Karen, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Do It Better E30

November 27, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Do It Better E30

00:00 /

Do It Better E30

Jane’s philosophy is to do what you do best, just do it better and do it better with accurate strategies. Learn how to succinctly communicate your message. Ditch the old-fashioned elevator pitch and hire Jane. Benefit from the Science of Jane and her trademarked Intrommercial. Begin with the end in mind, speak with confidence, sell with authority, and stop leaving opportunities empty-handed.

Jane offers fantastic advice to business owners and she will convince you to pick up the phone and give her a call.

Let’s Talk Impact unleashes your unfair sales advantage. We specialize in turning your message and converting more sales. Our commitment is to support you in the design and delivery of an authentic presentation, pitch, or proposal to connect, capture, and close your ideal client or customer.

Using her straight-forward, big-hearted style, Jane M Powers guides thousands to Speak with Confidence and Sell with Authority.

With decades of successful speaking, training, and coaching, and perhaps most important of all real-life experience founding and running multi-million dollar businesses, Jane appreciates that success is truly about the power of your CORE message.

With over 30 years of sales success as a Corporate Executive and Entrepreneur, she brings you everything you need to ensure a competitive edge in the market place.

Jane has been changing the way people sell and how to move people into action to make more money, have more fun and most of all – make a difference.

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

About Your Hosts

Austin Peterson is a Comprehensive Financial Planner and owner of Backbone Financial 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.

Austin and his wife of 21 years, Robin, have two children, AJ (19) and Ella (16) 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 founder of YourFuture Planning Partners out of Las Vegas, Nevada. His firm came to life in 2020 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 YourFuture Planning Partners to help business owners and their families. At YourFuture, 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, YourFuture 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.

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 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.

About The Tycoons of Small Biz Sponsor

Whether you’re an established local company, or a brand new start-up, you can count on GBS to be a part of your family.

We’re not just any benefits consulting firm, we’re GBS. We have nearly 30 years of experience in group benefits, a strong sense of purpose and it shows.

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 Financial and Your Future Planning Partners are marketing names for registered representatives of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. CRN 3338532-111920

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.

Celebrating Women in Agile with Erin and Karina E3

November 25, 2020 by Karen

Celebrating-Women-in-Agile-with-Erin-and-Karina-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

Celebrating Women in Agile with Erin and Karina E3

00:00 /

Celebrating Women in Agile with Erin and Karina E3

The Lurnist Show had the honor of inviting Erin Randall and Karina Jones to share their insight in the Agile space. The conversation ranged from what Agile methods are used for in everyday life circumstances, to balancing work from home, and about mentorship within the space and uplifting each other up. This conversation is one you shouldn’t miss out on.

If you are on the fence about Agile work, then you’ll sure have a clear picture after this episode. The topics were very valuable lessons and relatable to what we go through with the whole transition to work from home life.

Ad Meliora Coaching is a boutique coaching and consulting practice that serves organizations, leadership, and individuals. They specialize in performance transformations and business agility with engineering, mining, and manufacturing industries; however, they always come back to coaching and being of service to people.

Erin Randall is a longtime agile, coactive, and ORSC coach with a deep passion for serving people, teams, and organizations. Through her work with her coaching and consulting practice, Ad Meliora Coaching, she helps her clients to find the pain points and then reimagine a new way forward. Her goal in all that she does is simple: happy people doing great work.

Erin is an active believer in servant-leadership. She is one of the cofounders of the Agile Coaching Circles, and she co-leads the Agile Austin Coaching Group, so don’t be surprised when you bump into her at a meetup or in a Slack channel. She also makes mentorship a regular part of her coaching work. Throughout the year, she is actively mentoring one or two individuals that are trying to achieve specific goals in their work.

Erin holds coaching certifications as a coactive, agile, and ORSC-trained coach. Additionally, she has completed advanced facilitation training and is a credentialed Integral Facilitator. Erin also writes regularly about all things coaching on her blog, which is found on her site. Her particular passion is questions, and she is always looking for ways to ask better questions. She regularly teaches and speaks at conferences about how to help others learn and practice this foundational skill.

She and her husband, Joel, live in glorious Austin, Texas, with their two horribly wonderful dogs, Eleanor and Beatrice. When she isn’t vacuuming up dog hair, Erin can be found hiking, drinking way too much tea, or reading. (She reads a LOT.)

Connect with Erin on LinkedIn.

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

Karina Jones is a PMP certified Project Manager and CSM certified Scrum Master. Her focus is on developing structure out of the most complex and innovative operations and projects.

In addition to her strong background in Computer Science and Mathematics, she holds a Masters of Nonprofit Studies from Arizona State University and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Murcia, Spain.

She came to Arizona State University in 2012. Before ASU she worked for Procter & Gamble Latin America where she occupied diverse regional leadership roles in Information Technology for Latin America. She is originally from El Salvador but while working for Procter & Gamble she lived in Mexico city and Guatemala.

Connect with Karina on LinkedIn.

About The Lurnist – Celebrating Women in Agile

We highlight fantastic women who are doing great things in the Agile field, all the while creating role models to inspire young women in high school and college to want to have a career in Agile.

Who do you know that leads scrum teams? Builds great products as a product owner or product manager? Coaches leading agile transformations? Or, is an agile teacher or trainer? We’d love to get to know her with the hope to feature her story and journey to success on The Lurnist Radio Show & Podcast.

About Your Co-hosts

Debra Hildebrand is the Founder and CEO of LurnAgile and has over 20 years’ experience in project management; including consulting and training in the public and private sector and teaching in higher education.

She is one of the architects for the Project Management Certification program at the University of Washington, where she received the Team-Teaching Excellence Award and currently instructs in the online portion of the program. Additionally, she developed and currently teaches traditional and agile project management courses at Stanford University.

Her passion projects include Celebrating Women in Agile through her Business RadioX Show, The Lurnist Show, and helping veterans transition into meaningful careers in project management after service disconnection through her work on the board of Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance (VPMMA).

She is a certified SAFe Program Consultant (SPC 5.0), Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute and has an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, NY.

Lauryn Jenne is a senior student at University of Washington Bothell (UWB), majoring in Management Information Systems with a minor in Computer Science IT. Lauryn currently works for UWB School of Business and is also the Digital Marketing Manager at Veteran Project Manager Mentor Alliance (VPMMA), a non-profit that assists veterans and military spouses in gaining careers in project management.

Additionally, she is the Vice President of Fundraising for Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity at the University.

Lauryn aspires to work for an organization as a project manager and eventually create her own brand and startup company.

Lauryn currently lives in Seattle, WA

About Our Sponsor LurnAgile

LurnAgile is a Boutique, Woman Owned Small Business that delivers top quality Agile Certification courses and Agile Coaching. We are a Scaled Agile Silver Transformation Partner, which shows our clients that we have invested in and are committed to the Scaled Agile training standards and coach offerings.

Each of our team of Elite coaches/instructors have over 10 years of leading and coaching Agile Transformations in some of the largest Fortune 100 and 500 companies in the world. This means that your organization is learning from someone who has “been there and done that”.

All About Values: Markitors and PEAK Fleet E4

November 24, 2020 by Karen

All-About-Values-Markitors-and-PEAK-Fleet-feature

Phoenix Business Radio

All About Values: Markitors and PEAK Fleet E4

00:00 /

All About Values: Markitors and PEAK Fleet E4

This was an empowering conversation of two companies leading by example and continuing to grow through the pandemic. We seem to hear too many stories about companies not making it through the pandemic, but this is not that story. These two companies are taking advantage of the opportunity to grow and expand beyond their original coverage area as well as saving budget by supporting their staff working at home. Brian and Brett discuss values, communication with staff, growing culture, diversity on teams, and kindness not getting confused with weakness.

Are you growing a conscious company during a pandemic? Are you needing to take care of your stakeholders during this crazy time? Are you interested in developing your company’s core values? Are you interested in working with an SEO to help your company grow? Are you interested in conscious capitalism and how it aligns with your company?

All of these are great reasons to listen in!

The PEAK Fleet is in the business of organizational development. Their mission is to “Help organizations succeed by creating an engaged workforce that thrives together.”

A values-based company, The PEAK Fleet was founded on four values they believe essential to any organization: Persistence, Empathy, Authenticity and Kindness. These PEAK Values® are embedded in all of their offerings and guides the approach they take for each client engagement.

PEAK Fleet Co-Founder, Brian Stinson, brings a diverse background in engineering and people systems expertise.

During his 21 years at Intel, he learned to combine the science of data and analytics with the power of empathy and authentic relationships to effectively solve real-world business problems.

In his last role with the company, Brian was responsible for the Workforce Strategy for Intel’s 60 00-person worldwide IT organization. While in this role, he decided that the balance of his career would be dedicated to Organizational Development.

For Brian, launching The PEAK Fleet represented an opportunity to help the greatest number of organizations unlock their full potential.

Follow The PEAK Fleet on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Markitors is an SEO company for small businesses. Voted a Best Place to Work three years in a row, the mission of Markitors is to connect small businesses with customers, and have a good time doing it.

Brett Farmiloe is the Founder & CEO of Markitors, an SEO company for small businesses. He is a frequent contributor to Forbes, Business Journal, and more outlets on the topics of marketing, careers, and entrepreneurship.

He is also the Founder of Terkel, a knowledge platform the creates community-driven content featuring expert insights.

Connect with Brett on LinkedIn and follow Markitors on Twitter.

About Our People and Profit Co-Hosts

Sarah McCraren is an Arizona native with a strong sense of community. Sarah spent many years in the corporate finance world specializing in the operational analysis, measurement and accountability systems, project management and software implementations. However, Sarah wanted to do work which was meaningful and would positively impact her community.

She found that saving lives and reducing injuries through comprehensive safety programs fit that bill. Sarah currently leads the McCraren Compliance team by keeping everyone focused on their primary purpose, creating workplaces where we all watch out for each other, and balancing the needs of all their stakeholders.

Sarah serves on the Boards for Conscious Capitalism Arizona and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Tucson Chapter, and is also active with the Arizona Builders Alliance, Arizona Rock Products Association , Arizona Transportation Builders and Women in Mining Az.

Sarah McCraren
Part of an Awesome Team
www.McCrarenCompliance.com
Creating Workplaces Where We All Watch Out for Each Other

Jeremy Neis is an Investment Advisor with Retirement Evolutions and a small business operator fueled by the desire to enrich the life experience. He grew up in the Chicago area and chased the sun to get a degree at the University of Arizona in human and organizational communications. After doing so, he returned to Illinois where over the next 15 years he would find joy in co-launching and growing a technology solutions company and establishing a family.

In 2014 he returned to the desert to join his current venture, Retirement Evolutions, where his focuses are: (1) Conduct planning with individuals and families so that they can maximize the likelihood of leading secure and comfortable retirements. (2) Through the business services arm, Resourceful, empower business leaders to care for the people that they will rely upon to be thriving, sustainable organizations.

Jeremy is a proud contributor to the Conscious Capitalism movement as he views it as a powerful vehicle to bring about greater prosperity and reduced suffering for our human family. Over his career he has had the privilege to work closely with hundreds of different enterprises across many markets and industries. A common theme emerges among those firms that he’s seen excel and that is to be great not just with what they are bringing to market, but also with the manner in which they are doing so.

About Our Sponsor – Conscious Capitalism Arizona

Business has the potential to be a powerful force for good.

Free enterprise capitalism has served to lift more people out of poverty than any other socio-economic system ever conceived – empowering social cooperation, human progress, and elevating humanity.

Good business is the answer to many of the global issues that humankind is facing. This is what we will dive into on the show.

We are working to change the capitalism narrative by shining a bright light on good business – telling the stories of conscious Arizona companies and encouraging others to follow in their footsteps.

Electrifying: The Future of Vehicle Transportation and Mobility E8

November 24, 2020 by Karen

Electrifying-The-Future-of-Vehicle-Transportation-and-Mobility-Feature

AZ TechCast

Electrifying: The Future of Vehicle Transportation and Mobility E8

00:00 /

Electrifying: The Future of Vehicle Transportation and Mobility E8

Innovative companies are playing a significant role in enabling the growth of the state’s transportation electrification market and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. As technology for self-driving cars and electric vehicles become more advanced, concerns on infrastructure challenges abound.

Moderated by Phoenix Business Radio Owner & President Karen Nowicki, distinguished guests from Nikola Motor Company and the Arizona Commerce Authority shared their insight and expertise on the impact of modern transportation on communities, how the EV market is changing the automotive industry, the promise and pitfalls of autonomous driving, and the necessary infrastructure needed to bring it from sci-fi to total reality.

Think autonomous driving and electric vehicles are the future? Actually, they are the present and it’s electrifying!

Headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., Nikola Corporation (Nasdaq: NKLA) is a technology disruptor working to develop innovative energy and transportation solutions while paving the way for a zero emissions future.

A global leader in zero-emissions transportation systems is transforming the transportation industry, Nikola designs and manufactures battery-electric and hydrogen-electric vehicles, electric vehicle drivetrains, vehicle components, energy storage systems and hydrogen station infrastructure.

Founded in 2015, Nikola is driven to revolutionize the economic and environmental impact of commerce as we know it today.

Andrew Christian is the Vice President of Defense and Business Development at Nikola Motor Company. He believes in the principle of “inspiring passionate people to innovate so the team can move at the speed of trust.” Christian retired from the United States Marine Corps with over 28 years of active duty service as a prior enlisted Marine and Officer. Christian, a Marine Special Operations Officer and combat veteran, has leveraged the principles of leadership, discipline, accountability and resiliency learned in combat and applied down range for building high-performance teams in the business world.

Christian has been on 14 deployments during his Military career. In 2012, Christian reported to Coronado, California for duty with the Navy SEAL Command. In 2014, Major Christian was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and commanded 1st Marine Raider Battalion from 2015-2017.

He deployed to Iraq in 2016 and commanded a Special Operations Task Force of Marine Raiders, U.S Army Special Operations Forces, and Navy SEALS during the battle to take back Mosul from ISIS. Lieutenant Colonel Christian’s personal awards include the Navy Marine Corps Heroism Medal, Legion of Merit with Combat Valor device, two Bronze Star Medals with Combat Valor devices, two Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat Valor devices, the Combat Action Ribbon with four Gold Stars.

Christian earned a BS in Criminal Justice from Lacrosse University and is a graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He recently graduated from Stanford University Graduate School LEAD program with a focus on Corporate Innovation. He is a six-time Ironman Triathlon finisher, avid cyclist and mountaineer.

Follow Nikola Motor Company on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

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.

Dominic Papa is the Vice President of Smart State Initiatives at the Arizona Commerce Authority. In this role, Dominic leverages his expertise in emerging governance models and strategic partnerships to drive a broad portfolio of Smart State projects. In particular, he’s tasked with helping to lead the Institute for Automated Mobility (IAM).

Since coming to the ACA, Dominic has finalized MOUs to establish formal partnerships with the Greater Phoenix Smart Region Connective and the Southern Arizona Smart Region. Dominic also launched the Microsoft Imagine Academy Program for Vets, which provides veterans with digital skill certifications to prepare them for the 21st century digital economy.

Prior to the ACA, Dominic was Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Institute for Digital Progress (iDP), an innovation-driven, smart-city nonprofit. iDP provides the unified leadership structure to drive innovation through collaboration and empower governments with the mechanism to create, develop and deploy emerging technologies across jurisdictions, sectors and industries. iDP provides governments at all levels with tools, skills, and knowledge to leverage smart technologies together.

In 2016, Dominic built the Smart & Connected AZ Council, which provides cities with an “Innovation as a Service” model, a platform that allows local governments, private industry and academic research institutions to collaboratively design and develop new innovative technology pilots that advance solutions to public challenges, have a measurable impact, and the potential to scale. Within its first six months of operation, the Smart & Connected Council helped the region secure a $6 million DOT grant around congestion management technology.

Dominic founded iDP after working for two years with the city of Phoenix. Prior to the city, he worked for the Alliance for Innovation and ASU’s Center for Urban Innovation, where he worked hand in hand with city managers from across the county, helping them to challenge and transform their organizations in the midst of severe fiscal constraints. Prior to ASU, Dominic worked for the tech startup Integrate.

Dominic is currently a board member for the Phoenix Community Alliance and a member of the Phoenix Sister Cities Business Relations Committee. Dominic has a B.A. in Political Science and Italian, a M.A. in Public Administration, and a J.D. from the ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Follow Arizona Commerce Authority on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Show

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.

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan E14

November 24, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan E14

00:00 /

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan E14

Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast features entrepreneurs, local businesses, and community organizations to bring people together and foster collaboration in our community.

In this episode, host Kelly Lorenzen had the pleasure of featuring special guests Dena Patton, CEO of Dena Patton Coaching and Training, Marisa Benoit, Ph.D. Founder of Corinthian Spirit Consulting, and Suzanne McDonald, CEO of Angels & Insights, ROIinU, and Newport Interactive Marketing.

If you are looking for sales and marketing tips, entrepreneurship insights, and/or coaching for your business or college-age child, you won’t want to miss this episode of Collaborative Connections.

Here are a few of Kelly’s takeaways from the show…

1) Sales is different from marketing
2) Plan early and often whether it is for college, a new career, or growing your business
3) Work on your business, not just in it if you want to grow
4) Set short-term and long-term goals for schooling and in business
5) Hire people/Outsource for the things you are not good at
6) Stay in your brilliant lane to grow
7) Growing your network one of the keys to growing your business

For the past 20 years Dena Patton has been a leading coach and speaker on the topic of greatness mindset and business growth. Her unique Greatness Methodology has changed the lives of thousands of leaders who are building epic things they never dreamt were possible.

She focuses on working with business owners to take their sales, leadership and systems to new epic levels of success. She also coaches executive leaders in their mindset and leadership to help them elevate their results to become the leaders they were born to be.

When it comes to training programs she is the ‘un-corporate’ trainer who takes teams to NEW levels of communication, innovation and greatness. She is passionate about companies winning with their culture, their teams and their bottom line.

She opened her coaching and training company in 2001 in NYC and moved to Phoenix in 2002. Since then she has worked with clients from every industry from tech, hospitality, construction to education, including celebrities and top founders.

Dena Patton started her first business, a PR & marketing company serving the entertainment industry, at the age of 24 while she was living in New York City. In 1999 at the age of 27 she experienced a minor stroke, and during her recovery had to learn how to speak again.

In her year of recovery, Dena realized her calling was much bigger than her marketing company. So she sold her business to a start-up Internet company and became their Director of Marketing as she recovered. It was the first year of the internet and they built a community of 70,000 subscribers which has since become the #1 global leader in its industry. In 2001 she left that start-up to start her coaching and training company and has been helping people do epic things ever since.

She speaks about greatness mindset and leadership nationwide and has garnered 9 business awards and over 90 media stories including CNN, Entrepreneur magazine, First Women, NBC, and Business Journal.

Her book, The Greatness Game, hit #1 on Amazon Best Seller list which support people’s greatness mindset while pushing them out of their comfort zone to accomplish their biggest goals. She spends her extra time traveling with her family or helping her nonprofit The Girls Rule Foundation 501c3 that offers empowerment and leadership programs for teen girls.

Connect with Dena on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

ROIinU, a skills-packed, live-interactive course to guide aspiring digital marketing professionals to career success.

ROIinU enables more students to learn from experts and is built on the successes of the digital & social media courses Suzanne launched & taught at several universities as well as Angles & Insights’ Student-to-Employment program.

Listen to Learn from Suzanne’s podcasts, including: Digital Marketing Career Success: Experts Tips to Guide You Learn from experts to grow your career faster with fewer struggles. From job-searching to career growth, your success doesn’t have to be a mystery. Listen in for unique opportunities, insights & tips from top industry experts & more.

Hosted by former Boston Globe journalist and serial entrepreneur Suzanne McDonald, connect with a wide network of pros from the Interactive Marketing Insights podcast & beyond. Brought to you by ROIinU.com.

Suzanne McDonald improves lives: from her clients’ customers and colleagues to her students and vast network of expert partners.

As CEO of Angles & Insights, the former Boston Globe journalist and her team customize digital marketing solutions for brands, from solopreneur to corporate sales-marketing teams.

Suzanne also founded and curates Newport Interactive Marketing networking-learning community — bringing expert speakers’ insights to local businesses, agencies & nonprofits — and has developed & hosted 120+ in-person and virtual events, backed by an intern.

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

The transition between high school and college, and then college and joining the workforce or further education, can be difficult and it often feels like there isn’t an adequate roadmap.

Corinthian Spirit Consulting works with students and parents to develop a passage plan through these uncharted and often turbulent waters by focusing on clear communication of goals and accountability.

Using a personalized approach built on the Oxford model of tutorial teaching, Marisa Benoit works with students to develop time management, goal setting, writing and presentation skills, and improved communication. Building confidence and honing executive function skills equips students to successfully navigate through the challenges of higher education and life itself.

Corinthian Spirit Consulting has recently branched out to include translating expert knowledge into teachable material for online course design and delivery. Working with solopreneurs and small businesses, CSC identifies and bridges the gap between expert and novice in order to make subject expert knowledge teachable and accessible for students.

Marisa Benoit, Ph.D. grew up in a in a small town on the coast of Maine and attended Yale University, graduating with a B.A. with Honors in History in 2005. After Yale, she worked as an analyst and consultant for a healthcare company while saving for graduate school. She then moved to the U.K. to pursue her dream – a M.Sc. in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology and Ph.D. in the History of Medicine from Oxford University.

While at Oxford, she taught undergraduates and devoted much of her time to strengthening relationships between current Oxford students and alumni societies in Europe and North America.

Marisa has worked in different industries, but her true love is education and working with young people, which led her to start her own business, Corinthian Spirit Consulting. Her time at Oxford made her realize that she was interested in helping her students make a plan for ‘what’s next’, whether it was their first jobs or graduate school.

Learning from her personal educational journey and work history (always intertwined), she works with students to articulate their goals and make detailed plans about how to achieve them. A lifelong sailor, her own journey towards her goal of a Ph.D. included ‘shipping out’ for two years and living and working onboard yachts in between degrees. Marisa learned how to adapt and adjust to challenges along the way and make changes in her plan but not lose sight of the overall goal.

Connect with Marisa on LinkedIn.

About Collaborative Connections

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

About Our Sponsor

KLM 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.

Greg Ross with Four Peaks Brewing Company E17

November 23, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Greg Ross with Four Peaks Brewing Company E17

00:00 /

Greg Ross with Four Peaks Brewing Company E17

Four Peaks Brewing Co. is an Arizona brewery and restaurant that was founded by Andy Ingram, Jim Scussel, and Randy Schultz. The original and main location is in an old creamery and warehouse on 8th Street in Tempe, Arizona, about one-half mile (800 m) east of the campus of Arizona State University.

Four Peaks has gained nationwide fame in recent years as a result of earning numerous awards at the annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

Greg Ross is an experienced Sales and Brand Director with a demonstrated history of effectively connecting new consumers and wholesalers with a nationally recognized brand in both established home and expansion markets.

Skilled in Advertising, Media Planning, Budgeting, Wholesaler Integration, Event Management, Brand Positioning and Public Relations as well as using value added selling techniques to acquire new distribution and programs in National Accounts.

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn.

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.

E67 Learning from the ProjectManager.com Success Story

November 23, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

E67 Learning from the ProjectManager.com Success Story

00:00 / 58:33

E67 Learning from the ProjectManager.com Success Story

Have you thought about starting up a Project Management SaaS company? Are you curious about how to leverage your experience as a Project Manager to solve technology problems? In this episode we hear from Jason Westland who is the CEO of ProjectManager.com.

Jason founded the award-winning business ProjectManager.com, a SaaS product that is used in over 100 countries by organizations like NASA and The United Nations. He shares his origin story how a lunch break in a industry conference jump started his idea to become a reality. We learn the many lessons learned and risks he has worked through building the company to the success it is today.

His journey includes time in France, New Zealand and eventually the US. Jason shares the importance of listening to your customer and having a Board to advise and keep you focused on your targets. We also hear about the ProjectManager.com features and complimentary content they provide to assist PMs.

Founded in 2008 ProjectManager.com offers advanced level project management features with a simple-to-use interface that requires no training for teams and no expensive consultant onboarding costs. ProjectManager.com is used by IT, marketing, manufacturing and professional services teams in many industries to collaborate on projects in their organizations.

Thanks to our sponsor THE PMO SQUAD. Visit www.thepmosquad.com learn more about the premier PMO consulting firm in the US. Utilize our industry leading services such as PMOaaS, Purpose Driven PMO, PM & Agile resources and training.

Check out all prior episodes and upcoming guests by visiting www.projectmanagementofficehours.com.

ProjectManager.com is an award-winning, online project management software.

They started out in 2008 with the goal of helping project managers ensure their projects stay on track. Within just 12 months of going live, NASA and the United Nations were using their service, and now more than 20,000 managers and teams in 101 countries use it daily.

ProjectManager.com offers advanced level project management features with a simple-to-use interface that requires no training for teams and no expensive consultant onboarding costs. ProjectManager.com is used by IT, marketing, manufacturing and professional services teams in many industries to collaborate on projects in their organizations.

Jason Westland is a successful entrepreneur and subject matter expert in project management. He has successfully managed hundreds of projects in Europe and Asia Pacific, and now specializes in Online Project Management. He is known for his software suite, published books and methodologies.

Jason founded the award-winning business ProjectManager.com, a SaaS product that is used in over 100 countries by organizations like NASA and The United Nations.

Prior to this, he founded Method123.com and MPMM.com which grew to over 1 million customers before being acquired by a US consulting company in 2012.

He is the author of the best-selling book, The Project Management Life Cycle and he writes a regular newsletter which is read by 320,000 industry professionals around the World.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn and follow ProjectManager.com on 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.

Tax Traps E27

November 22, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Tax Traps E27

00:00 /

Tax Traps E27

Lawgitimate – Tax Traps covered a lot of great information for business owners. The Tax Goddess and Arizona Tax Advisors provided a lot of excellent information for everyone in every stage of business.

If you want to know about tax traps, tax planning, strategies, and more check out this episode.

Arizona Tax Advisors is a locally owned and operated accounting firm specializing in small business and individual accounting, tax and bookkeeping services. They take time with clients to learn each unique situation so they can ensure the best possible results. They guide clients through ever-changing tax laws to educate, and they identify strategies to minimize tax liability. And yes, they prepare tax returns of all types.

From start-ups to established enterprises, businesses rely on accurate and insightful financial information in order to maintain profitability. Arizona Tax Advisors reviews and analyzes financial statements and not only shares that information with their clients, but where needed, educates clients so they can better understand and grow their business.

They aren’t just accounting and bookkeeping, they take pride in watching clients grow and succeed. They can help with monthly bookkeeping services, setting up initial accounting systems, cost-containment, tax planning, cash flow budgeting and forecasting.

At Arizona Tax Advisors it is never just about the numbers, but about how they can help each client, through services and education, achieve their dreams of financial success.

Suzy Greenwood has 30 years of business and management experience. Her career has been focused on customer service including creative problem-solving, training, daily operations, and financial management.

She is dedicated to helping individuals and small businesses grow and succeed with best practices including tracking and reporting accurate numbers. Suzy regularly speaks to groups about the impact of the new tax laws on individuals and small businesses. She originated a seminar series, PROJECT: BUSINESS, specific to the needs of small businesses.

Suzy was a nominee for the 2019 Tempe Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year, 2019/20 chair of the Women in Business Council, and 2018/19 chair of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. Suzy was the 2019 recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves as Treasurer on their Board of Directors.

Suzy also serves on the Tempe Family YMCA Advisory Board. She brings her experience in business and community to every presentation.

Connect with Suzy on LinkedIn and follow Arizona Tax Advisors on Facebook and Twitter.

What most taxpayers don’t realize is that their CPA or accountant is a compliance accountant: They take the information you give them and put it in the right boxes on the right forms. As CTCs’ – Certified Strategic Tax Coaches and CPAs, Tax Goddess has received specialized training in the areas of the tax code that can be leveraged to your advantage to lower your taxes and save you money.

Tax Goddess analyzes your financial picture, including past tax returns, business activities, and investment goals to pinpoint which portions of the 67,204 pages of the IRS tax code can be used to your advantage. With over $312 million in tax savings for their clients so far Tax Goddess is ranked in the top 3 in the country for Tax Strategy specialist firms.

Shauna A. Wekherlien, CPA, MTax, CTC, CTS is the owner of Tax Goddess Business Services, PC. She is a Certified Public Accountant (AZ), has her Master’s Degree in Taxation from Arizona State University, and is one of the elite Certified Tax Coaches in the USA (1 of just 5 in Arizona). As a Certified Tax Coach, Shauna is trained to lower your taxes to the bare legal minimum and is in the top 1% of Tax Strategists in the country.

Shauna is an author, speaker, investor, and a highly sought-after tax strategist whose reputation has been built on 20+ years of experience and implementing innovative tax solutions for individuals and businesses.

Shauna has been featured on many news and radio stations (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, Sonoran Living, The List, KFNX, KFYI, etc.) as well as in many written publications (CNNMoney, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix Women, AZBiz, etc). She has won multiple awards for her ingenuity, leadership, and strength as a female leader in Arizona.

Active in the Scottsdale community, Shauna sits on Boards for professional organizations, as well as donates time and resources to the local Arizona animal shelters and societies. She is an educational Tax Professional who loves to see the light bulb turn on for those she teaches, mentors, and guides. She truly is a “Tax Goddess.”

Shauna’s background is in:

– High Wealth Financial Planning Management (KPMG),
– Business Tax Strategy and Planning (American Express – Tax & Business Services), and
– Wealth Transfer and Business Entity Strategy.

Her areas of expertise include:

– Tax structures and partnerships / S-corporations (How to Setup, Deal with, and Operate S-Corps, Partnerships, Sole Proprietorships, and C-Corps)
– Cash flow / entity fund management (Making sure your bottom line is as high as possible!)
– Real Estate Transactions (Foreclosures, Short Sales, Investing, Fix & Flips, Real Estate Professional Status)
– LLC management (Determining how to move money between entities for the minimum tax owed or largest refund possible!)

She speaks a little bit of Spanish, loves to travel, and has 3 dogs, Mavi (shy one), Shade (the baby), Eos (the destroyer of water sprinklers!) who are her favorite little “monsters.”

Follow Tax Goddess on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Your Lawgitimate Hosts

Rochelle Poulton is an attorney and owner of X Firm LLC. Rochelle has been helping people with Credit and Debt issues since 2012, owns several small businesses, and has nearly 20 years of real estate experience.

Rochelle created Lawgitimate to bring in a network of awesome people to raise awareness and educate people about the litany of legal issues she faces everyday at X Firm LLC.

Connect with Rochelle on Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram.

Mike Poulton, with Poulton & Noroian, draws on his knowledge and experience in other fields to serve his clients. As an experienced science researcher, Mike understands technical issues that many other attorneys cannot, and applies that knowledge for his clients’ benefit. His construction management experience also provides him with a broad knowledge base not only in construction law, but also in regulatory compliance, worker safety, and negotiation.

Michael is licensed to practice law in Arizona and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Federal District Courts in Arizona.

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

About X Firm PLLC

We help clients improve their financial lives through strategic financial transaction planning. Whether you want to buy a car, a home, or a building, X Firm can help you reach your goals in 3 easy steps.

We are small but mighty and love helping people get back on track financially. Learn more about us at XFirmLaw.com.

Tisha Pelletier with Tisha Marie Enterprises and Joseph Rosales with The Performance Group of Arizona

November 21, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Tisha Pelletier with Tisha Marie Enterprises and Joseph Rosales with The Performance Group of Arizona

00:00 /

Tisha Pelletier with Tisha Marie Enterprises and Joseph Rosales with The Performance Group of Arizona

Tisha Marie Enterprises, LLC empowers entrepreneurs to make their vision happen through business mentoring, startup business grants, personal brand building, live events, live streams, podcasts and professional speaking engagements.

Dubbed the “authentic girl with a touch of badass,” Tisha Marie Pelletier brings her infectious energy every time through her storytelling and powerful tips on and offline.

She has served as an emcee and speaker on numerous stages as well as on her platform hosting the Success over Struggle™ live panel and podcast.

In addition to professional speaking, Tisha is the Chief Experience Officer of Tisha Marie Enterprises, a personal brand builder, founder of Social Connect PHX, business mentor, author and mama of two. Nothing gives her more satisfaction than helping and seeing individuals launch their brilliant ideas and go for it!

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

The Performance Group of Arizona is a business consulting and coaching firm specializing in the development of high performance leaders, managers and teams.

Joseph Rosales is the Founder and CEO and has provided services in over 26 countries and is a highly sought after consultant, coach and mentor.