuously lived through the team at Sportiqe.

This episode is great for all listeners! This conversation is great for any job level to listen in and find motivation in the way that Sportiqe is growing their brand. This conversation is great for CEO’s out there to listen to in order to understand the benefit and the need in taking care of your people with the same passion that drives the company to be profitable. This conversation shares insight into how to treat employees and the why behind it. We look forward to the next opportunity to have Matt back on the show.

Headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, Sportiqe is a global, lifestyle apparel brand that is committed to delivering elevated basics using premium fabrics, innovative designs and an on-trend fit that not only look and feel good, but provide superior comfort no matter the occasion.

Outfitting more than four-million people around the world since its inception in 2006, Sportiqe designs, manufactures and sells premium, Modern American comfort wear for men, women and youth with a focus on t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, headwear and more. All apparel is designed and decorated in Sportiqe’s home-state of Ariz.

The company was founded on the success of its wholesale division, which bridges the gap between the fan and fashion world by providing comfortable attire with on-trend garments and graphics to a number of globally recognized brands including the NBA, Nintendo, Dave Matthews Band, Peloton and Live Nation, to name a few. For more information about Sportiqe, visit Sportiqe.com.

The brand was founded on the success of its wholesale division, which bridges the gap between the fan and fashion world by providing comfortable attire with on-trend graphics to a variety of globally recognized brands across the entertainment, sporting, food and beverage, health and wellness, and tech and gaming industries.

Serving as a fashion house for clients, Sportiqe designs, creates and delivers elevated and on-trend, custom apparel for companies who can choose from a graphics package from the Sportiqe wheelhouse or work with the company’s skilled graphic design team for custom looks and themes

Sportiqe believes in making an impact that reaches far beyond its comfortable fabrics and clothing. That’s why Sportiqe is dedicated to improving the lives of children in crisis around the world by investing their time and resources in causes that support their mission.

As co-founder and CEO of Sportiqe, Matt Altman is a Phoenix native who spent more than a decade as the director of merchandise for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL’s Arizona Coyotes where he oversaw all retail operations including buying, sourcing, designing, product development, inventory, sales and logistics for Talking Stick Arena and Chase Field.

In 2006, Altman co-founded Sportiqe, a global, lifestyle apparel company, that is committed to delivering elevated basics using high-quality fabrics, innovative designs and on-trend fit that not only look and feel good, but provide superior comfort no matter the occasion. Sportiqe quickly became a household name amongst some of the most recognizable brands, athletes and celebrities in the world after landing a licensing deal with the NBA early on and being amongst the first apparel companies to bridge the gap between the sports fan and fashion world.

To date, Sportiqe collaborates with global leaders like the NBA, Nintendo, TREK, Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, Warner Bros. and the Dave Matthews Band, to name a few. Sportiqe has outfitted more than four-million people around the world since its inception.

Altman has a lifelong passion for helping people – supporting them to live their dreams and be the best version of themselves. He serves on the board of The Prem Rawat Foundation, which addresses the fundamental human needs of food, water and peace. He is a member of Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and serves on the board of the Arizona Chapter.

Altman holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business from the University of Arizona. In his personal life, he enjoys spending time with his wife and family, as well as practicing yoga, skiing, travelling and living his life with the goal of always learning.

Follow Sportiqe on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter.

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.

On this long form podcast we will highlight companies local to Arizona and beyond that are crushing it with great culture!

About the Host

Shout Outs

About Our Sponsor

E79 The Benefits of Diversity in the Project Management Community with Alana Hill

May 27, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

E79 The Benefits of Diversity in the Project Management Community with Alana Hill

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E79 The Benefits of Diversity in the Project Management Community with Alana Hill

In this episode of Project Management Office Hours, Alana Hill shares her story with us and we learn that although there has been some progress we still have a way to go with gender and racial diversity within the project management community. Alana and PMO Joe discuss the benefits of diversity within our industry and within your own career. What does your contact list look like? If they all are the same, how do they challenge you, but also allow for creative thinking? Alana shared, “The more we are aware of building relationships outside of our identity, the more we advance the cause of everyone.”

Alana shares the back-story for her book, What’s Your Catalyst, The Power of Managed Change. We learn the importance of a balance between IQ and EQ to improve team performance. We also learn the influence of coaches and role models on her life and the origin of her nickname, “Georgia.

To hear what Alana is working on next, listen to the full episode and subscribe to the podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/project-management-office-hours/id1398533604

“Lead change the Mrs. Engineer Way” and connect with Alana on LinkedIn and Ms. Engineer Way

Lastly, we want to thank THE PMO SQUAD and The PMO Leader for sponsoring this show.
Learn more about The PMO Squad www.thepmosquad.com
Learn more about The PMO Leader www.thepmoleader.com

2Hill Consulting was founded in 2006 by the firm’s principal consultant, Alana M. Hill, PMP, with one goal: to maximize the potential of people to succeed. Alana was motivated to bring her real-world, Fortune 100 talent development and change management experience to organizations of all sizes. Her affinity for processes and solutions has led to the success of numerous international projects helping people and organizations innovate for maximum productivity.

2Hill is dedicated to developing Change Leaders through the delivery of world-class training and coaching. Effectiveness boils down to people and processes. Combining Project Management expertise, DISC personality assessments, and Change Management methodologies, they help people and teams lead themselves from surviving to thriving.

Alana Hill is an international change leadership expert, inspiring professionals to lead change in their lives and their organizations. She is a passionate energy industry veteran who has paved the way for women leaders, with a focus on women of color.

Her experience as an engineer and certified Project Management Professional (PMP) in talent development provides real‐world insight into how people and teams can excel, even in the face of adversity. Throughout her career, Alana has led diverse teams and delivered high-impact workshops all over the world!

She is an engaging and dynamic keynote speaker and facilitator, appealing to audiences of various types and sizes. Alana makes a lasting impact at conferences, corporations, colleges, and churches, delivering high-energy, principle-based content.

Her programs will move you to overcome adversity, build resilience, and convey empathy. She is the author of What’s Your Catalyst? The Power of Managed Change where she guides her readers to discover how purpose and passion can drive strategic change at home and at work.

With over 20 years of cross-functional leadership and training expertise, Alana helps individuals and organizations accomplish their goals by utilizing sharp analysis, strategic planning, and interpersonal skills development. She helps leaders balance cognitive ability (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) to improve team dynamics and performance.

Alana provides her clients with a combination of critical thinking and compassionate leadership, which she labels “Leading Change the Ms. Engineer Way®”. She has proudly served global Fortune 500 corporations, small technology companies, and non-profits. Her authenticity and adaptability make her an asset across the professional spectrum.

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

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

Collaboration and Community in Tempe E20

May 25, 2021 by Karen

Collaboration-and-Community-in-Tempe-Feature2

Phoenix Business Radio

Collaboration and Community in Tempe E20

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Collaboration and Community in Tempe E20

Want to know more about the current CDC and OSHA guidelines for businesses? Interested in learning more about the pulse on business and tourism in Tempe? Need to find a community of entrepreneurs who care about the future of business?

If you answered yes, then be sure to check out this episode of Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast.

Host, Kelly Lorenzen was on-air with special guests Eddie Fredericks, owner of WorkingAware, Scott McIntosh owner of MAC 6, and Toni Smith, Director of Communications for the Tempe Arizona Tourism Office.

This episode was jam-packed full of info on all of the amazing businesses in Tempe, collaboration going on in the community, Conscious Capitalism, infection control, and more.

Thank you, KLM Consulting, Marketing & Management, for sponsoring this show.

WorkingAware provides customized post-pandemic event & workplace infection control planning solutions, training and Safer Workspace Certifications. They help your company meet and exceed all the relevant guidance in a way that works right for your own unique business operation, utilizing the knowledge of an infectious disease physician with over 20 years of experience in the management and development of infection control planning.

From providing education and training, to onsite assessments or full certification, WorkingAware helps businesses work safer for their employees, partners and customers.

Eddie Fredericks is Managing Director and co-founder of WorkingAware. He manages the business operations, with a focus on business development and partner relationships. He is integrally involved in our reporting process, ensuring that WorkingAware always provides best-in-class quality of content in a manner that results in an excellent experience for our customers.

Eddie has spent most of his career in business development and sales management, creating business-to-business solutions that are equally high in integrity as they are business-friendly. His experience consulting and advising local and national businesses of diverse sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to startups, helps guide our services so that they are readily actionable and easier for companies to implement. He has worked in or supported a broad range of businesses, including, manufacturing sectors, retail, and the food service industry.

Eddie moved to Arizona in 1993 to attend Arizona State University and lives in Tempe, AZ with his wife and family. He is passionately committed to supporting local Arizona businesses in his community.

Follow WorkingAware on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Future of Work is MAC6. The traditional commercial real estate model is in a state of disruption. Are you paying rent that is too high for underutilized space? Are you struggling to maintain culture with a working from home workforce? Are you looking for an innovative approach, flexible workspaces, a thriving community, and seamless virtual technology?

Located in Tempe, 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and 15 minutes from Arizona State University, the MAC6 Entrepreneurial Center campus offers 85,000 square feet of traditional and non-traditional private office flex-suites, 25,000 square feet of co-working desks, workstations and fully furnished private offices, a focus on health, wellness and productivity, including a 24×7 on-campus gym, virtual AND In-Person Meeting and event spaces.

MAC6 is ideal if you are looking for a move in ready private suite ranging from 850 to 16,000 square feet, and a flexible and productive place to grow your business, or for your working from home employees.

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn.

During his early career, Scott McIntosh grew McIntosh Engineering to become a global leader in the sustainable development of deep underground mining projects worldwide.

Following a successful acquisition and exit, Scott shifted his purpose to Advocating Capitalism as a Force for Good, through for-profit MAC6, and non-profit Conscious Capitalism Arizona, both co-founded with Scott’s business partner and son Kyle McIntosh.

Locally owned and operated, MAC6 offers 150,000 square feet of Co-Working and Co-Manufacturing workspace in service to entrepreneurs, professional advisors, and mid-market businesses, or as a productive alternative for larger business employees currently working from home.

Leveraging his experience and deep commitment to learning, Scott offers mentorship and much more through the MAC6 Leadership Academy, fueling Scott’s passion to help leaders and leadership teams break through ceilings to growth.

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn.

The Tempe Tourism Office is a non-profit organization devoted to marketing Tempe, Arizona. Our mission is to promote the City of Tempe as a desirable leisure and business travel destination. Our staff provides information to visitors, media professionals and meeting planners about Tempe hotels, restaurants, entertainment and local points of interest.

Toni Smith is the Director of Communications for the Tempe, Arizona Tourism Office. She has worked at the tourism office for 19 years. Previously, she worked in communications and special events for the Arizona Restaurant Association, and she was part of the marketing team for a downtown shopping center.

She is responsible for media relations, copy writing, collateral materials, social media strategy and oversees video and photography projects. She is a native Arizonan and graduated from Arizona State University.

In addition to promoting Tempe as a destination, Toni can be found hiking desert trails, visiting her favorite restaurants and building the perfect Spotify playlists. She lives in Tempe with her husband, daughter and two rescue dogs.

Connect with Toni on LinkedIn and follow Tempe Tourism on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Collaborative Connections

Kelly Lorenzen started the “Collaborative Connections” show to bring her clients and favorite charities together to meet each other, connect and collaborate in life and business. She hopes to build a stronger community one show at a time.

About Our Sponsor

KLM Consulting is a business concierge and project management firm. They help small business owners and non-profits build, brand and brag about their businesses.

About Your Host

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

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

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

Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos with LifeManaged E23

May 20, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos with LifeManaged E23

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Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos with LifeManaged E23

LifeManaged is the antithesis of Wall Street banks, focusing on real-life planning and practical decision making. Rather than being told what to do or sold a product, LifeManaged focuses on your lifestyle goals and end game, recognizing there are multiple ways to make money.

By helping business owners and entrepreneurs understand their cash flow needs better, a plan can be put in motion to take back the freedom and time they deserve.

Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and is a 1st generation Greek-American.

After attending Brophy College Prep he played basketball at the University of Northern Colorado. After fulfilling his dreams of playing professional basketball in Greece, Thanasi moved home to Phoenix and pursued his career in Finance.

After 10 years working for both major financial institutions and a boutique investment firm, he founded LifeManaged. He is married to his wife, Melissa and has two children, Sophia (6) and Marco (3).

Connect with Thanasi on LinkedIn and follow LifeManaged on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Arizona Good Business

What is good business? What are local businesses doing to build a better Arizona?

Join Arizona Good Business to hear from local companies who are:

Centering purpose at the forefront of business
Creating social well-being for the community
Prioritizing sustainability and positive environmental practices
Growing strong company cultures through building authentic teams
Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are involved in all business decisions

Arizona Good Business features local business leaders that are redefining what it means to do good business.

About Your Host

Thomas Barr is the Executive Director for Local First Arizona, the largest coalition of local businesses in North America. He advocates for a strong local business community that contributes to building vibrancy, equity, and prosperity across the state. A proud Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University, Thomas leads the business coalition of Local First Arizona by advocating for the economic and cultural benefits provided by building strong local economies.

Thomas steers the strategic direction of LFA’s major programs and initiatives as well as the engagement of over 3000 businesses across Arizona. As Executive Director, Thomas guides a team of statewide senior directors overseeing the execution of LFA’s communication strategy, major initiatives and key partnerships, as well as the collaboration of over 30 staff implementing work in entrepreneurship programs, small business advocacy, local food initiatives, sustainability, urban development and community building. He frequently speaks to groups locally and nationally, presenting the impact of Local First Arizona and the importance of local economy work in building prosperity.

Outside of Local First Arizona, Thomas has participated in volunteering his time to many causes and organizations throughout the Valley including Young Nonprofit Professionals – Phoenix, Equality Arizona, Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Heritage Square Foundation and Phoenix Legal Action Network. Additionally, Thomas is a 2018 Phoenix Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree, alumni of Arizona Leading for Change, and current participant in Valley Leadership Institute’s 40th cohort.

Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Local First AZ

Local First Arizona is a nonprofit organization that celebrates independent, locally owned businesses. We support, promote and advocate for a strong local business community and raise public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by strong local economies. Local businesses contribute to a sustainable economy for Arizona and build vibrant communities we’re all proud to call home.

Entrepreneurial Impact E54

May 20, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Entrepreneurial Impact E54

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Entrepreneurial Impact E54

In this episode Austin, Landon and Ryan interview Kevin Stoller, Co-Founder & CEO of Kay-Twelve. Kevin explains how he went from selling stuff to making a difference. Selling school furniture is more about changing the culture by changing the space first. Kay Twelve focuses on how many students they can impact by creating spaces that enhances their learning abilities.

Tune in to hear the passion Kevin expresses towards changing learning environments with innovative furniture and how change is such a great thing for not just schools but businesses as well. Learn how selling furniture turned into impacting schools and students around the world.

Kay-Twelve helps educational leaders transform their learning environments into innovative and collaborative spaces by providing furniture that encourages greater partnership among students, more student/teacher engagement, and a fully collaborative setting for learning to happen.

Kevin Stoller is a serial entrepreneur of mission-based businesses and in 2009, Co-Founded Kay-Twelve, a leading national distributor of educational furniture. He earned a Master’s in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor’s degree from Miami University.

Kevin is active in the entrepreneurial community, hosts several podcasts, leads workshops to help educators improve the learning environment and is the author of Creating Better Learning Environments.

On a personal note, Kevin spends as much time as possible with his wife, Darci, and their 3 active children, Grant, Maggie & Tessa. The Stoller Family recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona – but Kevin still roots for his sports teams from growing up in Chicago and spending 20+ years in Ohio.

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn and follow Kay-Twelve on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Our Special Co-Host

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.

Follow Fintrepid Solutions on LinkedIn 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

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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.

Triumph Over Trauma E53

May 20, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Triumph Over Trauma E53

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Triumph Over Trauma E53

Anthony “Doc” Ameen shares his powerful story not knowing what path he intended to take as a young man to join the military and being influenced by the tragedies he survived. He now dedicates his time to assisting military members, first responders and their families, fighting for them as they have fought for us. Wings for Warriors non-profit has helped over 5,000 veterans with securing benefits, benefits counseling and travel assistance among other holistic needs.

If you or someone you know is a veteran or a first responder, Wings For Warriors Foundation can support you with a wide array of services and programs with the help of their 4 beneficiaries.

Wings For Warriors Foundation is a nationally recognized, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in support of veterans, first responders, and their families.

Wings For Warriors Foundation supports the holistic needs of veterans, first responders, and their families with transformational growth, well-being, and spiritual fitness.

Taylor & Lawrence is a boutique consulting firm helping healthcare organizations of all sizes achieve their desired goals by building cooperative alliances and strategic partnerships.

Taylor & Lawrence’s mission is to provide loyal and mutually beneficial partnerships for healthcare organizations to thrive together, ensuring sustainability, growth, and increased quality.

Anthony Ameen’s life changed in an instant in 2008. And it’s been evolving ever since…

As a Hospital Corpsman, Ameen earned the nickname “Doc” as he embraced a culture of order and duty. His catastrophic battlefield injury changed the course of the life he envisioned, but Anthony eventually chose to view his new path as one that would be watered by the nurtured outflow of the adversity he had faced. His experiences, though challenging at times, allowed him to see potential for change and fueled an entrepreneurial spirit within him, which led to his creation of the non-profit Wings For Warriors.

Under Ameen’s leadership, the non-profit organization matured from an idea to a nationally-recognized foundation that aims to advocate for the holistic and spiritual needs of veterans, first responders, and their families. As Founder & CEO, Anthony personally counseled more than 5,000 veterans and helped launch Wings for Warriors outlets in 30 different cities across the country.

It quickly became clear that the grit, determination, perseverance and leadership capabilities “Doc” channeled in the military served him well in civilian life as an entrepreneur, an advocate, and a nationally-recognized public figure. He is the face and the lifeblood of Wings For Warriors, and with that brings invites from national media outlets, speaking engagements at large-scale events and sponsorships earned from Fortune 500 companies.

Along the way, Doc turned his focus into co-founding and building Taylor & Lawrence, a boutique consulting firm that specializes in serving the Department of Defense (DoD), and Healthcare industries by unearthing strategic business partnerships for increased performance and quality patient care.

Ameen’s past continues to fuel his future. And, his story provokes anyone listening to realize they have not fully tapped every ounce of their potential. Anthony addresses his successes and pitfalls through his emotional and physical recovery in an uncommonly honest way, all while holding his listeners internally responsible for the changes they need to make in order to grow. Ameen’s story incites change, triggers action and spurs productivity. And, perhaps most importantly, it plants a seed of accountability.

When he isn’t traveling for speaking engagements, Anthony spends time with his wife, and their four children, at their home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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.

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

The Future of Work – GrayHawk Capital E32

May 17, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

The Future of Work - GrayHawk Capital E32

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The Future of Work – GrayHawk Capital E32

In this episode of Water Cooler Conversations, Kyle is joined for a special show by co-host Scott McIntosh, and they speak with Brian Burns and Sherman Chu from Grayhawk Capital, Arizona’s largest Venture Capital fund. They explore the world of businesses raising capital in Arizona and what the current and future state look like. They discuss the investor and CEO relationship and how important it is to have a strong strategic and personality fit way before deciding if they monetary deal makes sense for both parties.

Learn about the world of Venture Capital Financing in Arizona and how the current entrepreneurial ecosystem is set up better today than it ever has been in the past to support growth stage businesses, and how to get connected to these resources as a CEO or growing business.

Grayhawk Capital provides venture capital to outstanding early and growth stage companies located in the Southwest. The partners of Grayhawk Capital have experience managing 10 separate venture funds, totaling more than $525 million with a collective 80+ years of experience.

Grayhawk is currently investing an $80 million fund. Our investment philosophy has remained consistent through the years and we target companies with the following type of characteristics: – Serial entrepreneurs and exceptional management teams – Dynamic, rapidly growing technology markets – Innovative and disruptive product offerings.

The current sectors for investment include mobile computing, cloud/SaaS, security, enterprise & application software, business intelligence, healthcare IT, and financial.

Sherman I. Chu (56), Managing Member, co-founded Grayhawk Capital in 1999. Mr. Chu has more than 29 years of venture capital and private equity experience. In addition, Mr. Chu has 23 years of experience working with or managing SBICs.

Prior to co-founding Grayhawk Capital, Mr. Chu was a Partner at CEP from 1995 to 2008. Mr. Chu started his venture capital career at Banc One Capital Partners where he joined as an Associate in 1991 and later became Assistant Vice President.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Chu held financial positions within various industries ranging from technology-based start-up companies to the banking industry.

Mr. Chu has served on the boards of 16 privately held companies. Mr. Chu holds a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Arizona.

Brian N. Burns co-founded Grayhawk Capital in 1999. Grayhawk Capital is managing its fourth venture capital fund, Grayhawk Venture Fund III, LP. Mr. Burns has more than 30 years of private equity and venture capital experience.

Prior to co-founding Grayhawk Capital, Mr. Burns served as Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of the investment subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp., a $3 billion NYSE company, from 1998 to 2000.

Mr. Burns was a CPA for 35 years and started at Arthur Andersen & Co. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Arizona State University and has served on the board of 18 privately held companies.

Follow Grayhawk Capital on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn.

During his early career, Scott McIntosh grew McIntosh Engineering to become a global leader in the sustainable development of deep underground mining projects worldwide.

ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WORK: WATER COOLER CONVERSATIONS

Welcome to Future of Work: Water Cooler Conversations Radio Show and Podcast – where business leaders share how they integrate humanity and technology through innovative approaches, healthy culture, flexible workspaces and seamless virtual technology.

ABOUT YOUR CO-HOSTS

With a background in marketing, in various for profit and not for profit companies, Kyle McIntosh wondered, “How can I pair the passion and commitment to community progress of a non-profit with the sustainability and reach of a for profit company?” From this question and perspective a mission evolved to tear down the false distinction between the two sectors and to promote companies with Conscious Capitalism® business models through MAC6.

Kyle is the President and Creative Excitant of MAC6. Day to day, his main operational role is on the “spaces” side of the business, focusing on creating thriving communities in the commercial office buildings, the co-working space, and the co-manufacturing space. The other role that he plays is that of EOS implementer, working with clients to bring the Entrepreneurial Operating System, from the book Traction® to their businesses. Additionally, he sits on the boards of Conscious Capitalism Arizona, telling the stories of good businesses in Arizona, and The Tempe Chamber of Commerce, sustaining Tempe’s quality of life and keeping our community and economy vibrant.

Kyle loves Arizona and wants to see us all collectively find great success based on the awesome things that are happening here every day.

Follow MAC6 on Facebook and Twitter.

Jennifer Burwell, joined MAC6 in 2013. Jennifer is their VP and Director of Programs.

She uses her experience in real estate, team development and management to seamlessly integrate each of the MAC6 business units to assure they are all focused on the long-term company vision. She is also a student of human behavior.

As a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, she uses her knowledge to facilitate culture-focused leadership programs with organizations of all sizes to integrate the company’s values and create higher-performing teams.

To learn more about MAC6 Communities, call 480-293-4075 or find them on Facebook

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

MAC⁶ offers flexible spaces and programs to help your team grow, and a community of thriving businesses, just like yours. Advocating Capitalism as a Force for Good, MAC6 is Accelerating the shift to Conscious Capitalism (where Purpose and Profit Unite) through Creativity, Collaboration, Community and Change.