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Perla Tamez Casasnovas With The Latina Empire

June 22, 2022 by Jacob Lapera

Atlanta Business Radio

Perla Tamez Casasnovas With The Latina Empire

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Perla Tamez Casasnovas, Founder at The Latina Empire

Perla’s story begins in Hidalgo, TX, born and raised by immigrant parents. Their lessons of hard work and dedication were ingrained in her from a very young age, leading her to found her first company at the young age of 21. Today, Perla Tamez Casasnovas is a visionary serial entrepreneur and licensed speech therapist. After creating 19 companies in 11 industries, she has generated over nine digits of revenue through her businesses. Perla combines her passion for business and philanthropy in her pediatric clinics and advocacy for children’s rights and health policies.

In 2020 she joined forces with the We Are All Humans Foundation, becoming the director of community operations of a team of leaders in the U.S. who impacted over 400,000 families and distributed over $7 Million in household products. Over the past decade, Perla has dedicated her life to inspiring others to unleash their true potential.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas has always had a heart for entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Her desire to help others has been the energy behind her newest start-ups, one of which is a non-profit, Love Soldiers Foundation, to help non-profits be efficient in their operations and be of most impact with their funds.

The second mission, Latina Empire, is a business model focused on assisting women to reach new heights continuously. The main focus is on accountability and community, with a culture that gives back to society to create sustainable change within their communities.

Connect with Perla on LinkedIn and follow The Latina Empire on Facebook.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

The Latina Empire
Specific programs to help women
Networking is a powerful part of The Latina Empire
Madrinas and socias

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio brought to you by on pay Atlanta’s new standard in payroll. Now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:24] Lee Kantor are here. Another episode of Atlanta Business Radio. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor on pay. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. Today on the Atlanta Business Radio, we have Perla Tamez with the Latina Empire. Welcome.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:00:42] Hi. How are you doing? Good to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] I am doing well. I’m so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about the Latina empire. How are you serving folks?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:00:51] Yeah. So Latina Empire is a programs for personal growth and business development with holistic support created for today’s women.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:00] So what’s your back story? How’d you get involved in this line of work?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:01:05] Well, I’m a speech therapist by trade. I’ve been in the health care industry for going on 15 years. Became very successful at a very young age. Became successful since I was 24 years old and rode the the the the roses of being successful until I suffered an emotional downfall myself due to a divorce, due to being egotistical and being aggressive, etc. and lost myself. And so after that, I decided to leap on the journey of transformation and healing from the heart, which is where all the pain stems from. And after that I found out that there was just so many women that need this kind of help.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:56] So when you were younger, the being successful in business part came pretty quickly and easily for you. You were able to achieve a high level of success, fairly young in your career, but at some point you realize that, you know, either enough is enough or or what does this really mean? Like it was kind of a an epiphany for you that like, why am I doing all this if I’m not feeling great?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:02:24] Yeah. I mean, there’s nothing that will cure your emotional pain that can be bought with money. And so I try to to throw money at the solution, at the problem to see if that could be the solution. Spending money, buying purses, buying shoes, going here, traveling there. And that was not making me feel better. As a matter of fact, it would make me feel even worse. And so the healing really, really has to start from the heart and it has to be transformation that you leaping to yourself. It’s hard work.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:03] So now so when you have this kind of moment where you’re like, okay, I have to change some behaviors here, this is what got me here is not working anymore. I have to heal. I have to go about the process of maybe reprioritizing certain things. What was the catalyst to saying, you know what, let me build a community for others that might be suffering in the same way I am.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:03:29] So when I recognized my story and I was able to speak about it freely after being super successful and very strong and very entrepreneurial, I went to the lows of sabotaging myself and dealing with accepting more than dealing with accepting emotional, emotional abuse, physical abuse and mental abuse. And so when I was there and I was able to heal and talk about my story now that I had recognized that it had been my fault and my responsibility and I allowed myself to fall into that, I was able to talk about my story. And when I was invited into several stages around the world to speak about the story, a woman would come up to me and say, Oh my God, I’m going through the same thing. How do I get out of there? Right? How do I do this? How do I learn? And so that led me to create programs that are based on heart and mind and money with the transformation for women.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:36] Now, in these programs, you mentioned heart, mind and money. Is there an order of things? Do you have to get the the heart right or the mind right or the money right? Like what has to happen first? Or does it matter as long as you get to all three?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:04:50] No, no, no. You have to heal your heart to challenge your mind and then fill your pockets. And so everything starts with the route of where you are with your heart. You can have a lot of money and be super broken in your heart and whatever you have and whatever you are championing and doing, probably not fulfilling you at all because you’re broken at your heart. And so it is extremely important to always be checking in your mindfulness, your peace, and your emotions. Your emotions. You have to constantly be managing emotions and flushing out the bad ones because emotions build on top of each other, believe it or not. And they cause trauma and they cause pain and they alter your decision making and they alter the way of the perspective that you’re seeing life at that moment. And so right now, with how the world is and things that have been trending high suicide rates, high opiate abuse, high drug abuse, shootings, etc., that’s because those people are sick from their heart. And that’s when you carry a baggage of bad emotions that have just taken you to to an emotional downfall. And if you don’t cure them, if you don’t flush them, if you don’t manage them, they will take you down a very black path.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:13] Now, what do you tell the person that might be caught up in the trappings of success? And it may be in a similar way that you were you were checking every box. If somebody from the outside was looking at you, they were going, oh, look, nice car, nice clothes, travels all over the place in a relationship. She’s everything is going her way. There is if you look at you kind of superficially from the outside at that age, you were probably no one would have a clue that trouble was brewing. How do you help that person have the self-awareness when the world sees you as super successful in having everything, when in reality you might be, you know, on the razor’s edge here?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:06:57] Yeah. You have to be very mindful and very aware. When I was going through the worst times of my life, I was also being recognized by the Small Business Administration Bureau and Congress as the most successful entrepreneur below the age of 30 and five states. And I was in an emotional rut. And so at that time I’m like, Oh, I’m super successful. Everything is okay. I didn’t want to recognize how bad. I really was in my heart, right, until I was already on the floor and shattered into pieces. And so when you are at success, at the helm of success, you just have to learn to be mindful of your feelings and have a heart check emotionally once a month. And there’s there’s there’s techniques that help you do that. Right? Personal assessments, meditation, there’s a lot of holistic therapies that help you find out. Right. And the answers will come within you. You you you live with that every single day. And so success, noise, life, social status, parties, etc., that’s just distractions, things that distract you from checking into where you really are. And are you committed to your purpose? Are you doing what you love or are you tuned in to the noise and you really don’t want to hear? You can’t hear silence because then your mind speaks to you. And so what do you do? You just focus more on the noise. And so it’s about being mindful of where you are truly and honest within yourself.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:35] Now, how does but there has to be some kind of symptoms. I’m out here and I’m hustling and I’m making things happen and it’s go, go, go. And you know, you’re saying, okay, take a moment, meditate, be mindful. I’m busy, I got things to do. I got things that are happening all around me. And there’s always one more, you know, one more text, one more, you know, call to make. There’s always something else that has to be done. Are there symptoms that I could see to myself that I can’t hide for myself anymore? Are there things that are happening in my world that I maybe have have not kind of put I have not emphasized when in reality I should be emphasizing that that that it’s a clue that there’s a, you know, a train about to hit me. Are there things that I should be paying attention to that maybe I am not saying, hey, this is important when I should be saying, hey, this is super important.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:09:34] Yeah, definitely. When you get easily frustrated, when you get upset at things that you usually didn’t get upset at, when people from your team are calling you for help and you’re like, All these people are stupid. And so when you’re just so involved with your ego that then you just start feeling like you easily get betrayed. Nobody understands you. Nobody listens. And you start, really. Putting yourself in a glass case because you’re untouchable. Those are the symptoms that usually come with success and they are not normal things of success. We are led to believe that you do have to work in silos. You have to be defensive, you have to be extremely protective because somebody is going to come and affect you. Right. It’s not that those are usually the symptoms that come with success that indicate that you are emotionally withdrawn and usually the way it should be. Success should be liberating, empowering and resourceful. And when you are at the helm of success, making tons of money, being super successful, you want to share the abundance of that peace, joy and empowerment and freedom to financial success. That’s when you check in. And if you feel like that, that’s where you’re making money and you’re happy at your heart. But if you’re making money and you feel frustrated, annoyed, deterred, aggressive, hateful, meaningful, that that’s those are symptoms that you are making money. Cool. Congratulations. But you are sick in your heart.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:26] That’s a great point. There’s the saying that someone told me a while ago. They said that if every day you’re you if if you go about your day and then something bad happened, you go, oh, that person was a jerk. Then that person was a jerk. But if every day someone’s a jerk, you might be the jerk.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:11:47] Correct? 1,000%.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:50] So that’s great advice and that’s a great lesson for the listeners. Now, how do people plug into the Latina empire? Is this something that is a national organization or is it a local organization? How do people kind of plug in to the community so they can learn and kind of be the best selves they can be?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:12:09] Yeah, well, we’re an international we’ve we’ve launched nationally two months ago. We already have seven established chapters around the country L.A., Denver, Chicago, Houston, McAllen, Atlanta, Miami, New York. And they can definitely visit us on our social media pages, the Latina Empire or our website, the Latina and Viacom. Give us a call. We have a one 800 number. We have an email. My email is Perla at Latina Empire dot com. Reach out. Reach out. We’ll tell you about our programs and we’ll tell you how we’re here to help you heal your mind, to heal your heart, to challenge your mind and fill your pockets.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:56] So what are some of the activities that happen? Once I, I go to the website, I connect with you, I join what what are some of the things I can expect?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:13:06] Well, we we have different platforms that are intended to meet the women where they need. Right. So we have five jeweled programs that are based on heart, mind and money that you start with healing the heart programs. And those are programs that travel across the empires on a monthly basis. So you can sign up, take one of the programs and start your healing process. We have another platform called the Lounge. The lounge is a virtual platform that you pay a monthly membership and you have access to life courses that are going to be that are available there and or prerecorded courses that serve as resources to to take right and take notes and learn. We also have weak monthly get togethers that those are called the motherhood, like the sisterhood, where they get together in a location, they come, they take some cocktails, they have fun, they meet different ladies from their city, and they also enjoy a panel discussion on a certain topic depending on that month. And then we have the coaches lounge. Where the coaches lounge is, all of the coaches that do different kind of healing offer different therapies, and you can virtually contact them. You’ll be able to see their menu, their bio, their services, what they charge, what they do. And you can book them on the platform and start in your journey of holistic services that maybe you don’t know where out there in existence that could help you in your healing journey.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:37] So there’s stuff that’s in person, there’s stuff that’s virtual, there’s education, there’s networking. You’re trying to cover the whole gamut of anything that a successful woman would benefit from.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:14:49] Yes, definitely.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:51] And so what do you need more of? How can we help?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:14:54] Oh, we need to be we need to be heard and valued. And we want this message to carry across the continents. Around the world, because if we want a better future and we want healthy kids and teens and adults of tomorrow, we need to start with healing ourselves. We can give what we don’t have. And so we welcome everybody that needs help, that needs healing, that needs a coach, that needs a mentor and needs direction. We are here to get you started on that journey.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:26] So the folks that are in those local markets that you describe, they can join as members. Are you also recruiting kind of people in other markets to be the leaders in those markets?

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:15:37] Yes, I look for partners and other leaders, partners that obtain a territory from us and get the formation and the training so that they can be that person that brings the community of women together and help them have these resources accessible to them. We we are currently looking for leaders and other cities that are already leading communities to whom we can add value with our programs.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:06] Good stuff. Well, congratulations on all the success. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:16:11] Thank you so much. I appreciate the time on your show. Wish you all the best of luck. And listeners out there join with the Latina empire.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:18] And its the Latina empire dot com to learn more.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:16:22] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:23] All right. Well, thank you again for sharing your story.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas: [00:16:26] Thank you. Take care.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:27] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back next week with another episode of Atlanta Business Radio.

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Sarah Peck With AEVEX Aerospace

June 20, 2022 by Jacob Lapera

Association Leadership Radio

Sarah Peck With AEVEX Aerospace

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Sarah Peck, LSSGB, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Head of Talent Acquisition at AEVEX Aerospace

Sarah Peck is the Head of Talent Acquisition for AEVEX Aerospace where she leads a virtual, geographically dispersed team of Talent Acquisition professionals. Sarah has built the TA function at AEVEX from the ground up, incorporating six new companies from M&A activities that touch roles on five continents.

A big proponent of using data and analytics in recruiting, Sarah will graduate from University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management this fall with an MBA in Business Analytics. Sarah volunteers as the VP of Programs for San Diego Society for Human Resource Management and has served on the Association for Talent Acquisition Professional’s Content Council, contributing to ATAP’s News You Can Use newsletter since 2020. Sarah currently serves on the ATAP Board of Directors for FY 2022-2025.

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

Joining a board – interview best practices
Best practices for assuming a new role on a board
Time management for your board responsibilities

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:02] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Association Leadership Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:17] Lee Kantor here another episode of Association Leadership Radio, and this is going to be a fun one. Today on the show, we have Sarah Peck With AEVEX Aerospace. Welcome, Sarah.

Sarah Peck: [00:00:29] Hello. Glad to be joining you, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:31] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to, but before we get too far into things, tell us about ABC’s. How are you serving folks?

Sarah Peck: [00:00:37] So this is a full service, full spectrum, ISR provider, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. And I know that sounds a little scary, but just so you know, we’re doing some good work helping the folks out in Ukraine. Our why is empowering people to make the world a safer place. And we really are committed to supporting folks on the ground, whether they be a Department of Defense contractors or US or foreign military elements. We do some really great work. We save lives. A lot of that I can’t talk about. But yeah, we’re, we’re I’m super pumped about our mission, our people. It’s a really great place to be.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:20] Now, as the head of talent acquisition, you probably have a bunch of challenges just in that job. Can you talk a little bit about your work there? Is it difficult to find folks?

Sarah Peck: [00:01:33] It can be. It can be uniquely challenging. But one of the real resources we’ve tapped into and you probably hear talent acquisition folks talk about this all the time, but a strong referral network is really the way to go. A lot of our folks, I want to say about 70% of our company is veterans, military, male spouses. And so we have a good network within the Department of Defense and within the military helping folks transition out of the military. In terms of diversity metrics. The military is a great place to go for diversity. I mean, you have LGBTQIA plus you have different races, different neurological NEURODIVERSE You have a lot of disabled folks who get out anywhere from 10% to 100% disabled via the VA. And so you really do tap into a very diverse network of people. And as I’m sure you’ve all heard, the companies that hire diverse traditionally outperform the companies who do not, and it’s made for a very robust workforce.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:45] Now, what’s your back story? How did you get involved in this line of work?

Sarah Peck: [00:02:50] I’ve been in talent acquisition for, gosh, about eight years now and I was in sales beforehand, which is everybody jokes about talent acquisition. You kind of fall into it accidentally. One of the routes to talent acquisition is via sales because a lot of the traits carry over. And I came to AV X and worked my way up into a position of leadership and it’s been incredibly fulfilling.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:20] Now, any advice for the talent that’s out there to be found by people like you? Is there anything they could be doing that helps them stand out or maybe get identified as somebody worth getting to know better?

Sarah Peck: [00:03:36] Well, I want to call out an example of an intern who had applied to one of our internships. Our internships are highly contested. This particular one was in San Diego for software engineering or mechanical engineering, I’m sorry. And we had over 300 applicants and the VP in charge was just too tightly bound by his schedule. He wasn’t getting interviews in. And one gentleman, Tomas, had followed up with me on LinkedIn, and he was literally the only person who had messaged me on LinkedIn out of the entire candidate pool. And I told him, I’m sorry, we’ve got an unresponsive hiring manager. And just when I thought the position was closed, we have literally closed it out. It was off the books. He messaged me again and he said, Hey, any updates? And I said, You know what? I like this kid. I looked at his resume. It looked good. I forwarded his LinkedIn profile to to the VP in question and he said, Yeah, I’m going to interview him tomorrow at 9 a.m.. Set it up. He was hired by the end of the day. Now we have an intern where it would have gone unfilled. This happens more than you think, where people will reach out on LinkedIn or via email or however. And just the squeaky wheels, man, they just get the grease. Because if you have the guts, especially as a 20 something intern coming out of college, to really step up and make those connections, I mean, it really goes a long way because someone like me will be an advocate for someone like Tom. Was because I saw he had the initiative. I saw he had the drive. We’re very pleased with him. He’s already started. And I just I honestly think if more people took the initiative to reach out to the recruiter who’s hiring or to someone like me, I think they’d get a lot further.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:34] Yeah, I agree 100%. I think it’s one of those things where people think that just applying is enough.

Sarah Peck: [00:05:41] And enough.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:42] And then just but. And you like you said, one out of 300 followed up on LinkedIn. I mean.

Sarah Peck: [00:05:49] Yeah, yeah. Over 300. Right. Literally, literally. He was the only one who took the time not only to send the initial message, but then not to get discouraged by a lack of response. Like I responded to him and said, I’m sorry, this is not even on this guy’s radar right now. And then he followed up two months later and he was like, By the way, I’m still available. Is there any way? And I said, You know what? Maybe there is. And honestly, if there were a host of other people who had followed up who probably would have gotten the job before him, but because they didn’t take that extra step of following up, but he did. He got the job and now he’s flourishing. And, you know, it just goes to show that little extra something that shows your worthwhile will go a long way with an employer.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:41] Yeah, I think that and it’s and it’s so funny, it’s not even that it’s that strenuous of an activity to do that. Right.

Sarah Peck: [00:06:51] It was it was a two line email and I accepted his email. And, you know, I can’t help everyone who reaches out to me. Sometimes they reach out about jobs that are already closed or we have an internal candidate or maybe they’re just not in the running. But for something like this, especially with these high volume situations, if you’re applying for an executive assistant role or reception role or one of these roles where there are a lot of junior level applicants and they’re all willing to take the job, you know, setting yourself apart and really taking that extra initiative and step to reach out to somebody with maybe a little bit of a scary title like head of talent acquisition, like he did not hold back. And I have the utmost respect for that because that just shows a lot of initiative.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:40] Now, is there any kind of advice you can give folks that are because a lot of organizations are relying on data and automation to go through the candidates, is there anything that a candidate could do to leverage that same data and analytics to work in their favor?

Sarah Peck: [00:07:58] So there is kind of a life hack that I like to tell people about. And what you do is you pull up their job description and this involves extra work. This is not one of those just click a million buttons and apply to 100 jobs. This is when you want to apply to five in a day, but you want them to be quality applications. So first you take the job description and then I tell people literally plagiarize, pull the bullets out, put it in your resume if in fact you can back that information up. So let’s say it says 2 to 3 years of experience with software engineering. You go in there and then copy and paste it in and then put whatever your number is, two years of experience with software engineering and then if it says something like must know C++, put in your resume. I know C++ and I mean literally go line by line because when there are axes and we don’t use these because we’re small enough, but with some of these big companies, if you’re applying to a Bank of America or a FedEx, what you want to do is as closely resemble your resume to their job description because they’re going to pick up the ATS is going to automatically pick up on all these skills and keywords, and it’s going to provide a match score of some sort.

Sarah Peck: [00:09:20] And it really helps you beat the system. Honestly, though, with those big companies, I still advise they may be getting 1000 applicants. The ATS may get rid of half of them. You’ve still got a recruiter who’s tasked with going through the remainder. Set yourself apart. Reach out to the recruiter, do some research on LinkedIn, figure out how to get a hold of them, and then do it and look, pull up the company, search for an org chart. You know, do what you have to do because it’s the out of the box thinker is the ultimate will ultimately make their way through the hiring process. And unless you’re in a super niche role like for example, we have certain intel analysts roles where you have to have a full scope polygraph and you have to have like 25 years of experience. Those people know who they are. They know everybody wants them. They can just show up and. The job is theirs. But for for someone who’s maybe trying to break in, someone who graduated in 2022 or 2021, 2020. You want to you’re trying to break into a very competitive market, even though there are a lot of jobs. So you have to differentiate yourself.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:34] Now in your career, have you been active in associations and taken leadership roles?

Sarah Peck: [00:10:40] I have, yes. Going back as far as 2008, I was with the Junior League of Fresno for several years there and I was on the board, did some good work with them. And then since about November, because I kind of took over early because some pre planning hadn’t been done, but basically for 2022, I am the VP of Programs for San Diego Society for Human Resource Management. And then as a march, I want to say March of 2022, I’ve taken over a three year stint as a board member for the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:28] Now, that kind of work, joining the board, volunteering, taking leadership roles, it seems like, Wow, I’ve got so much to do. Do I have to do that too? But I just find that those are the people who take those roles, are the ones that are thriving. And they’re they’re rarely kind of unemployed. They’re somebody who wants them on their team because they’re showing leadership. They’re demonstrating this. Is that been the case for you? Where where that kind of work has kind of it pays off in ways that maybe you can even anticipate.

Sarah Peck: [00:11:59] Dividends in ways you wouldn’t even imagine. For example, my work with the Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals, I’ll be honest, I don’t even know how I got on the board. I interviewed apparently I did well, and then I beat someone out in a vote, and for whatever reason, I found my way onto this board. And it is a board of some of the most intelligent, experienced, powerful people in talent acquisition. We have people who run their own companies. We have people who are VP head of talent acquisition for isms. We’ve got the VP head of talent acquisition for Ford. We’ve we’ve got some real high fliers there. And I’m kind of the little fish in a really occupied pond, if you will. But one of the only reason I bring all of that up is to say that I now have access to these key decision makers with all of this wealth of knowledge. And I have benefited so much just from my association with them. I have so much more knowledge. I switched my ATS in December of 2019, early 2020, and I realized from being around these folks, I did it all wrong. And I think a lot of us don’t have the opportunity for exposure to these really strong minds because we don’t necessarily have the opportunity to be on a phone call with them and pick their brain. And I think one of the biggest benefits of association leadership is getting around the cream of the crop, the people who are giving back, the people who have worked their way up.

Sarah Peck: [00:13:45] And if you’re someone who’s more junior, that’s not necessarily a barrier to entry, because if you show the willingness to volunteer, you prove yourself on a committee level. Quite often they’ll move you up into a leadership role. And frankly, I mean, it does wonders for your career and it’s a résumé builder. I haven’t looked for a job in almost four years now, but when the time comes, it serves as a really good reference point for my skill set because I’m approving a pal, I’m looking at historical data, I’m building content, I’m helping with membership drives. There’s there’s a lot of different things that goes into this. And then within my role with San Diego, Sherm, I’m know because I’m the VP of Programs, I’m meeting all of these great speakers to line them up for our breakfast programs. And so I’m talking to CEOs, I’m talking to authors, people who have written books. Some of them are both. It’s just really great connections. And God forbid, let’s say my company was acquired by another company and my role was eliminated. I guarantee you within two weeks I’d have, if not another job already, I’d be well into the interview process because I have a lot of resources in terms of my network.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:05] And another thing is that even in your work, if you had a question or a challenge or something came up that you didn’t know, you now have, you know, the movers and shakers that can. Say, Yeah, I’ve had that happen to me and I can hear some recommendations.

Sarah Peck: [00:15:19] Oh, God, completely. They will point you in the right direction, both at a tap. I’ve gotten some really good references. I mean, really good references to software, to just methods to approach recruitment, to managing a team, to managing up to leadership, how to talk to people in the C-suite. I mean, there’s just a lot of benefit I’ve derived from the overall experience, and it’s not all about me. I’m doing it to give back. I don’t have kids like I’m very understanding. Fiance It’s okay if I spend a few hours a month on, you know, on conference calls for board meetings and then some extra work on the weekends doing whatever activities and things that we have going. But really, for what I put into it, I would say I definitely derive exponential value compared to what I put in.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:17] Now, any advice, you know, maybe from a time management standpoint that you can share, it sounds like you’re good at juggling a lot of things.

Sarah Peck: [00:16:25] Yeah. So just setting boundaries around what times are available. I made sure that I found out right up front when all of the board meetings were held and they were scheduled consistently on the same days of the month. And so just making sure folks understood that that was kind of sacred time, that needs to be devoted to the meetings. I mean, obviously, if there’s an emergency, I can get out of the meeting, but I really prefer not to also just really setting aside a few hours or just maybe even an hour every day to just sit down and look at my responsibilities, see if there’s anything I can be working on, send emails, communicate with the people I need to be in communication with. Honestly, I find it’s a lot of sending emails and then grabbing quick meetings here and there. It’s not a huge time commitment, but it’s meaningful work.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:20] Yeah, and if you know in advance, it’s kind of easy to block the time and just kind of account for it.

Sarah Peck: [00:17:26] Don’t do a lot of last minute stuff with my organizations. Usually it’s well thought out in advance and we’re very, very fortunate to have executive association leaders helping us out for San Diego. Sherm, we have Emily Mullen. She is very, very capable. She does an excellent job as executive director. And then we have Kristin LeBlanc for Atap. And she’s just a powerhouse. They’re both very dynamic women who just keep us on track, keep us honest, help us rein ourselves in. If we’re having too many ideas all at once and maybe it’s not actionable. So they really are. They they’re practitioners and they walk a fine line between bossing us around and accommodating us completely. So I don’t know how they do it. Honestly, I couldn’t do that role, but they do one heck of a job.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:22] Now, any advice for folks that were maybe in your shoes? The young person that assumed a role on a board was there like kind of a 30 day, 90 day plan that you had that allowed you to kind of ease into the role and not feel overwhelmed or even, you know, have some of that. Sometimes people have that imposter syndrome.

Sarah Peck: [00:18:44] Yeah. And there’s a little bit of that. I tend to be a very strong, decisive personality. But when I don’t know my environment that well, I tend to keep my mouth shut and just listen. What did they say? Better to be a fool with your mouth shut than open your mouth and remove all doubt. Right? So I’ve spent the first couple of months on both boards just kind of keeping my head down, doing a lot of listening, asking a lot of questions. I don’t know if I would exactly call it imposter syndrome, but I will admit to being a little in awe of the people I’m working with because they are so established in their careers and in their industries. Depending on the organization, you may or may not have a thorough onboarding process. My onboarding for a TAP was superior. The executive director forwarded me everything I needed to know in terms of documents and then took an hour to just explain it all to me, which was unique in my experience because like when I was with Junior League, it was it was kind of a hot potato that just kind of landed in your lap in San Diego. Sherm The previous thing coming out of the VP programs role, she did a handoff, but it was not as comprehensive in terms of documentation, so to speak. But regardless, they will, for the most part, get you up to speed. Sometimes you’re thrown into the mix and you have. To just kind of produce without a lot of tools and maybe background knowledge. But either way, like if you just stick with it for a few months, you’ll have it down pat. It it gets easy, I promise you.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:28] Now, if somebody wants to learn more about your journey or connect with you, what is the best way to do that?

Sarah Peck: [00:20:35] Well, probably through LinkedIn. Hold on. I recently changed my LinkedIn. And let me give it to you because it’s a little long. It is LinkedIn. Dot dot com. Black backslash in backslash. Backslash. Sorry. Sarah Peck. All one word. Sara HPC k dash, dash, backslash. And you can reach me to spec additive x dot com for more business related questions. I’m also open to taking requests for mentorship, things like that. I don’t have a ton of extra time, but I will take the time aside for a 30 minute phone call just to answer some questions and let you know kind of about the interview process for various organizations and how you do get into a leadership role.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:33] Well, Sarah, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Sarah Peck: [00:21:39] No problem. I appreciate you. Thanks so much for having me on.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:43] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you next time on the Association Leadership Radio.

Lori Devaney, Shelly Farrar, And Christa Skinnell on Women in Business

June 16, 2022 by Jacob Lapera

Cherokee Business Radio

Lori Devaney, Shelly Farrar, And Christa Skinnell on Women in Business

00:00 /

This Episode is brought to you by

Lori Devaney is the CEO & Co-founder of The Innovation Spot and Senior Consulting Manager of Devaney & Associates. She has over fifteen years of management and consulting experience. Lori holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Law, both from the University of California, Irvine.

Lori’s experience includes management consulting, staffing, and recruiting within various industries. She held such positions as the Orange County Regional Operations Manager for Adecco North America, Inc. and Corporate Consulting Manager and Senior Recruiting Manager with such companies as Deloitte & Touche LLP and TAG Consultants to Management, Inc., both in Southern California. She also has experience as a Regional Accounting Manager with Aluma Systems USA, Inc., an international construction company.

Lori’s consulting experience includes providing clients with direction in planning, development, and implementation of hiring and staffing strategies. Analyzing and researching current economic conditions, business trends, competitive forces, and potential markets to support new development sales programs. She is also very adept at developing and implementing operational and job costing procedures.

Connect with Lori on LinkedIn.

Shelly Farrar is a caterer, realtor, and restaurant owner.

Farrar Restaurants LLC is located in Canton, GA, United States and is part of the Restaurants and other eating places industry.

Connect with Shelly on LinkedIn.

Christa Skinnell is a disciplined leader with over 20 years of multiple sales channel experience, Licensed Optician, management, and customer service.

She successfully completed her Certification as an Event Professional through Emory University in April 2021 and has launched her own business, Nine88 Events.

Connect with Christa on LinkedIn.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:07] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Woodstock, Georgia. Welcome to Women in Business, where we celebrate influential women making a difference in our community. Now here’s your host.

Lori Kennedy: [00:00:29] Hello. This is Lori Kennedy and I’m your host today for Women in Business Powered by Business RadioX Stone Payton. Our producer is also in the studio with us today and we’re grateful to have you tuned in with us today. We have three amazing ladies. We are going to be interviewing Laurie Devaney from the innovation spot, Shelly Farrar from Riverstone Corner Bistro, and Jay Michaels, Prime Steak and Seafood. Yum! And then we also have Chris Deschanel from 1988 events. And I am going to start with tell me about your business name, what you do and how long you’ve been in business. And I’m going to start with you, Krista.

Christa Skinnell: [00:01:15] Well, I am Christa Skinnell with Nine88 events. I came up with the name. It’s basically the month and year I met my husband. We were 16 years old in September of 1988, and it’s just been a journey ever since. So that’s where we came up with the name about a year ago. So our company launched last May, so I’m super excited that we’ve hit that one year mark. We do corporate events and private parties. Congratulations.

Lori Kennedy: [00:01:47] Thank you. That is awesome. All right, Laurie, let me ask you, tell us about what you do and how long you’ve been doing it.

Lori Devaney: [00:01:54] My name is Lori Devaney and I am with the innovation spot we opened about a year and a half ago, just shortly after COVID started releasing. Here we are a coworking space and we have any conference rooms, private offices, hot desks, anything that you need for to go ahead and run your own business. How did we come up with the name? So the innovation spot, I think that, you know, I love creating and working with different businesses and we have a lot of different businesses in this coworking space. And I think every business has the potential to be very innovative and there’s a lot of innovation that comes out of this little spot.

Lori Kennedy: [00:02:36] Well, how did you come up with the idea? Because I feel like co-working spaces are relatively. Post COVID. You know.

Lori Devaney: [00:02:44] Actually, that is kind of a not not the case. And I would love to take credit for this, but it’s not my brainchild. I would actually have to say my husband, Tom Devaney, is the one that really had the idea to open this here in Woodstock. But he is he’s a professor over at KSU and the executive MBA program, and they do an international residency where they travel to different countries every year with the with the classes. And they’ve been doing a lot of travel in South America. And this is how people work in South America in particular. It’s a cost effective way for businesses to have everything they need in an office. You know, a lot of times the overhead for a conference room or a break room or, you know, all the other spaces that you need in an office can you know, it’s not always necessary, only if you use them once a month or something like that. So it makes sense to share that space, thus have a co-working space. But co-working has been a thing in other countries and here in the United States, to a lesser degree, for a good number of years.

Lori Kennedy: [00:03:57] Okay. Awesome. Well, Shelley, tell us about your businesses and how long they’ve been around and what the story is for, how they were started.

Shelly Farrar: [00:04:05] Oh, goodness. Well, my husband and I have been in the restaurant world for like over 30 years, and we never thought our kids would want to follow in our footsteps. And one day we’re on a trip to Florida. And my 19 year old son at the time says, Mom, dad, he’s like, can you help me? I want to open up a restaurant. And I was working in the corporate world. My husband worked for P.F. Chang’s, and we’re like listening to him. He had his own little business plan, and he was like, we’re like, Well, what do you mean? And he’s like, Mom, I want you to leave your corporate job and come help me. And Dad was a breadwinner, so, yeah. So I was like, okay, I can, you know, which, you know, we’ve always supported entrepreneurship, things like that. We’ve always wanted to open our own restaurant. And here we have a son who’s 19 pushing the envelope way before we we did so. Long story short, he I was a realtor as well. And I said, Well, that’s fine. You have to find the place. You have to put half down. And you know, when you do that, I will give my notice and we’ll go from there. And he found a place within two weeks negotiated with the money that he had to give 50% down. And yeah, we closed on April Fool’s Day, which is kind of funny. And we opened a deli in town like called Corner Bistro. And there we took it over from an existing business and it wasn’t doing so well. And I will never forget it. This lovely lady was sitting at her phone. She was probably in her eighties and on the table and I hear a go, you guys have to come here. They’re very nice and the food is really good. And since then, I’ve learned that word of mouth is definitely the best form of advertising.

Lori Kennedy: [00:05:54] Oh, wow. Yeah.

Shelly Farrar: [00:05:55] So, yeah. So then, you know, fast forward, we had that for five, six years and we went to look at another location near where we were doing a lot of catering and that was where we are now. But it was too big to be a deli. And we’re like, okay. And I don’t know, God gave me a vision that, you know, I was like, okay, well, we talked about other concepts and we did that. So our lunch menu is the deli pretty much. And then the dinner menu is our Southern Comfort concept that we pretty much created in like two weeks and opened the doors there. And we’d been, we were there like ten years and then we drive by. We used to go to Winchester’s all the time, which is where Jay Michaels Prime is. Yes. And back in the day, it was my husband and his favorite date night. And I would always drive by that building. And even though you can’t see it, because down a hill we loved the building and it was closer to our home. And one day we’re driving. And I was like, I feel like God wants us to have this building. And it was on the market and we made an offer. They declined. And the next year came by. And, you know, then my husband’s like, you know, I think God wants us how this building. And he’s like, I don’t know why it’s down a hill. It’s like, you can’t see it. It’s like, you know, I think we’re crazy, but, you know, let’s put another offer in. So we did another offer. He gets declined, another year goes by and they contact us going, Hey, we’ll take your final offer, you know, if you’re so interested.

Shelly Farrar: [00:07:25] And within that same time frame, the lender Community Bank of Georgia, which are wonderful people and they’ve helped us now and we didn’t know them then. We referred to them by Bojangles Crystal Beaver, who had Bojangles and, you know, she got loans from them, so. They called us and said, hey, we want to give you money. And they’re like, you know, because we talked about for and applied. And so long story short, we were able to get that and we closed on it. And that’s been four years or ten years at RCP. And then it happened. We were building a new building, bought our own property, kind of put that on hold, waiting to see where, where God was going to go with the world and what was going to happen. But we ended up the numbers are okay. The banks like no, you guys are good god. We ended up closing out the year on a positive note somehow during COVID. Right. And so, yeah. So now we just moved there January 13th. And when we went to move, we hadn’t had COVID. My husband got COVID, my son got COVID. Oh no. And my brother no, uncle got COVID. Wow. So just a couple of us had to open move the whole building and get over there. And yeah, I told my husband he owed me big after that was over. Right. But anyhow, he does a lot behind the scenes even when he’s sick. So that’s our story. It was like we’re here and we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the community. And. And that’s really where we’re forever grateful.

Lori Kennedy: [00:08:54] Yeah, for sure. Laurie, tell me how you use your influence in the community.

Lori Devaney: [00:09:01] Well, I think one of the things I mean, first off, I want to say community is so important. I mean, especially, you know, I think many of us live in this great community of Woodstock. And, you know, when you live in a place and you work in a place, you just you want it to be better. And so, you know, we try to do a number of things here with the space that we have. And, you know, obviously we want to make a profit, but I think more importantly is being involved with that community. So we do different events. We’re we’re pretty tied in with most ministries. We do a lot of different things for them. As a matter of fact, we’ve got a food drive going for them, I think is just wrapping up here as we speak. And then like last year, we did an event called Axes of Kindness where we had an event and we did ax throwing, which I know that sounds kind of weird, but it was a great event. It had a lot of fun and all the proceeds from that event or, you know, given to most ministries there. And we also, you know, like every couple of weeks, we have a company or a nonprofit called Connections, which hosts their every two week podcast out of our conference room here. And they want to bring divine intervention to the workplace. So it’s a, you know, just a nice refreshing hour that, you know, if you want to have some time out, take a breath, talk with other business community members and, you know, just kind of refresh midweek on a Wednesday for for that next week, you know, for the rest of the week there. But we try to, you know, make our space available to the community in certain ways as well.

Lori Kennedy: [00:10:45] So aren’t you guys getting ready to expand this location? We’re like in the innovation spot right now. Like, that’s where we do this every month. And Stone does it more often than I do, but I jump in once a month and do the women in business and and it is so much fun. But yeah, we’re in your space now and aren’t you getting ready to expand and do more?

Lori Devaney: [00:11:06] We already expanded, so we have an additional 10,000 square feet in the building behind us that we opened up about a week ago. Opening day consisted of an event with sure connections, and we had Congressman Loudermilk out for that event. Mayor Caldwell was here as well, and we just had a fantastic opening event there in that new space. And then something else that’s exciting, which is just kind of in the works here for the last couple of days, is we are opening up an event hall, so we are going to have space in another building here within the park where we can house anywhere from about, I’d say 80 people or so and and an event hall here. So there’ll be an event center available for folks too. And we’re hoping and this is where I always learn my lessons as I give a timeline. And I found with COVID and supply chain issues and everything, you don’t always get those timelines met. But I’m hoping within a couple of weeks we’ll be able to open that.

Lori Kennedy: [00:12:14] Okay, awesome. That is great. Krista, how do you use your influence in the community?

Christa Skinnell: [00:12:21] I wouldn’t be where I am right now without the community in Woodstock. I mean, it has been such a wonderful support. I jumped right in to networking after starting my business, having no idea what to do. You know, I just was going to do it and. Started meeting fantastic people. And it just the camaraderie, the rallying, the the referrals. It’s just been such a wonderful experience. So I am so thankful for the city of Woodstock. I try to give back and a lot of different ways we I will do. I work with Encompass ministry. We’ve done work with every link matters, which is a local charity too for a special little girl. And because I still have kids in school, we are a River Ridge High School and Mill Creek Middle School. I support the PTA. I was actually on the PTA board for a couple of years, just loving on the teachers and the staff. We’ve got fabulous, fabulous schools here in Cherokee County. Are so thankful for that. So I just I give back and sponsoring those types of programs and as well as the sports. My daughter’s a cheerleader, so I get involved in that and and sponsor that way to just to give back to our community.

Lori Kennedy: [00:13:52] Well, who all is in your family or your household?

Christa Skinnell: [00:13:55] Well, it’s my husband and I. Of course, we have our daughter and son. And then I have two cute little fur babies, pug and and a black lab. And then we also have a guinea pig that runs around the basement and a little cage. So.

Lori Kennedy: [00:14:09] And how old are your children?

Christa Skinnell: [00:14:11] Karen is 18. She’ll be 18. And then my son will be 13. Oh, sure. Lincoln.

Lori Kennedy: [00:14:16] Awesome. Shelly, tell us how you use your influence in the community.

Shelly Farrar: [00:14:21] And I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t get to give back. And I think that was one thing as when I originally thought we were going to go be missionaries on the mission field and ended up encouraging, not encourage, but somehow inspiring our friends to do it. And we never did it. But we are involved with serve. They help locally and internationally. I love ministries to drop off things anytime we can, and they’re wonderful people and we just had a long time ago that we really couldn’t afford to pay for print and advertising and things like that. And going back to the word of mouth thing. And but I but my husband knows how much I like to give. And, you know, and he was like, you know, we can’t do both, but what do you want to do? I was like, I want to give to every body that asks that one something. And he was like, Well, how do we do that? And I was like, you know, even if it’s small, like, so we never tell anybody. No and no. I might be saying this out loud on the radio, and my husband’s probably like, Oh my God. But so, you know, someone comes to us like a church or an organization or anything like that or a golf tournament. We give at least a gift card to be used for drawing something like that. And then we try to do community events raising money. We’ve done it for the blind for oh gosh, Mr. Buchanan, his organization has a golf tournament.

Shelly Farrar: [00:15:44] I can’t remember which one it was, but he’s he was my very first customer at our the new RC RCB and he walked in and we hadn’t even opened yet and he asked me for a donation. He’s 94 years old today and he’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met in my life. And he’s he’s literally he won’t forget it. He’s like, you know, I go, How am I going to tell you? No, I go, I don’t have money yet. He’s like, Why should I? I hope you make money, but I feel bad if you don’t. But we gave him the very first gift card out of that restaurant and he’s told everybody, I think. So we just try to give in every way we can, any way we can, and also try to encourage other restaurateurs and other small businesses that, you know, it’s going to be okay. And, you know, during COVID, I, you know, my husband and I were talking and I was crying and, you know, not sure if we’re going to make it. And I said, well, if we’re going to go down, I want to go down helping people. So we started doing private date nights and things like that, just surprising people with things like if they couldn’t afford to go out to eat, we would let them come through a drive thru and get a meal or come get a meal for their family. So I just like to do things like that.

Lori Kennedy: [00:16:54] Yeah. You’re doing some kind of thing tonight, aren’t you? Doing something tonight that’s like a gin.

Shelly Farrar: [00:16:59] Oh, that is. That’s no, the end of the month. That’s June 30th, so.

Lori Kennedy: [00:17:03] Oh, gotcha. I saw something on social media. What is that about?

Shelly Farrar: [00:17:06] Well, we do tastings, you know, from time to time and just fun stuff. And right now I have a lot of ladies who really are interested in learning more about gin and everybody has ladies. We want the skinny drinks and low cal and you know, and then I have some friends that don’t drink alcohol. So I’ve also, you know, incorporate where we’ll teach them that they can have mocktails and still feel part of the crowd and have a good time and and have a healthy, refreshing drink with fresh herbs and juices and tonic waters and flavored waters and things like that. So we’re going to I’m going to let everybody make their own mocktail or cocktail, and we’re going to have like it’ll be up to about it would be on our rooftop because we have a rooftop now. And yeah, so we just do that and I’ll have also my bartenders that if they’re not working, I invite them to attend just for educational purposes.

Lori Kennedy: [00:17:59] So fun. Tell us who is in your family and in your household.

Shelly Farrar: [00:18:03] Well, just we’re empty nesters now. So my husband and I have been married 34 years.

Lori Kennedy: [00:18:09] Congratulations.

Shelly Farrar: [00:18:10] And that’s how I know how old my oldest one is. He’s 33. I always make him older and he gets mad at me. And then my other son is, gosh, I think he’s 26. I think they’re seven years apart. I never did the math. Right. And he and he’s our executive chef at table 20 in Cartersville. So somehow, some way both of our children are in the restaurant world. And yeah, so I think that’s it. And I how can I forget Zumba? He’s 11. So my son rescued him when he was 15. So we got him.

Lori Kennedy: [00:18:45] When your son was 15, not when the dog was. Yes, he’s 11. Got it. It took me a second. I was like, wait, what? Lorrie, who’s in your household?

Lori Devaney: [00:18:53] Oh, my goodness. So we we are heading towards empty nesters, but we’ve still got two two left in our household are my son, Colin, who is 18, who’s also following in his mom and dad’s footsteps and is an entrepreneur. And he has a mobile detailing business that he is doing now. So it’ll buffed details. And, you know, I just got to give a shout out to this kid. So. Yeah, a. A year ago. He comes to me and says, Mom, I don’t think I want to continue with college, but I have a plan. I’m like, Oh, no, what’s the plan? And he said, He goes, I want to I want to do my mobile detailing. He goes, I’m going to sell my Jeep. I’m going to buy a Ford Transit van. I’m going to logo it out, and I’m going to start my own business. I said, prove me wrong. Go do it. And he’s been doing awesome with that. So he’s still at home? Probably not for much longer, though. And then we have my our nephew, Jake, who is also at home, and he’s about a year older than Collin. And then our middle child, Amanda, is she graduated Kiss U and she moved to Nashville about a year ago. And she’s working as a communications director for the National Republican Party up there. Or for that I’m sorry, the state the state GOP. So she’s she’s a communications director up there, so she’s doing really well. And then our oldest son, Ian, who is 32, got married about a year ago. And we have our first grandchild.

Lori Kennedy: [00:20:30] Oh, congrats. Is it a little.

Lori Devaney: [00:20:32] Boy or a little boy? His name is Dustin Thomas. And just, you know, of course, I’m partial, but he’s the cutest kid in the world.

Lori Kennedy: [00:20:40] Of course he.

Intro: [00:20:40] Is.

Lori Kennedy: [00:20:42] For sure. Let’s talk about mentoring. I want to know if you are being mentored and if you’re mentoring others and what that looks like. Laurie, I’m gonna stick with you for the moment.

Lori Devaney: [00:20:52] You know, I think. I think I’m glad you brought that up, because I was thinking about that this morning is, you know, one of the first mentors that I ever had in business. I was probably. Mid-twenties and an old boss of mine, Dave, Hank and Brant. When I was in the recruiting world, he was probably the best mentor I ever had. And I think one of the things that he taught me was really just, you know, to be honest in business and to be, you know, what you say you’re going to do to do it and to be forthright with, you know, if complications arise, which they always do, and just kind of come out with that in the kindest way possible and, you know, try to hit problems head on. And then obviously, as you know, as you go through business, you know, I learn from you know, I’m always trying to learn from people and just different scenarios and and grasping knowledge, you know, and how you run a business, how you manage people, how you lead people, not even manage people because I think it’s more about leadership than it is about managing. But that’s you know, I would say that mentoring and looking at different folks ways of doing things is really important.

Lori Kennedy: [00:22:14] That’s awesome. I always write stuff down when I’m in here. I’m always like, Oh, people have the most amazing information and I want to learn from it. Shelley Tell us about mentoring. Are you being mentored or are you mentoring others? What does that look like for you?

Shelly Farrar: [00:22:27] I think people mentor me without even knowing. They mentor me. I was like a lot of our regulars that come in and have become friends of mine and I watch how they are with their family. I watch how they are with their with people. I watch how they treat my people, you know, our family, our team. And I’m inspired by that every day. And I was thinking about this, too. I had, of course, my old boss. I was with Outback Steakhouse corporate office. So Trudy Cooper, a woman in business and very successful and she has on Swan and Tampa now. But she was so kind and so sweet and and she believed in me before. I believed in myself. You know, I started there when I was like my twenties and we had, I think five. And I left there when we had a 5000 and there was only like six girls in the office for a little while and then it moved up to 20 girls. Now it’s a big Eiffel Tower thing, but you know, they just said, No, go figure out how to do this and do it. Oh yeah, we can’t make it. So we’re gonna send you on the jet and you’re going to go open, you know, Charleston, West Virginia, you know, help them with their training stuff or, hey, we need training material. You know, you’re going to go do this or you’re going to do a voiceover. So I got to learn a lot of different things and got thrown into things when I was pretty shy and pretty like not not a go getter, really.

Shelly Farrar: [00:23:43] Just kind of I was a people pleaser. I’m still a people pleaser, but she was definitely my ultimate mentor then. And, you know, now it’s like it’s really just the people, other people in businesses and other people just in life. But my ultimate mentor was my mother in law. And, you know, she passed away. She lived with us. Oh, gosh, I’m going to cry. But she was wonderful. And she was a businesswoman, but also she was the kindest woman I’ve ever known. And she definitely never said anything bad about anybody. Never, never did anything that I could think of was ever wrong. She was held at gunpoint twice working for McDonald’s. Oh, wow. Wow. That’s scary. Yeah, I told her, yeah, we’re going to get to another job. I sent her. I sent resumes out without her knowing it. And she was in her sixties. And I, you know, she had tons of offers and she thought, well, no one’s going to hire me. I’m, you know, I’m older and that’s not true. People want people. People want good people. And she was amazing at that, too. She went and learned the car wash business. She learned how to fix the mechanics of a car wash. I was like, wow, okay. You know, she’s just amazing. And yeah, you know, and even with her fight with cancer, she was amazing.

Lori Kennedy: [00:24:57] That’s awesome. Krista, tell us about mentoring. If you’re mentoring others, if others are mentoring you and what all that looks like for you.

Christa Skinnell: [00:25:05] Well, I’ll take a back and go back a little bit, because before children, I actually did something else. I was an optician for years and that was a time that I was I was being mentored. I mean, I was in my twenties and it was such a great experience to work under some really good doctors and some great business development people. So that helped me be able to and then and then watching my husband as he was, is working his way up the ladder with corporate learning, all those things as well. But then I stopped working. I had my kids and I stayed home for 16 years.

Lori Kennedy: [00:25:54] You just worked a different way. Don’t say you stop working. You probably worked harder in many ways.

Christa Skinnell: [00:25:59] I started working for free for 16.

Lori Kennedy: [00:26:01] Years.

Christa Skinnell: [00:26:04] And that really was a growing period for sure. But when I finally decided to, I’ve always had this dream of starting my own business. And so it just all started coming together and. Getting into networking. I just I wasn’t seeking a mentor. I was just, you know, just trying to figure out what to do and. People just you kind of end up in in an environment where people are gravitated or you’re gravitated to that person and you you just began to learn. And I tell you, I’m still just one year old in this and I’m just a sponge. I mean, just tell me and I’m going to just absorb it all and let it let it float in there and and and put it into action if it’s something that that definitely resonates. So I have been so fortunate in this past year to to find three amazing women. And I don’t even know that they know for sure that I consider them my mentors. But if I need something or if I have questions and I’m not afraid to ask and to just be vulnerable with people, so I will just sit down and just share my heart or whatever it is. And they are just right there for me and guiding me and and you know, when it’s right and you know, and when those things land and the right path. So I’m so thankful for that. And that’s all happened through networking through here in Woodstock. Again, just it’s been fantastic.

Lori Kennedy: [00:27:30] Yeah. I do feel like when you approach something vulnerably or you know that that you’re more open to learning and people are more open to giving to you. When you approach something like irony, know everything, then you’re not going to learn as much and you’re also people aren’t going to be open to sharing with you. So I think that’s awesome. Why don’t you tell us about a mistake you’ve made in the last year, since that’s how long you’ve been in business and how you fixed it.

Christa Skinnell: [00:27:59] Just one. Just know.

Lori Kennedy: [00:28:01] Just pick the best.

Christa Skinnell: [00:28:03] One, right? I know. I will have. I did. I’ve thought about this question and I think my biggest mistake was the inability to say no, because in some ways, I’m a people pleaser, I or I don’t want to hurt somebody’s feelings. So I just kind of okay. And I’ll go along with something when I know in my gut it just doesn’t feel right. But then I thought, well, maybe I’ll learn some lessons through it. And of course there are always lessons, so I try to stay open to that. But I accepted a certain event just because I, you know, it was an event, so it was like, Oh, let me take it. And but in my gut, I just knew something wasn’t right. It just didn’t sit right. And in the end, you know, not only was it it ended up being more I was volunteering, you know, so I actually and more so I was even just basically paying to be there. It was and it’s not about the money so much as just the environment and the tone and the way you were treated. And so I knew it wasn’t right, but I just went for it. And so I that was one of my biggest mistakes.

Lori Kennedy: [00:29:16] So you learn to trust your gut more.

Christa Skinnell: [00:29:18] Trust my gut and yes. And be more confident as time has gone by just to say no, no thanks, pass. You know, love the concept, but now I can’t do that for you.

Lori Kennedy: [00:29:28] Cheli, what about you? Tell us about a mistake that you made and how you fixed it.

Shelly Farrar: [00:29:32] Oh, goodness. I make a mistake. It’s every day of my life. So we’re in the restaurant world. You know, you have so many different people, so many different things going on at the same time. I think mainly my biggest mistake is every day or like, you know, from day to day is, I guess, underestimating, you know, the power of prayer. You know, when you don’t know what to do and you’re you’re it’s not up to you to come up with the answers. You know, it’s like, you know, you don’t always have the answers. And we deal with so many incredible young people. And, you know, I think people constantly want to say, oh, the young people, the day the young people today, they’re not they don’t they’re lazy. They don’t do this. It’s just not true. I mean, and I think the biggest mistake is that underestimate somebody or to assume, you know, somebody without really getting to know them or understanding where they’re coming from. And, you know, I’ve I’ve over the years, you know, I’ve had to learn to go take a step back and go, you know, figure out who they are before I’m make an assumption or get frustrated because they’re not doing something that I think they should already know or things like that. So I make those mistakes all the time because then, God, you know, I do something and I was like, I shouldn’t have done that. And I beat myself up for a week. And, you know, even with the customer, you know, I always tell them, you know, the employees, you know, if someone’s coming in and they’re gruff, you don’t know where they just came from because it came from the hospital, because it came from a funeral could it came from a lonely house, you know, it could have came from an abuse situation. I was like, so just don’t take it personal, you know, and just be there. Yeah.

Lori Kennedy: [00:31:17] That’s great. Lori, tell us about your mistake.

Shelly Farrar: [00:31:23] How much.

Lori Devaney: [00:31:24] Which call.

Lori Kennedy: [00:31:24] Yourself which.

Lori Devaney: [00:31:26] One from. Morning or now. You know, I think kind of thinking about I like what Shelly had to say there about the power of prayer. I think that’s, you know, pray first and then act, I think is is obviously the most important thing. But I’ll get to a specific here is, you know, as as I said earlier on in the conversation here that, you know, we opened during, you know, just as COVID was finishing, I mean, in trying to do a full buildout and construction, this this space that you’re in right now was basically just in a shell. There was there were no offices in it. There was it was it was a church previously, but it was just an open space. And so we had to source so many different materials. I mean, I remember the the architectural lights is kind of cool round lights that you see throughout the building here. We were trying to get those and I think there’s eight of them or so in the building here. I think I bought each one from a different vendor. Oh, wow. So, I mean, during COVID, you know, supply chain issues and there’s still a problem. You know, we are still trying to source some materials for the expansion that we just opened up. So I think my biggest mistake is, you know, you live in a pre-COVID world and now we live in a in a post-COVID world here. And it is just it’s they’re different worlds, but it’s it’s trying to not overpromise something and to say, okay, my goal is for this time frame. But, you know, we obviously have to look at reality and maybe, you know, from a business perspective, we can’t get to that to that point. So I think it’s just trying not to over promise different things.

Lori Kennedy: [00:33:21] And do you have a message that’s for women specifically?

Lori Devaney: [00:33:24] You know, I was kind of trying to think about that one. And, you know, I think it’s to be intentional, you know, and to really think about what your goals are and especially women in business is, you know, what is that goal that you you want to achieve? Write it down. I mean, I know we’ve all been to different seminars and leadership conferences, but write that goal down because if you can write that goal down and you can see that goal, then you can start making steps to reach that. But it’s being intentional each day. I mean, like I said to our community manager, Kelly, who is fabulous, by the way, I’ve got to give a little shout out for her here. I could not do this without her. I mean, she is my right.

Lori Kennedy: [00:34:16] Hand, always smiling.

Lori Devaney: [00:34:18] Oh, my gosh. She is like the happiest person in the world. I’m like, I don’t know how she does it, but she is fabulous. But, you know, one of the things that I’ve learned through her is, you know, is that intentional peace. And like I said, I was just talking to her the other day. I’m like, you know, I feel like I’ve got this laundry list of to do’s and I walk out of here and the list got longer, you know? So, you know, it’s but I think it’s looking at that big picture. What is that goal and how are you going to reach that goal and being intentional about it?

Lori Kennedy: [00:34:50] Okay, Shelly, tell us about a message. Do you have a message that’s specifically for women?

Shelly Farrar: [00:34:57] I think mainly. I guess I can just talk from my past. You know, I tried a lot of things and I gave up too easily, you know, too quickly. I think now, thank God, by mentors and things like that. And, you know, I look to and I try to live on purpose, you know, and because we didn’t get to go beyond a missionary field, you know, I try to be of service here locally. And, you know, my husband will say, well, this is your mission field, you know, and make a difference in young people’s lives is my ultimate, ultimate goal. And also to, you know, just keep being the best people. Just don’t give up. Just, you know, and if you don’t know something, learn it. Don’t don’t think you can’t learn it no matter what age you are. I had to teach my self to bartend. I had to teach myself how to bake. I had to teach myself how to, you know, all kinds of things, you know. And there’s things that intimidate me, but I still am like, All right, well, I’m going to YouTube it. I’ll figure it out. So, yeah, that’s awesome.

Lori Kennedy: [00:36:01] Krista, do you have a message that’s for women specifically?

Christa Skinnell: [00:36:05] Actually, it’s interesting because I. When I started this business. Just I know it’s events and it’s it’s celebrations and it’s purposeful gatherings. But my heart is for women because I know that there are so many out there that are in a spot that just they don’t know. And it’s a crossroads and it can be at any age. So you have a coming up on an empty nest or, you know, what do I do with my life now? I relate it back to what how I felt when when, you know, the kids are older and they don’t need me. I don’t need to be home all the time. And I knew I wanted to get back at something and say what, but what do I do now? And so it’s just. Thoughtful, purposeful prayer intent that you take the time to figure out what your passion is and what your heart calling like. What is it that you really would just love to do? What is your dream? And then go for it? Because every woman has that strength inside of them. And there are so many of us that I learned myself that if you’re just willing to ask the question, if you’re willing to just be a little vulnerable with somebody and say, This is my dream, what do you think? Or How can you and let’s build each other up? For me, that’s that’s everything. I, I am so passionate about that that we are now putting together. I’m working with some of my favorite ladies, and we are putting together a conference that we’re going to be having and hosting sometime early next year.

Lori Kennedy: [00:37:44] That was the next thing I was going to ask you. I was like, I don’t know if you’re ready to talk about this yet, but one night we were together and you had talked about a conference. Tell us what this conference is going to, what your vision is for it.

Christa Skinnell: [00:37:57] It’s ever evolving. So I sat down with I sat down individually with some women and just shared what I felt the calling was. And then we met as a group because they all felt it important. And it is for women as young as 18 or 17. You know, when you’re at that crossroads of I’m getting ready to leave high school, what do I do now? I have a daughter that’s there or again, empty nester or a 70 year old woman who has been passed away, whatever it is. And then you have to start over. What what do I do and where do I go? And that’s what this conference is going to be a place to motivate, to inspire, to not not and not just that, but to give you the tools when you walk out the door, because sometimes you get all rah rah while you’re in the middle of this conference and you just feel so great. And then you walk out of the door and reality hits you right in the face and you don’t even know what to do. And you hit the roadblock and then you give up.

Christa Skinnell: [00:39:07] This is going to be an intentional conference where you are going to be meeting with other women, coming alongside each other, and basically creating that mentorship. And it’ll be organic. It’s not going to be a you’re assigned to this, but it will definitely be an organic build. And so I’m super excited about it. It’s going to be called Fly a Kite. That’s the name of that came from just an experience that I had had an unfortunate experience and the person was was very ugly about it. And instead of telling me what they really wanted to say, they said, Go fly a kite. And I just I never and it was very I was I didn’t even know what to do. I just sat there stunned. But afterwards, after licking my wounds for like a day, I said, okay, what am I supposed to do with this? And it just started coming to me. And that’s the name of your conference. You’ve had this conference and that’s going to be so fly a kite. And there’s so many metaphors to that.

Lori Kennedy: [00:40:10] Yeah.

Christa Skinnell: [00:40:11] When you learn to fly a kite and getting these women to reach new heights, that is what what the goal of.

Lori Kennedy: [00:40:16] This is catching the wind.

Christa Skinnell: [00:40:18] Yes.

Lori Kennedy: [00:40:19] Okay. So tell me about Krista. What is the greatest challenge that you’re facing now as a business or an industry right now?

Christa Skinnell: [00:40:30] I think it’s pretty universal. It’s that supply and the staffing. You know, when it comes to to events, you have venue shortages, you don’t or over bookings or anything like that. So it’s it’s that supply and demand. And so if you have your last minute planners that want to do it, throw a party or do something in a few weeks, that it’s more difficult, much more difficult to get what you want out of get out of that. So that’s where, you know, when the industry just shut down for COVID. So it.

Lori Kennedy: [00:41:02] Was. Right. It’s what about you, Shelly? What challenges are you facing as a business or industry?

Shelly Farrar: [00:41:08] Oh, goodness. Where do you begin? Supply and demand, definitely the cost of food cost. Trying to you know, it’s a domino effect with everything. Farmers, agriculture, you know, I mean, you know, it’s like people can’t even get, you know, formula for babies, you know? I mean, you know, it’s like there’s just you just don’t realize the impact it does. And even like we have buildings and they don’t build things like they used to. We have a brand new building and we’re, you know, things are still breaking down. It’s a brand new building. Things haven’t really worked yet. And, you know, those kind of things. So and. You know, trying to get yeah, you might have a warranty, but trying to get a worker to come when they don’t have any, you know, they don’t have enough people there. So you’re still having something break down in a restaurant and they say it was going to be a week can be an eternity. Yeah.

Lori Kennedy: [00:41:59] What about employees for you?

Shelly Farrar: [00:42:01] You know, we are blessed in that area, you know? I know. You know, it’s a lot of a lot of my fellow restaurateurs and business people like how do you do it? How do you do it? And I’m going to say God again, but it’s also just we have father daughters, we have sister sisters working for us. We have best friends. We have you know, they all bring each other in. Our parents who are like, I want my kid to work for you. I don’t want them if they’re going to work in a restaurant where I want them to work for you. So it’s again, just we have people that are back from college, you know, for summer help and those kind of things. Now, don’t get me wrong, nobody loves a dishwasher. So that is our our biggest one to keep filled, for sure. It’s not a glamorous job. And, you know, but it’s the most important home I know, so.

Lori Kennedy: [00:42:52] All right, Laurie, what about you?

Lori Devaney: [00:42:54] You know, I don’t know that I’m going to say anything new here. I laugh about what Shelley was just saying about the dishwashing job my son has. One of his first jobs was as a dishwasher. And I think it was last week that he told me that that was just not the key job that he liked the most. But, you know, going back to the supply chain issue, you know, you’re doing a buildout and you’re trying to get, you know, equipment and and whatnot there. So I think that is probably one of the the hardest things that we’ve had to deal with. Much like Shelley had said employees that that has been a great experience. Like I said, Kelly, you know, Amanda helped by my daughter, opened up, you know, when we first opened, she was our front desk and she was awesome. And then she she went on to, you know, further her career up in Nashville. But then Kelly came and I’ve known Kelly for years, so that was a huge blessing to have her join us. But, you know, I think it’s really just goes back to the supply chain issues that we’ve been experiencing that, you know, and unfortunately, I don’t see it going away any time soon. But we have had some you know, we’ve got some great vendors that have been working for us. Ah commercial contractor Mike Bedingfield has been phenomenal. He stands by us every single time. We get another crazy harebrained idea here and he’s here meeting with us and and helping us out with that. So, you know, I mean, you just try to work through it and it goes back to networking. And it’s those people that you you meet through your community and trying to give local business, you know, businesses the first opportunity because I think they’re going to be the first ones that want to be able to help you.

Christa Skinnell: [00:44:39] That’s that’s absolutely true. I feel to reach out to those that you that are right here in your backyard and they’ll they usually are right there for you whenever you need something.

Shelly Farrar: [00:44:51] They’ve definitely come to our rescue. And I’m so thankful for Cherokee Connect. I don’t know if you guys know that sauce. Anytime I need a plumber, I need them. They’re always nice. Everybody helps us, thank God.

Lori Kennedy: [00:45:00] So I’m so we’re going to start winding down. And I would like to start the beginning of the end with you, Lori, and tell us a tip of your trade and then tell us how others can get in touch with your business.

Lori Devaney: [00:45:15] You know, I think it goes back to what you were at the question you asked about specific advice to women. And I think it’s just across the board tip of the trade is, you know, we work with different businesses. I mean, we’ve we’ve had stone in here for about a year. I think Stone was one of our first OGs here. He he came in and got the office. I think we’d been open a month. So he’s been here the longest out of any of our members, but you know, a lot of different members from mortgage lenders to real estate to i.t folks. But it comes back to being intentional. You know, set those goals, come up with a plan, write them down, take baby steps towards them. And because if you don’t if you don’t write them down, they’re probably not going to happen because it’ll just get pushed to the back burner. But being intentional, I think, is the tip that I can give anybody in business.

Lori Kennedy: [00:46:10] And how do we get in touch with your business?

Lori Devaney: [00:46:11] How do you get in touch with us? Oh, my gosh. There’s a multitude of ways to do that. We are on Instagram, we are on Facebook. You can just look up the innovation spot in Woodstock. Of course, our website was the innovation spot. Or you can give us a call at 7702623668 and or of course, stop by our offices. We’re only a half a mile from the amphitheater here on Arnold Mill Road. So we are very close to downtown Woodstock anytime between nine and five Monday through Friday.

Lori Kennedy: [00:46:43] Awesome. Thank you. All right. Shelley, give us a tip of the trade and then let us know how to get in touch with you.

Shelly Farrar: [00:46:50] Okay. Well, I’m trying to think here. There’s so many things, I think just being being willing to evolve and change, being open to it because it is going to you know, it has to change to grow. And that would be my tip is just, you know, be ready for it and and get ready because you’re going to have to you’re going to have to change something, you know, might be out of something. You might do whatever or you might need to rethink your whole thought process. We just tripled the size of our restaurant, our menus, very big. You know, we might have to, you know, modify that a little bit. And then as far as getting a hold of us, we are on Facebook and I know we’re on Instagram. Twitter, I’m not really good with all those. I’m on Facebook. I can do that one, but I’m not really good. All the rest. And then we have Jay Michaels, Time.com. And. Rc Buchanan dot com and let’s see you know we have my email address is out there everywhere my phone number personal phone number my husband’s. We are you know we are owners that are in the business. We’re in the building. One of one owner is in a building. No matter what what time of the day it is, you can always find us and thank us it.

Lori Kennedy: [00:48:07] Awesome. Okay, Chris, to give us a tip of the trade and how to get in touch with your business.

Christa Skinnell: [00:48:12] Well, tip of the trade, I think, as far as events go, but also just generally in life, I think our business is to just keep an open mind and and think outside the box. And that’s what 980 events is all about, is bringing a unique twist.

Intro: [00:48:29] To.

Christa Skinnell: [00:48:31] Any type of event that you want to have for your company, for your staff, for individual parties. And of course, having a budget in mind is as a big thing too. But we are can be found on Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn as well. It’s 988 events, actually. Nine is nine E and then the number is eight eight events dot com. And that’s basically our tag on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn as well.

Lori Kennedy: [00:49:04] Awesome. All right. Well, I’m going to tell you all a little about our specials. We have monthly specials at Alpha and Omega Automotive. And so this month we have a fuel induction service for just 99, 99, which is normally one 3999. And I’m going to tell you what it is. A fuel induction service is a process where carbon deposits are cleared from portions of your engine. When you start and run your vehicle, build up from fuel and air can cause slight carbon buildup inside the engine parts and it’s recommended either every 60,000 miles or if you’re noticing performance issues. We also always have first time customers get 15% off parts on their first time. As long as they ask for the coupon, you got to ask for it. You know. Anyway, we are grateful to be here. And once again, my name is Lori Kennedy. Thank you for joining us on Women in Business Powered by Business RadioX. And until next time, keep learning and growing.

Rebecca Dixon And Verta Maloney With the*gameHERs

June 16, 2022 by Jacob Lapera

Startup Showdown Podcast

Rebecca Dixon And Verta Maloney With the*gameHERs

00:00 /

Rebecca Dixon is an entrepreneur who is passionate about creating businesses that support and amplify women through engaged communities.

As co-founder of the*gameHERs, Rebecca and her team have created the largest social network, media platform, and lifestyle brand for women who game and work in the gaming industry in North America.

Of the 2.8 billion gamers in the world, half of them are women, while women are extremely under-represented in the industry and experience a high level of toxicity. The*gameHERs is dedicated to providing a safe and social space for women gamers with the launch of their matchmaking and social app.

The team at the*gameHERs is the same team who sold their parenting company Mommmybites in 2016 to a media conglomerate in New York.

Rebecca received her BS in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University and lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

Connect with Rebecca on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Verta Maloney is all love with appropriate doses of rage. Verta is a founder, storyteller, yogi, mama warrior and anti-racism facilitator. she has designed, managed, and delivered professional learning experiences and programs for school leaders and educators across the country.

Verta began her 25 year career in education as a teacher in Prince George’s County Public Schools and then as a literacy specialist for the New York City Department of Education. after getting her master’s degree in politics and education at Columbia’s Teachers College, she became the founding principal of Bronx Arts and then served for several years as a leadership coach for principals and aspiring principals at New Leaders.

Verta is a founding team member at Civics Unplugged because she knows #TheKidsWillLead and is Chief Innovation Officer & Co-Founder at the*gameHERs because all gamers who identify as women are dope. Verta is also a national leadership facilitator for New York City Leadership Academy where she expands upon her anti-racism work.

Verta Maloney co-founded 45 Lemons to help individuals and organizations share their racial autobiographies and stories in order to act on and undo racism in this lifetime. It is Merta’s hope that in every encounter Black, Indigenous and folks of color will leave seen, heard healed and loved.

Connect with Verta on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

About the*gameHERs
Changes in the gaming industry since launching the company 2 years ago
Metaverse/web3
The biggest challenges as a startup founder

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] We’ll come back to the Startup Showdown podcast, where we discuss pitching, funding and scaling startups. Join us as we interview winners, mentors and judges of the monthly $120,000 pitch competition powered by Panoramic Ventures. We also discuss the latest updates in software web3, health care, tech, fintech and more. Now sit tight as we interview this week’s guest and their journey through entrepreneurship.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:37] Lee Kantor here another episode of Startup Showdown, and this is going to be a fun one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor panoramic venture. Without them, we could not be sharing these important stories. Today on Startup Showdown, we have Rebecca Dixon and Roberta Maloney with the game hers. Welcome.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:00:59] Thank you. Thank you so much.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:01] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Before we get too far to things. Tell us about the gamers. How are you serving folks?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:01:09] Sure I can kick it off. This is Rebecca. The campus is a community and a social network, a media platform, and a lifestyle brand for women who game women and femme identifying gamers and work in the gaming industry. So we launched about two and a half years ago and we are really excited to be continuing with a lot of growth and positive feedback to help our four purpose mission based company offer more community and opportunity for women and feminine gamers. So thank you for having us. Well, I feel free to expand on that.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:50] What was the genesis of the idea? What kind of was the spark that led you to building this community? Because a community community building isn’t easy. And that’s a it’s it’s a it’s a big task by itself. So what spurred you to work in this space?

Verta Maloney: [00:02:06] I’ll take that one. This is Berta. Hello, everyone. And I would say that one of the sparks for me and for us collectively is that a stat out there is that approximately half of all gamers identify as women. However, if you think about gaming, video games, the video game industry, that’s not usually the image that comes to mind for most people. And we just realized that with our background in building community in different areas of our respective lives. Heather, Laura and Rebecca starting a company for parents in the past, and I’ve done a lot of just community organizing and work just in the world around anti racism and anti oppression. Thinking about, well, where, why aren’t we seeing all the women who are in this space actually being recognized, being honored and and making money off of what is a multibillion dollar industry? And so, obviously, cocktails were involved as well as big conversations about weight. We know how to build community and we know we talk to like thousands of women as we were starting up and we said, hey, we can build a platform in a space that can do this. So I would say that that was some of the impetus.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:13] So when you decide to go into this space and say, I want to be the community for female gamers, what do you start with the actual creators of games? Do you start with the people who enjoy playing games? Like how do you begin a venture like this? Because it seems so overwhelming.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:03:34] It’s a great question. So what we did before we started is a lot of research. I like to say and our team says we did a deep dove to set to look into is anybody addressing this sort of challenge for women gamers that exists? Does anybody care? And what we, of course, found is that, yes, there were initiatives and individuals who were trying to do do what they could do. They were not a lot of nonprofits. There were definitely a lot of incredible women who were in the industry, even if it wasn’t enough. But what we felt like is that there was space for a community like Verna mentioned. We all had experience building communities prior to launching this company, and we felt like our experience could be valuable. So we interviewed on the phone and in person thousands of gamers. We were able to attend a couple of live conferences and conventions prior to COVID and really meet women in all of the categories. Some of the ones that you mentioned, everything from streamers to developers to students. Anybody that touches the gaming industry would like to benefit from community and maybe even work in the industry. So after verifying that, yes, there is there’s a place for what we know how to do.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:04:59] We literally launched with a presence on a number of social networks, with a newsletter, with a podcast. And we immediately, I mean, absolutely immediately got traction. And so then we used our tried and true tools of community building, which I think one of the main ones is look to those early community members and ask them, how can we how can we build this and how can how can we create the space that you want? And so that was the genesis. And the one thing that I’ll add to that in answer to the question, too, is. While it’s that the industry is vast, as you’re saying, right, there are game developers, there are streamers, there’s cosplay, there’s actual like esports, competitive players. And the in the middle of that circle, the thing that connects all of the people in our community is just a love and appreciation for video games. And that’s the core of who we are. And we are providing a space that is like less toxic, more safe and more inclusive than what has existed before, to be able to just pursue all of those things within the industry.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:12] So you use the word, I believe, mission early on and having kind of a bigger why behind this than just maybe just a social aspect. Can you talk about part of the mission? Is it to to move some of the people who are consumers of gaming to consider possibly making gaming a career?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:06:37] Absolutely. The crossover between women and feminine femme identifying gamers and women and femme identifying gamers who would like to work in the gaming industry is it’s a big number. And it’s not surprising when you think about where gaming kind of sits in the world today. It’s right at that intersection of quite literally everything, right? Music, sports, entertainment, space. Nascar uses gaming education. So the fact that, as Verna mentioned earlier, it’s a multibillion dollar industry and women aren’t working in it at the percentage, which they really should be, it’s that’s the opportunity. And so that is that is that is one of the missions. I think also it’s just to create a space that is community building and safe and comfortable. And we also believe very early on that the way to move that needle for women in gaming on the professional side of it was to create a business and not a nonprofit. And tons of nonprofits exist and we love them and work with them and support them. But by creating a business, we have the resources to, number one, hire some of them to facilitate movement into the career side of it and just to continue to create sort of more general understanding in the media that, by the way, women also game.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:06] Now, as this went from idea to to an actual community, what were some of the early hurdles that you had to get past in order to get, you know, to you saw traction pretty early but what were some of the hurdles you had to get it to, you know, kind of match the vision that you you thought or think? It can be.

Verta Maloney: [00:08:30] Two things that I’ll name. One is that a lot of people think that when you are women led in, that you’re centering and you’re about women. So identifying gamers that you are not for profit. And so it was like, no, we actually are a company and we think it’s really important to put that out there for purpose and for profit, because with profit you can actually create access and opportunities. And that’s really what we’re trying to do. And I think that the second was, I don’t think that this is an obstacle. I think that this is just the nature of a startup, which is understanding that what you think you are setting out to create will change once you have other people along that journey with you. And I think that that’s our community. We have an app that we developed which was not what we thought we would make, right. It was it was actually getting on discord with our community and realizing that there were some things that were not there that they needed. And we started down this path of creating our own app, which brings our community together and is like, it’s kind of just like growing. And we just left our beta phase. It’s being nimble. And so I don’t think it was an obstacle. I just think it’s an important thing that when you start anything that you what you think you might be building can just change and shift and you have to go with that tide.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:44] Now, are you noticing now that the world is opening up a little bit and there’s more in real life events happening? Is there a place for game creating, you know, in-person experiences?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:09:56] Absolutely. That’s another example of something that we didn’t necessarily know whether or not would be a part of our business model and our community. And it is absolutely a huge part of it. We gamers love events. I think people like events, people like in-person interaction. And it’s a really fascinating thing to sort of watch come to life after two years of COVID because I mean, in fact, our team, a big portion of our team just came back from a big gaming convention. And it is it’s a huge part of why community can be built so successfully online often is tied into in real life events. So yes, we have big, big plans and current initiatives that are that are in-person and digital. So yeah. And I think can I I’m sorry.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:46] No, go right ahead.

Verta Maloney: [00:10:47] Because I think what was really interesting is the fact that we actually launched in March of 2020, like official launch literally at the moment when COVID hit and the entire world started to shut down. Is that IRL was what we had always intended. Right. And we then had to make a real big shift in just our thinking and the world did about what it meant to do. I’m going to call it Earl. Earl versus Earl experiences. Right. And we actually, I think, had the benefit of this time to really think about how we can do in-person as well as virtual together and are really excited about that and excited about the ways that we are able to now. Think about what Web three means for our company, what it means to create events that are, like I said, IRL in IRL in their nature.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:36] So what are some of the ways that people can connect with the community? What are some of the initiatives that you have active right now?

Verta Maloney: [00:11:44] Well, we just finished our professional boot camp, which is a weekend event, and that actually was born out of the pandemic when we found a lot of people in our community online was talking about being laid off, how do I break into the industry? And so we just had a whole three day virtual event because that’s how it started, where we just brought experts from all parts of the industry, whether it’s HR professionals, streamers, marketers, all of esports and gaming to just share information with the audience. So we just did that and we are gearing up for our awards, which this year pretty certain will have an IRL component. I think we’re also going to have we’re working on maybe even having a roadblock event for that as well. So a lot of really fun things that are happening there and that’s coming up. Rebecca might be able to talk more about that as the sounds start to enter my background. Yeah, I think Verna really, really hit most of it. I mean, we we exist in a lot of places and that’s because, as I mentioned earlier, saying the word gamer is it means a lot of things, right? So we have where we are at the game hers on basically all the social networks, which is a great way to interact with our community. We have a discord that’s very active. We have an app and then we have some tentpole events like like that boot camp, like our awards. But by following any of our socials, that’s the best way to figure out where we’re going to be and what we’re going to do and how to get the benefit of our really wonderful community.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:13] And you have an initiative that targets like a college level women.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:13:19] I mean, yeah, that’s an example of, as Vertue mentioned, when we didn’t know we were going to do this. But we realized very early on if we’re going to make a difference for women in gaming, we need to actively identify how we can be valuable in the collegiate space. So we did about a year of networking and research and launched launched a collegiate discord in March. And it is a wonderful community for college age gamers, as well as an opportunity for colleges and universities to join and help navigate through that community there, whether it’s their e-sports program or their gaming club, and figure out where women and them identify and gamers can sit in that in that space. So it’s been really a fun new initiative we’ve just done in the past couple of months.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:07] Is that the youngest group that you target this community for? Are there initiatives for even younger women?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:14:15] So our roadmap is to include and specifically address creating a community for all ages. And with the with our app, we have age an age limit, but we have the collegiate discord and then in the high school space and kind of k 12 we’re just right now, I would say in the study and learning phase, we talked earlier a little bit about possibly having a Roblox be a part of our awards. That’s something we’re exploring with some some younger girls. And we’re just we’re just trying to figure out how we can be valuable in that space. So at this exact moment in time, there’s not a place to go for that. But we are actively connecting and trying to learn and see what we can provide.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:04] The reason I brought that up is here in Atlanta, we do a lot of work with a group called Women in Technology. And something I learned from interviewing a lot of those folks is that very young girls are kind of interested in STEM and steam initiatives. But at some point around, I think fifth grade ish, that starts to splinter. And I was just wondering if there is, you know, at least some thinking around, we have to do things to attract and keep those girls engaged as creators, not just consumers of this type of technology.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:15:44] Yeah, absolutely. I think that that stat is one that’s it’s just really saddening. Right. And we do want to have an impact in changing that. And so we’ve we’re a small but mighty startup. And so just as Rebecca said, it’s a goal of ours and we’re already engaging with a couple of as we engage with the colleges and universities, some of them have camps where they’re bringing younger students on. And we’re thinking about ways that we can support that right now as we build out what could potentially be a way to get down to K to 12.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:14] Now, did you start this out as kind of bootstrapped and it was just a bunch of like minded folks who were just saying, hey, let’s take a swing at this? Or was this always something that you said, you know what, at some point we’re going to get investment and we’re going to really blow this out.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:16:31] We started out by bootstrapping for a very short time, but as Verna mentioned, we found out quickly that there was a space for our app. And the moment we decided that we needed to develop an app, we’ve started fundraising. So we. Of investors and we are actually in the middle of and an intermediate seed round right now and we’re looking to do our series A in 2023.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:53] So how did you hear about Startup Showdown and Panoramic Ventures?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:16:59] We have been we have identified Atlanta as a really important city for the gaming and e-sports industry. We are New York based, but we are everywhere global. That being said, Atlanta is a city where we have our lead investor and also just a lot of really wonderful partners and connections in that industry. So through that, we found out about the startup showdown and Panoramic Ventures and we were lucky enough to get to the finals last year.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:31] So can you share a little bit about part of the process that you found most beneficial? Like what was kind of the the valuable part of going through something like that?

Verta Maloney: [00:17:44] I’ll start with that. As someone who had never I’ve started a lot of things but never started a business and then had to pitch to people. And so for me, the kind of biggest learning was around how we as founders share our message and how it is that we are always clear on who we want to partner with, even as people that want to invest with us and make sure that they’re aligned with us. So that was something that was just a really key learning for me and that you kind of never know who might be interested. And so you just have to always be ready, willing and able to just like shoot your shot.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:20] Now. Any advice for other founders of startups, maybe specifically ones that are trying to build a community? Because I think building a community has its own unique challenges. Any kind of, you know, do’s and don’ts.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:18:35] I think the most I won’t say the most because there are a lot of things about building a community. But one of the really valuable things to keep in mind is the reason the community gains traction. We thought we had an idea. We we talked to a lot of gamers. We got people in the community early. And the fact that the early adopters, I guess you could say the early joiners joined means that we were on to something valuable, but we still weren’t really sure. So looking to the community for advice and and direction on how to grow, it’s just the most important thing because the minute you think that the minute that we think we know more than our community, we are community builders in terms of creating that space, but the community is the community. So that would be what my advice probably has some things to add. I’m not sure.

Verta Maloney: [00:19:24] But yeah, no, I was definitely I think that’s really important and I think for me it’s just hire I always I always hire people that are smarter than me. And I think you need to do that, right? So don’t be intimidated by that. Like actually have that as a goal. And even if you’re not hiring them, there are people that you’re collaborating bring people on that know a lot about what it is that you want to do. We have so many gamers on our team, we were just like really deliberate about that. Women on our team, people that are non binary in our team, just wanting to make sure that whoever it is that you want to serve and solve a problem for work with, sell a product to make sure that they are a part of that process of building what you’re building.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:04] How do you go about when you’re building a community knowing that this sounds like the community could all raise their hand and say, This sounds great, I’d love to be a part of this, but they never spend a dollar with you. They never kind of, you know, generate revenue so that you can keep building the community. How do you know you have something that is, you know, worthy of your members investing in with, you know, green dollars, not just, you know, likes or high fives.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:20:35] Well, I can tell you, when we first started, we had some hypotheses about revenue models for our community and definitely having community members possibly pay us was was one of them if we were able to provide something valuable for them. That being said, when we when you build a community, you do have to build the community a little bit first to make sure and then to test that. The revenue that came to us first and is still our most most robust revenue at this moment is actually advertising and sponsorships because they just because of the sheer number of women gamers and the fact that, as you mentioned, they are they represent so many different parts of the gaming industry. That is a group of people who brands almost every brand in any category could or I would say should want to reach. So that’s one piece of it. Now, why how our community would actually pay us. There are lots of different potential streams for that and it’s in the form of facilitating jobs, although that also could be could be something where we get revenue from the corporate side of it, which is something we already actually are doing right now. Merchandise merch is a big deal in the gaming world and so we are continuing again to build the community, look back to the community and test that and then grow base based on that is the answer.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:10] So it really starts with just being just continue with continual service of the community and then if you do that well then everything kind of takes care of itself.

Verta Maloney: [00:22:23] I think so. I think you do it well and it’s and it’s also being strategic. So one thing that I wanted to say about that is also seeing we see our community as an influencer, as an expert in the space and people need to one pay for that expertize, right? So that’s how it coming to us. And we want to make sure that we are able to pay people in our community to do that. But also knowing that that expertize exists makes people want to come to the community. So I want to just like say a little bit that not all of those dollars have to come from your community members spending. It has to come from what it is that that community has to offer. The world could also be the way to look at that question. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:23:01] Now, having now immersed herself in this world for a few years now, have you seen a change? Are things changing? You know, as we get through the pandemic, like you said now, some in real life things are coming into play. Now this Web three is coming into play. And the metaverse, there’s all kinds of, you know, stressors on that world. How have you seen the gaming world or industry change in that period of time?

Verta Maloney: [00:23:29] I’m going to say two things here. The first is that I believe fully that gamers, people that game, even whether it’s competitive or casually, have been the people that have actually built this moment that we’re able to be in. And so it’s within this space that so many of the thinkers I mean, if you think about AR VR that’s been around for a while, right. Has it been successful? Maybe not, but it’s been around for a minute. And so I think we are just really well situated to be engaging with a community that is going to be able to solve and kind of think about web3 and the metaverse and some really amazing dope and interesting ways. And I completely lost the second part of what I was going to say. So gone.

Lee Kantor: [00:24:08] But is it are you seeing now you’re seeing kind of a dip as the pandemic is waning, a dip in the streaming services, people, you know, watching things, they want to now get out in the world to interact in real life. Or is that kind of bleeding into the gaming world as well?

Verta Maloney: [00:24:28] Not not in our gaming world. That being said, you know, like we’ve sort of been talking about, the gaming world is so intertwined with everything else, the community piece of it, which is where we sit. I think people always want community and this goes kind of right in line with there’s Earl. Earl, and then where wherever web three kind of fits into that. It is both online and in real life and and the in real life part of it, I think, for a gaming community doesn’t take away from the online. It actually adds to that community building. So for us, the answer to that question is no, but that doesn’t mean that’s a statement for gaming at large. It’s that we haven’t we haven’t seen a dip.

Lee Kantor: [00:25:14] Now, going through the startup process and being a founder. Has there been any mentors or any people that you’re kind of leaning on to help guide you through this process?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:25:28] Yeah. I mean, we have an incredible advisory board. We all have mentors. We had even the mentors that we had in the start up showdown. I mentioned Atlanta as the city that we have identified as being important in our industry. We have a number of mentors there. And so it’s interesting that you bring that up because one thing we we talk about a lot for women and girls who want to get into the industry or maybe who want to pivot their career, to be here is to try to find people who could be mentors and connect with them. And so that is definitely an area where we practice what we preach. I think I would say every day I would agree with I think, yeah, we have an amazing advisory board and so they help us so much. And I think one of the people in the world that I just kind of admire in the space of like VC is Arlene Hamilton and she’s just this. She has an amazing story and she’s quite inspirational but also really practical. And I just follow her on social media and listen to her story and her advice. And like a lot of the things that about being ready to shoot your shot, being willing to shoot your shot, and also just believing in your idea. Right. And being able to pivot that. So.

Lee Kantor: [00:26:42] Yeah. So what do you need more of? How can we help?

Rebecca Dixon: [00:26:48] That’s a great question. We what we are always trying to do, I would say, before anything, is share the message about what we’re doing, because for the most part, women who game, who find out about us are happy we exist and want to want to join in our community to get value and to give value. We find our community is really generous with each other. So we have a lot of resources to offer in terms of figuring out how to get into the industry, getting support in the industry, getting support as a gamer. And so to the extent that we can provide that to more people, we’re always excited to get the word out about what we’re doing. And that being said, as we mentioned earlier, we are a for profit company intentionally so that we have resources to be able to grow and do more of that. So we are we are currently in the middle of an intermediate seed raise. So if you are if you are interested in learning more about that, we’d love to connect with with with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:27:54] And what’s the best way to do that. The website social and.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:27:58] I am I’m Rebecca Dixon. I lead that initiative and I am very active on LinkedIn and responsive to direct messages. So that’s a that’s a great way to connect.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:09] And the website.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:28:11] And the website yep the website is the game hers dot com.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:15] That’s tag Jamie HRC dot com.

Verta Maloney: [00:28:20] Yep and you can find us there. Oh sorry at the game. Hers everywhere else.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:27] Good stuff. Well, Rebecca Verda, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Rebecca Dixon: [00:28:34] Thank you so much. All right.

Lee Kantor: [00:28:37] You all right? This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on the start up showdown.

Intro: [00:28:43] As always, thanks for joining us. And don’t forget to follow and subscribe to the Start Up Showdown podcast. So you get the latest episode as it drops wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more and apply to our next start up showdown pitch competition visit showdown. V.s. That’s Showdown Dot DC All right. That’s all for this week. Goodbye for now.

2022 WBENC National Conference

June 15, 2022 by angishields

GWBC Radio

2022 WBENC National Conference

00:00 /

GWBC Radio broadcasted from the 2022 WBENC National Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center.

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) provides the most relied upon certification for women-owned businesses and the tools to help them succeed.

Each year, our dynamic and diverse network comes together to fuel opportunities for women entrepreneurs. The WBENC National Conference is the largest event of its kind for women business owners, welcoming thousands of women entrepreneurs and corporate executives ready to make connections and do business.

Pam Prince-Eason, President, WBENC

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812, if you want to come by and check us out. We are proud to have Pam Prince-Eason. Welcome, Pam.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:00:31] Oh, thank you for having me. I’m super happy to be here with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:34] Well, I’m excited to be talking to you. You’re the President of WBENC. When you look around at this conference, is this a few weeks ago, a few months ago, it was kind of chaotic, and now, here we are with just literally thousands of your closest friends around you.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:00:49] Yeah. So, we have 3,800 people that are registered for it. And I’m sure on any given day, there might not be quite 3,800 people, but we’re definitely over 3,000 every day. Yesterday was the first day, and today, it just keeps getting more and more excitement going. So, we’re glad to be here in Atlanta. What a great place to be for an event like this. We’re at the GWCC, as you said, wonderful venue for what we’re trying to do here. You can see we’ve got a new concept going on. After COVID, things are changing, right? And so, we had to change with it. When we booked this property, we were supposed to have been here in April of 2020. And so, they were gracious enough to work with us to rebook. But when you rebooked, you didn’t know like the virus was staying with us or what. So, we opted to come out of your normal format, where you have a lot of smaller rooms and that sort of thing, and take all this wonderful space.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:45] Right. This big, open air space.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:01:47] It’s great, isn’t it? And so, then we could make it what we wanted it to be. Even with that, the chaos has been real, right? Because it was really January 1st when we decided we think we can pull this off safely. So, will COVID occur? I would imagine that it would in any large group, but are we going to be this huge super spreader? I don’t think so, right? And people are being super careful. We’ve got a lot of precautions in place. And so, you can do business and do it safely.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:13] Right. And this is living testament to that. I mean, you’re seeing right here, it feels like a reunion, doesn’t it?

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:02:19] It does, doesn’t it?

Lee Kantor: [00:02:19] It feels like we’ve been so kind of locked in for a year-plus, and then seeing people, little squares on your computer, and now, you’re here, and the hugs are real, they feel real, right?

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:02:31] They sure are.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:31] The first time probably you’ve seen some of these people maybe in person, right?

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:02:35] Three years, it’s the first time I’ve seen people I knew pretty much in person in three years, because our last event was in another state three years ago in June, right? And so, that’s very real. And then, there’s been very little opportunity since then to be in person. So, as you said, it’s all been Zoom, and now, we’re finally here, and we have 200 new corporate members, right? So, we’re up well over 500 active corporations wanting to make a difference.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:04] Isn’t that amazing? I mean-

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:03:06] So, those 200 people, I’ve only seen them via Zoom, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:03:09] Right.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:03:09] And so, now, I’m seeing them and the teams that they have with them, and I’m seeing their commitment come to life. It’s amazing.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:15] Yeah. Now, for you as the leader of this organization, what’s kind of your dream of dreams? How do you want to leave this at the end of your tenure? What do you see? Is it more corporate, more WBEs? How do you want to see the growth of the organization?

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:03:28] So, just this week, our overall.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:30] Overall. You’re kind of over your dream of how this could be at the end of your tenure.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:03:35] Okay. There are millions of women-owned businesses out there, and those businesses could be Caucasian businesses. They could be women of color. They could be disabled businesses. They could be veteran businesses. They could be LGBT businesses. And those are all women businesses. I want to see every business that wants to grow in scale be certified by this organization, because we are by far the best at connecting you with Corporate America, and, oh, by the way, with the federal government as well. The women-owned small business program is one that we support with our certification. And so, the opportunities are there. I have 14 great regional partners, one of which is Roz Lewis, who you know here in Atlanta, and they work with us all during the year to make sure that we’re getting opportunities available to women-owned businesses. So, what I’d love to see is millions of people certified.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:27] Right. And that’s what you’re talking about. A universe of it could be hundreds of thousands of women-owned businesses. That’s not a dream that’s impossible, it’s possible.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:04:35] It’s not impossible.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:37] Right. But I mean, we’re at—it seems like there’s a lot of people here, and there are, and there seems like there’s a lot of certified businesses, and there are, but there’s tremendously, a vast majority are not certified, and they should be considering it at least to go through the process. I mean, it’s for their own good.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:04:54] Yes, exactly. And I hope that you’re getting the opportunity while you’re here to talk to new corporate members who had not been a part of anything like this before, as well as new WBEs. The new WBEs that I talked to yesterday, there were just a plethora of them, and they all said, I had no idea that getting certified would lead to this type of connection.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:18] Right. It’s game-changing.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:05:18] It is game-changing.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:19] I’ve interviewed enough people to know, I’ve interviewed small businesses, I’ve interviewed corporates, the budgets that corporates have are tremendous, and if they could just take a small sliver of it, it’s pennies on the dollar or even fractions of pennies, it makes a world of difference to these small business people. I mean, it’s not like these small business owners are saying, here, give me $50 Million, I mean, $50,000, $25,000, $10,000 is game-changing for a lot of these folks.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:05:48] Absolutely. And that’s what we want, right? Every one of us really cares about making an impact with either our customer base or our community in which we live in, right? We want to see that impact. It is much easier for a small business to add just one employee than it is for any of these large businesses to add 10, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:06:09] Right.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:06:09] And so, if we can get some of that money flowing toward smaller businesses, so that it can impact the community, so that they can spend it in those communities, it’s amazing. And what you see when you look around here at the great large corporations here supporting this, that’s what they’re trying to do, right? They’re trying to—if you’re not large enough to take those large orders yet, then they’re working on executive education programs with us, right? They’re working to scale those businesses. So, we’re super proud about being the representative for all women-owned businesses.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:37] Well, it’s more than a representative. I mean, you’re kind of the community builder for both sides of this kind of matchmaking marketplace that you’ve created here, because in order for the small business to do business with a large business, they have to be trained, and educated, and certified, and be legit so that they can really serve them. And these large businesses have to kind of learn how to work with the small businesses, and they have to get together, and everybody has to kind of communicate, and there has to be kind of this center part, where everybody can go in one place like this and learn how to work together.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:07:09] Yeah. Over a decade ago, I was vice president of global sourcing at Pfizer. And I’ll admit that initially, I mean, Pfizer was very smart, they recognized that I was great at large business interaction. But I’ll be honest, I wasn’t great at recognizing all the innovation that’s there with a small business, how much of an impact they can make, how quickly they can pivot for something needed. And really, that fluidity that those businesses have make great solutions for us, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:07:38] Right.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:07:38] And so, luckily, they put me on the board of this organization and it’s led to being here all the time.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:42] Right. It probably changed the trajectory of your career.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:07:44] It did. Never would I have imagined this, but I’ll tell you, there’s no more work that you can be so gratified by than seeing a small business owner get an order.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:55] Right. Look, every large business start as a small business, right?

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:07:59] They sure do.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:59] So, they need an opportunity. They need the chance to meet that kind of corporate that says, hey, I can do this, I can solve this need. And a lot of these corporate, I’m seeing are very creative in the sense that they’re using these smaller businesses as kind of beta testers of ideas, and, hey, I’m doing this thing, you might be able to use this. It’s like their R&D budget for some of these folks.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:08:22] That is absolutely true. We have—I won’t out any names right now, but we’ve got some pretty progressive corporations here right now who have their innovation department here, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:08:31] Exactly. It’s not an accident. That’s on purpose.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:08:34] Yeah, it’s not. We have two great pitch competitions going on. One is with our college students. The other one is with other women business owners who are here. And those innovation teams are watching these pitch competitions, and they’re saying, oh, is that something that can happen in my industry? Is that something that would be totally different if I brought it into my industry? So, again, I think that we are a wonderful organization, and throughout the year, we have about 850 things available either nationally or with my 14 regional partners. And every one of those gives a WBE the opportunity to interact with corporate partners who care about them becoming part of the supply chain.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:13] And it’s important for every business out there, every woman-owned business to get certified. I know it’s a bit of a pain. There’s paperwork, there’s stuff, hoops you got to jump through, but the payoff is so large, it can be game-changing. And one account from one of these corporates, where you would never get to meet them in real life unless you were certified and working with one of your RPOs, it can change the trajectory of yourself, your business, your community. It can really—it’s big if you do it and take the time to do it. Do you have anything actionable that you can share with that women business owner that may be kind of heard of certification? Is it clear how to do it? What should they be doing to get involved?

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:09:53] Yes. So, the easiest thing that I can say is our website is wbenc.org. So, that’s wbenc.org. Again, wbenc.org. When you go there, there’s a tap for certification. If you go to that, it will simply say, if you need to be certified, this is what it requires to be certified. It is laid out there step by step on what you need. And there are questions at times, about do you need that much paperwork? Do you really need my minutes of this? Do you need various parts of what we ask for? Well, we do, right? We need to know you’re owned, operated, and controlled by a woman or women. And so, what I would say about that is we intend to grow you, and as we grow you, you’re going to potentially need a loan. Well, the paperwork you do for me to get certified, you just keep it in a little file, and you’re going to be able to just walk right into the bank with that, and have everything you need. So, we get you organized. And so, yes, it can be daunting if you’re one of the people who’s had a business, and you don’t know where any of your records are, and that sort of stuff, but once you’ve done that, it is well worth it.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:58] Absolutely. And you have to do that to get certified, but once you’ve done it, you’ve done it, and the next time is easy.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:11:04] That’s exactly right.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:06] Alright, Pam. Thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Pam Prince-Eason: [00:11:10] Thank you for covering us. We really appreciate it.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:12] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC booth 1812. We’ll be back in a few.

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Allison O’Kelly, Corps Team

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open for Business. And we’re broadcasting live at the Georgia World Congress Center for WBENC’s National Conference. I think this is their 25th year of doing this. It’s a great event. The conference floor is humming with people getting set up. And our first guest today is Allison O’Kelly with Corps Team. Welcome, Allison.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:00:41] Hi. Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:42] You got to get in there, rock star close.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:00:44] Alright. Rock star close.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:45] There you go.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:00:46] Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:46] Well, I’m so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Corps Team. How are you serving folks?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:00:51] Yes. So, we are a professional staffing and search firm, so we help companies find talent, which, as you know, today is kind of difficult to do.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:00] That’s right. So, you’re probably a leading indicator of when the economy is doing great and when employment’s kind of full.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:01:07] You’re absolutely right. We know pretty quickly when our mix of contract labor and direct hire labor starts shifting, it shows that things are happening.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:17] Things are happening. So, where are we at right now?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:01:20] It’s still wild. People are looking for both, contractors and direct hire. And more direct hire than typical, which is a good sign for the economy, but you’re starting to hear a little bit of layoffs, but we haven’t seen any yet.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:37] Now, is it across all industries? Is this kind of industry agnostic growth, or is it kind of, oh, it’s only like you’re coders, you probably never have enough coders in technology, things like that, but is it across the board?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:01:49] It really is across the board. I mean, of course, you had some industries slow with the pandemic, travel, hospitality, that kind of stuff, but other than that, I mean, everything is really taking off. I mean, you are starting to hear of layoffs in the tech sector. We’re not hearing that in our other clients at all.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:10] And then, are you saying the rate that people are being paid, is that increasing a little bit?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:02:17] Very much so, yeah, which is a real struggle for companies, because the pay rates are going up a ton and maybe they haven’t been able to increase their prices as much yet, so it’s a challenge. You hear a lot of hiring managers saying, but this person isn’t worth that amount of money, and you’re like, well, if that’s the going rate, they are worth that amount of money.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:38] Guess what, that’s the new rate

Allison O’Kelly: [00:02:39] That’s right.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:40] Now, what about the work from home? Are you finding kind of push-pull in that regard as well in terms of our people saying, hey, look, I’ll take the job, but I’m working out of my house, like they’re kind of adding that into the negotiation now?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:02:53] Yes and no. I would say companies at this point are pretty much saying what they’re doing, but the more flexible the companies are being, the more talent is going to be interested in their opportunities.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:08] Right. Are people switching to a hybrid? Are you finding that where it’s like they’re making them come in the office for some, but then it’s back and forth?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:03:16] We have a lot of hybrid. Our clients who want all in-office are few and far between at this point. Most have some sort of hybrid or what they’re calling now remote first. Meaning, remote.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:31] Right. Exactly.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:03:31] Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:32] Because people are like, no, I want to only go in the office, but that’s a short list, right?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:03:36] Where you find it, and this is a challenge, is for people who are newer in their careers, younger people right out of college because they need the training. So, it’s really tough for them to-

Lee Kantor: [00:03:49] Do that remotely.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:03:50] Right. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:51] Now, so what’s it like when you’re working with a client? So, they come to you, they’re like, hey, I need five, blah, blah, blahs, and they’re like, okay, Allison, my team are going to jump in there and find you. Those folks, like how does it work?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:04:03] Those five, blah, blah, blahs?

Lee Kantor: [00:04:05] Right.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:04:05] Yeah, exactly. I mean, it really depends. So, for larger clients, they tend to work through a large staffing firm. And then, we support those large staffing firms for their regular contractor needs. For the smaller and mid-sized growing firms, yes, they’ll come to us and ask for the specific roles, and we’re helping with those.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:26] And then, so you’re just kind of do that—you’re part of their team?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:04:31] Yeah, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:32] And then, do you have a specialty, a niche that you’re like, okay, we’re great at this type of person?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:04:38] Everything.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:39] Everything?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:04:39] We do—our history has always been in professional staffing, so that would be your accountants, marketing, HR, strategy, higher-level admin. We don’t do low level, but maybe like an executive assistant. And then, about three or four years ago, we added engineering and IT, which of course, as you can imagine, is our fastest-growing area. So, we do a lot in financial services, we do a lot in logistics, but as far as industry goes, it really doesn’t matter. It’s more the functions within the industry.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:13] Now, how would a candidate stand out to you? Like how do you find those candidates, because a lot of them right now, I would imagine, have jobs?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:05:20] They do. And so, that is why companies are coming to us more now than they had in the past, because people are not applying to jobs as they once had. And if they are applying, sometimes, that’s not a good sign. Why is somebody actively looking for a job at this point unless their company decided to be all in person or whatever? But we are actively sourcing those candidates. So, we have our own talent pool of over 300,000 employees—not employees, candidates who we have access to, as well as all sorts of subscriptions with LinkedIn Recruiter, and CareerBuilder, and Indeed, and Dice, and everything else, so we’re going to go out and actively search for candidates.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:05] So, now, if you’re a candidate out there or you’re working and you’re like, I want to be—I want to know what’s out there, what can I do on LinkedIn specifically to stand out so that Allison and her team call me?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:06:17] Yeah. I mean, there’s a couple of things. Number 1, and this, it all depends if you’re employed, if you want to do this or not, but you can flag yourself as open to work. So, recruiters definitely sort by who’s open to work and who’s not. But again, if you have a job, you might not want to do that. But the biggest thing is keywords. Everything is done by keywords these days. So, if you’re looking for a particular type of job, even if that’s not in your history, putting in your summary, looking for a job in X field, and putting words as often as you can without being completely obnoxious, they’re going to come up.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:54] That helps?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:06:55] Yeah, they’re going to come up in the search.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:56] So, you’re doing a search, like what would be a search term you would look for if you’re looking for somebody?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:07:01] Maybe I’m looking for somebody from a big four accounting firm, right? So, I might look up big four, I might look up audit, I might look up KPMG specifically, and maybe that person really wants to go into finance and that’s not where they were, then they should put in there, seeking financial analyst position, something like that.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:23] Right, because you might search for a financial analyst and that would bubble up.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:07:27] That’s right.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:28] So, now, what brings you to this show? Why is it important for you to be here?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:07:32] Well, we are an Atlanta-based woman-owned business. And so, we have been WBENC-certified for pretty much since our inception 17 years ago. And so, we’re part of the host committee for the Atlanta market, who is bringing this conference.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:49] Right. So, welcome all these people, because this conference is for people all over the country, right?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:07:53] Absolutely. So, part of it is to welcome, and part of it for us is we do a lot of work with large companies, so meeting new large companies and seeing some of our clients as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:03] So, now, what has been the biggest impact from being part of GWBC?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:08:09] I think the big thing is events like this where you’re able to meet people in procurement and supplier diversity who are really going to look out for women-owned businesses. I think for us, especially in search and staffing, it’s not as rare as it may be in some organizations, so it gives us a leg up, but it certainly isn’t going to open the doors necessarily, but it helps.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:35] Sure. But they have programs in place that help you kind of have conversations with enterprise-level organizations?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:08:42] Absolutely. Yeah, most of them, and these are the people who are exhibiting here or if they might have a whole supplier diversity department or certainly part of procurement, where they’re looking, if they’re going to do business with 10 staffing companies, they want to make sure a certain percentage of them are women-owned, diverse, whatever else that might be.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:04] And you’re getting conversations, and building relationships, and you can’t have too many of those, right?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:09:08] That’s exactly right.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:09] So, if somebody wants to get a hold of you and learn more about Corps Team, what’s the website?

Allison O’Kelly: [00:09:15] It’s corps like Marine Corps, corpsteam.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:20] Well, Allison, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Allison O’Kelly: [00:09:23] Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:24] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference in the GWBC booth.

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Kayla Dang, GMI Group, Inc.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:17] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference, and we’re in the GWBC booth, booth 1812, if anybody’s listening, and wants to come on by and check us out. Right now, our guest today is Kayla Dang and she is with GMI Group. Welcome, Kayla.

Kayla Dang: [00:00:37] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] So excited to have you here. Before we get too far into things, tell us about GMI Group. How are you serving folks?

Kayla Dang: [00:00:45] We are commercial janitorial, cleaning services, and serving through the southeast of the US.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:50] Now, how did you get involved with GWBC?

Kayla Dang: [00:00:53] My company was certified back in 2005 as a WBE certifications, and since then, I’ve been involved with GWBC.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] Now, what drew you to getting certified and getting involved?

Kayla Dang: [00:01:06] Well, I found out about the organization and how I could leverage my—I guess, in the to-do business with corporations and with government agency. And so, I did the researching in the organizations, and so it drew me to that, and I have certifications then.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:23] Did that help you actually—like you hope that that would happen, did that really happen?

Kayla Dang: [00:01:27] It did. At the beginning, it did not serve the purpose, because I was not involved and I did not use the certification like it should. And then, once I found out more about the certifications and what it can do for me, so I really leveraged that as my marketing tool, my proposal tool, and then target that, and it has helped me—my growth.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:51] And that’s a great lesson for other women-owned businesses to not just sign up and join, but to actually immerse yourself in it, get involved, and you’ve taken on a variety of leadership positions over the years you’ve been with them, right?

Kayla Dang: [00:02:04] That is correct. In the beginning, I mean, the certifications was not widely known as before, but now, it has a lot of leverage, has a lot of benefits to that. And you really have to get in, and be active, and be involved in organizations, and find out what is there, and what corporations, what government agency is using that, the percentage set aside, and you really need to do your homework. And once you do that, your sort of location is a great benefit.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:30] So, when you started and you weren’t getting the results you wanted, what kind of was the clue? Like, okay, let’s try to really get involved and let’s really give this a fair shot.

Kayla Dang: [00:02:41] Well, in the beginning, I didn’t know a lot of—as I tend and got more involved in the GWBC, that’s the IPO I’m with ,is the southeast, so once I jumped in, and find out about the certifications, and find out about what government agency is using it, what kind of percentage is set aside for a WBE like myself, so when I found that out, and then that’s more eye-opener for me, is for me to target that.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:07] And then, at that point, you started getting traction and started getting better results?

Kayla Dang: [00:03:12] That is correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:13] And then, when that happened, you were like, oh, this is fantastic now, right? This is worth my time.

Kayla Dang: [00:03:17] That’s correct. Because when I was awarded one of the contract, it was set aside for like a shelter contract, and it set aside for like a 5% for WBE like myself. And then, when the price comparisons, when you take that off, I became the lowest bidder, so I was awarded a contract.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:34] Wow. Congratulations. So then, that really kind of opened the doors, and now, you’ve kind of figured out the system and how to operate, and then that’s kind of helped catapult you to this great success that you are today?

Kayla Dang: [00:03:45] That’s correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:46] So, now, when you started getting involved in the leadership role, talk about your role here at this conference. What are some of the stuff you’re doing?

Kayla Dang: [00:03:54] Well, I’m one of the co-host for the southeast for the GWBC. I’m one of the eight of our organizations. So, I have a booth. My booth is 2113, so anyone’s looking for me. So, we have—we don’t just do janitorial services, we also do painting, and then we also have products, mosquito big shot products that we have pivoted during the COVID. So, we’re providing other products, and then include it with our company.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:20] So, now, who’s the ideal client for you now?

Kayla Dang: [00:04:23] Everybody is my ideal client, who’s-

Lee Kantor: [00:04:25] Any size?

Kayla Dang: [00:04:26] Any building that needs cleaning, so yes. And anyone looking for products or any services, so everybody’s my client.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:35] So, you’re based here in Atlanta. Are your clients only in the metro area or are you all over the place?

Kayla Dang: [00:04:40] The southeast.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:41] Southeast?

Kayla Dang: [00:04:41] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:42] So, anywhere in the southeast as a business that has a need is prospect for you?

Kayla Dang: [00:04:48] That’s correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:49] So, if somebody wants to learn more and get a hold of you, what’s the website?

Kayla Dang: [00:04:52] It’s gmigroupinc.com. Gmigroupinc.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:59] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today and congratulations on all the success.

Kayla Dang: [00:05:04] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:05] You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Kayla Dang: [00:05:07] Thank you very much.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:07] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference in the GWBC booth, booth 1812. We’ll see you in a few.

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Nino Campos, Randstad

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open for Business, but this is a special one because we’re broadcasting live from 2022 WBENC National Conference, and we’re in the GWBC booth 1812 if you want to come by and check us out. Right now, on the show, we have Nino Campos and he’s with Randstad. Welcome.

Nino Campos: [00:00:39] Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:41] Well, for the two people out there who don’t know, tell us a little bit, kind of the elevator pitch for Randstad. I know you guys are serving people all over the world.

Nino Campos: [00:00:50] All over the world, globally. So, we are the leading, in the top 50 in Diversity Inc as the top staffing company in the world right now, diversifying the world as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:03] So, this is a perfect conference for you to be at. Talk about your involvement as a corporate partner. Why was it important for you to kind of lean in and immerse yourself in the WBENC world?

Nino Campos: [00:01:13] Yeah. So, I’ve been in this industry for the past 13-plus years, serving the supplier diversity, the diversity and inclusion world. Very important being part of the GWBC is that they are not only the leading organization here in Georgia, but one of the ones that are very—where the rubber meets the floor or the rubber meets the street, right?And really advocating for the women businesses, business entrepreneurs out there, and making us work, making us think, making us be creative, making us go out there and serve the right way as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:48] So, now, any advice for a small business that wants to do business with Randstad, what do they have to do to to be ready for you to say, okay, this might be a good partner for us?

Nino Campos: [00:02:01] Well, it used to be a difficult—that’s a difficult question, usually. Usually, there’s a gantlet of things for a small, diverse business or a woman-owned business to get an opportunity, what they call a Fortune 500 business, get those opportunities, get that million-dollar revenue. And so, Randstad leading and best in class in providing opportunities has opened the doors in digitizing their supply chain.

Nino Campos: [00:02:28] So, offering opportunities to all comers, meaning these women businesses who have an idea, or have the opportunity or services that they could provide large businesses like Randstad to come and develop a digital portfolio for themselves. In doing so, getting mentored and developed on working with big large companies, not just ourselves, but with our client base as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:51] So then, it’s that simple, they go to a website portal, and then they can sign up and put their information, and then they kind of have the chance?

Nino Campos: [00:02:58] Yeah, believe it or not, it is that easy. It is going to our register on our external website. Enter your business name, see if you’re already there. If you’re not, you will meet supplier diversity immediately. There is no black hole or lag time. It is quite quick. So, immediately, you’ll start developing a digital portfolio at no cost and have a live consultant, someone on my team that will start to build out your portfolio to be able to network, if not mentor you for opportunities.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:24] So, that’s game-changing, because one account for a small business that could change the whole trajectory of their business.

Nino Campos: [00:03:31] Oh, of course, because now, we don’t have to network or market these suppliers to a line of business, or even a buyer or procurement, we’re going to the executive c-suites to introduce these suppliers for an immediate decision, find those opportunities immediately.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:47] So, if there’s other kind of enterprise level companies that want to streamline their process and create this kind of elegant solution that you have, are you talking to them as well, because I would imagine this is almost a competitive advantage for you?

Nino Campos: [00:04:01] Yeah, there’s really no one that I know of yet that is doing what we’re doing. We are digitizing the complete diverse supply chain, so that means every diverse supplier that’s certified, actively certified, and doing successful work has a digital portfolio. That digital portfolio, that information is on 340-plus databases to be located.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:21] Oh, so it’s not just Randstad?

Nino Campos: [00:04:23] Not just Randstad. When we say socioeconomic growth, we don’t mean only Randstad, we mean for the world.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:29] Uh-huh. And then, so how do the enterprise-level companies get involved and get their kind of information in part of this portal?

Nino Campos: [00:04:36] So, they would, hopefully, with the right third-party solutions that is accurately scrubbing their data, and those suppliers or the supplier that we utilize would be able to provide them that access to that database.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:50] Okay. So then, you’re all kind of in it together and you’re all sharing the information, sowhen like one of the WBENC folks or the GWBC folks puts their name in the portal, it’s giving them access to Ronstadt, but also several hundred other companies that kind of believe what you believe in, that this is important.

Nino Campos: [00:05:09] Yeah. So, what we’re doing with these digital portfolios, so let me give you a picture of it. Historically, what we would do, would give somebody an opportunity, would be they’ve come to us ,and say, I have something in IR. And so, you have a buyer, you have lines of businesses, and you have to sell.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:24] And it’s like on a one-on-one and it’s a one-off kind of thing.

Nino Campos: [00:05:27] Right. And you have those RFPs and you have multiple suppliers. Those preferred suppliers are on that RFP, right? If you want that business, continue business, how do you introduce a new business to that? How can you provide credibility, accessibility, all those things that would make it easy to make a decision? So, this digital portfolio is relationship-building, too, meaning that you put their capability statements in here, you put their NICS cost, you upload their certificates, their active certificates.

Nino Campos: [00:05:55] They’re being validated immediately through a third-party solution to certify that they are certified, and they can actually put their video, they can actually put their photos. It actually gives you a demographic of who they are ethnically, gender-wise. And so, it’s an enhanced way of doing an interview, per se, a presentation. So, here you are-

Lee Kantor: [00:06:15] And it’s so much more efficient. They don’t have to do this 300 times. They do it one time and it’s going out to 300 people.

Nino Campos: [00:06:21] It’s a URL, right? So, I directly report to the chief diversity officer of Randstad. Now, she’s the global equity officer of Randstad, the first of her. She now only expects a URL, right? And so, that URL provides a visibility to her best suppliers that are out there.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:42] Right. And then, this makes it easy for the Randstads of the world to say, okay, who do we need? And we can say, okay, we want to attract more Hispanic-owned businesses, so we can kind of target that, right? You can get as granular as you want to get, because it’s digital.

Nino Campos: [00:06:59] Yeah, it’s also instant governance or what we call scorekeeping. There’s an opportunity to score there. Actually, it needs notes.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:04] So, it’s almost a dashboard, too, where you can see everything, and see where you’re at, where you need, hey, maybe we should put a little more emphasis over here and less over here?

Nino Campos: [00:07:14] That is correct. And it’s also able to provide as visibility onto how much spending we’ve had with them already, finally, so we have a good visibility of what we have. And so, the scorekeeping that we do is non-corrective criticism, meaning that we only add in success and achievements to it. Now, if there isn’t any, that means—or they have dropped expenditures like we see-

Lee Kantor: [00:07:36] The trends, right?

Nino Campos: [00:07:37] … we go back and mentor them. We don’t just drop them. We go back, and mentor them, and find out what has happened on the client side or internally, and then mentor them. And we have now—developing right now, we’re creating a mentorship development-certifying program that will certify three curriculums of phases for the supplier. So, those top tier ones won’t get something they already have known for years.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:57] Right. But then, these newer, these emerging brands get an opportunity to learn and grow.

Nino Campos: [00:08:02] Correct.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:03] And then, everybody wins again when all the people are working together like this, it’s amazing. Congratulations on this. It’s a big initiative.

Nino Campos: [00:08:12] Thank you. Well, I want to level the playing field a little bit. I want everyone to understand that we are inclusive of all. Everybody has a thumbprint, right? Everybody has a niche service. Let’s not to call it an umbrella of things that you do, but what do you do best, and how can you do it best for us?

Lee Kantor: [00:08:26] Right. What’s your superpower, and how can we kind of match you up with the right person on our team, so we can kind of create this win-win?

Nino Campos: [00:08:33] Yeah, because we don’t have the time to play. We don’t have time for RFP these days, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:08:37] Right.

Nino Campos: [00:08:37] When someone says a new normal to me, I think like, well, then we’ve got to take away this RFP process and just put the right person in place, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:08:43] Right.

Nino Campos: [00:08:44] So, we’re in talent management, we’ve got to put the best talent in place.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:47] Right. And that removes a lot of bias and it removes a lot kind of the I know a guy kind of situation.

Nino Campos: [00:08:55] Exactly. And you start removing the tearing, right? If you remove the tearing and you put in the best possible service or individual, you’re going to have success.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:05] Right, and you get that win-win outcome that everybody’s looking for. Well, if somebody wants to learn more about this process, what’s the coordinates? Should they just go to the Randstad website and they can kind of find it from there?

Nino Campos: [00:09:15] Yeah, it’s very easy. Randstad.com, supplier diversity, and there is a registration there for you to just register your name, and you immediately will be entered into creating a digital portfolio.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:26] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Nino Campos: [00:09:30] Thank you very much for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:31] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference in the GWBC booth.

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Tammy Cohen, Infomart

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor live from WBENC’s National Conference in the GWBC booth, Booth 1812, if you want to stop by real quick. Right now, we’ve got an old friend, Tammy Cohen, with InfoMart. Welcome, Tammy.

Tammy Cohen: [00:00:30] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:31] I’m so excited to see you. Before we get too far into things, just a brief elevator pitch for InfoMart, tell us how you’re serving folks.

Tammy Cohen: [00:00:39] InfoMart is a global background screening company, so we do background checks for new hires, we do vendor screening, and we also do continuous monitoring on your current employees.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:50] So, there’s a lot of job security in that service. There’s a lot of folks that need that.

Tammy Cohen: [00:00:55] Definitely, over and over again.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:57] Now, how has it changed since you started? You’ve been doing this for a minute.

Tammy Cohen: [00:01:02] Oh, wow. Well, see, I’m going to date myself, but you can probably remember this, when there was no internet and no email and there was just fax machines, so it was just a paper shuffle. And it was even on the fax paper that was thermal.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:16] The rolls.

Tammy Cohen: [00:01:17] Yeah. It would lose its color after so long. So, I’ve been doing it a very long time. So, mainly just, you know, everything is electronic now.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:25] And then, now, I’m sure people demand this service faster. The speed is an important component of this.

Tammy Cohen: [00:01:33] Just like the mail. You remember when you used to send something out, you had three or four days? Now, you send something out and they email right back. So, it’s the same thing. So, we generally get information out to our clients in a day.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:45] So, here we are at the WBENC National Conference. Have you been to these before?

Tammy Cohen: [00:01:51] Oh, yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:52] Because with the pandemic, there hasn’t been an in person one like this.

Tammy Cohen: [00:01:56] No, there hasn’t. But, you know, I’ve gone to the ones years before. I go to a lot of tradeshows, and this is actually my favorite every year.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:06] And the energy seemed so high. Everybody is so optimistic and looking forward to this and connecting. It seems like there’s hugs happening everywhere. Everybody’s been holding in all these hugs for two years and it’s kind of exploding out on the conference floor.

Tammy Cohen: [00:02:19] Yes, it is. It’s so good to get to see people and be able to hug them, and everybody’s excited. You know, this is one of those few shows you really do business at this show, especially for women. I mean, you walk in knowing you’re going to get business, and so it’s exciting.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:39] So, how do you attack the show?

Tammy Cohen: [00:02:41] I basically create my strategy before.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:45] All right. So, what’s the Tammy strategy?

Tammy Cohen: [00:02:47] Well, my strategy is, I focus on a vertical. I’ve had verticals that I’ve made friends, so I’m going to go drop in on those verticals, say hi. And then, I’ve got a couple of new verticals that I want to start building relationships. Because, really, if you want a larger account, you have to build a relationship. It takes many years, and get to know you and your integrity. So, I just take my time and get to know people.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:11] So, you pick out a vertical and then spend time kind of getting to know the players and who’s here. Obviously, if they’re here in a booth, they think this is important, too.

Tammy Cohen: [00:03:21] Yes. And I spend time getting to know that vertical, the lingo, what is happening in the industry, what is their pain point, what types of background checks are they going to need. Are they doing retail where, you know, theft is really important or do they have drivers? So, I try to look really deep and focus on that so I can really be a benefit to the organization.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:45] Now, what about from an educational standpoint, is there any kind of speaker you’re excited to see or hear?

Tammy Cohen: [00:03:50] I always like the fireside chats because you get to really know somebody. And I think I just love that and I love panels. I always get so much out of a panel and a fireside chat.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:04] Right. Because this is stuff where you can get some actionable information that you could just put back into your business tomorrow.

Tammy Cohen: [00:04:09] Yes. And learn something that, “Wow. I need to contact them because I’ve got a solution for them.”

Lee Kantor: [00:04:17] Right. Now, talk about GWBC a second. Why should a woman business get involved with GWBC? Why should they kind of invest the time it takes to get certified and actually go through the process?

Tammy Cohen: [00:04:29] So, you know, a lot of people always think, “Oh, you’re just here to get contracts.” And I think everybody joins for that reason. But what you really take away is, you learn how to sell, you learn how to pitch on the fly. You know, a lot of the corporates here I have had that have been great mentors that would say at the beginning, like, “That was horrible.” And you’re like, “What?” “You know, that was a horrible pitch.”

Tammy Cohen: [00:04:54] So then, actually my very first WBENC meeting was a meet and greet table, and I sat down and everybody pitched. And I was nervous and I did horrific. I walked away so embarrassed. And I was like, “I will never do that again.” So, I really refined, refined, refined. Two years later, I end up being in the final five on the perfect pitch competition on the big stage. And I thought, “That all came from WBENC.” You know, they have so many webinars and meetings, and you get a chance to constantly pitch.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:28] Now, any advice for the listener about that perfect pitch? What are some of the most important do and the most important not do?

Tammy Cohen: [00:05:35] I think, first of all, keep it short, keep it sweet, keep it factual. And don’t say, “Oh. We’ve got the best quality.” No. No.
“Our turnaround time is a day.” You know, give them the facts. Especially here, I mean, this is a tough sell because the corporate see so many pitches and they talk to so many people, they have an expectation. But the benefit is when I go to do a sales meeting outside of WBENC, I’ve got it. I know what I’m doing.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:08] So, if somebody wants to learn more about InfoMart, what’s the website?

Tammy Cohen: [00:06:11] backgroundscreening.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:14] Well, Tammy, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Tammy Cohen: [00:06:19] Thank you, Lee. Well, so do you, we appreciate you.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:21] All right. This is Lee Kantor broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022. And we’re inside the GWBC booth.

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Anita Davis, Praxis Strategic Solutions

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022. And we’re inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812 if you want to stop by and see us. Right now, we have a great guest, Anita Davis, President, Chief Funding Matchmaker with Praxis Strategic Solutions. Welcome, Anita.

Anita Davis: [00:00:38] Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:40] So, how’d I do with the name? You challenged me.

Anita Davis: [00:00:43] I did. I did. Don’t get tongue-tied, so say it slow. You did excellent.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:47] Alright. Well, tell us a little bit about Praxis. How are you serving folks?

Anita Davis: [00:00:51] So, I serve clients that are ready to scale and grow their companies. I work with clients that need capital to be able to fund the growth of their business strategic growth.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:04] So, there’s one or two people out there that probably need capital. Does anybody say, no, I have enough capital, I don’t need anymore?

Anita Davis: [00:01:11] You’d be surprised, some people like to grow organically, and I think organic growth is fine if you want to grow slowly, but I believe that women business owners, in particular, need to consider rethinking growth and to think about growing through acquisitions or maybe growing through a expansion of territory, buying a competitor, doing things like that that make them accelerate their growth. And here at the conference, we’re focusing on corporate contracts. And so, they really do need to have some funding secured to be able to execute on those contracts.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:50] So, let’s think about this from a strategic standpoint. I’m a small business owner. I always thought, oh, I’m going to just grow organically. You’re saying think bigger than that, because maybe I’m aiming too low, maybe there’s a lot of opportunity out there if I just kind of open my eyes to what’s around me, talk about that conversation you’re having with that person who hadn’t even considered strategic growth and using capital to grow in that manner.

Anita Davis: [00:02:13] Those are great questions, and that conversation is my favorite conversation to have with clients. I want you to rethink the way you think about debt. In most cases, most companies think, oh, debt is bad, and debt can be a dirty word for some people if you’re not a smart business owner. But these women here at WBENC, they are brilliant business owners, and they have thought about how to scale their companies, and that’s why they’re looking at corporate contracts, but you do need to have resources available to you to fund that growth.

Anita Davis: [00:02:49] And so, sometimes, you may need to consider, what would it be like if I bought another company that can give me those complementary services or solutions that a corporate officer may be looking for, but I don’t have in-house right now, and that can allow you to accelerate your growth, versus someone who’s saying that, okay, this year, I’m going to grow 5% year over year, it may not enable you to execute on a corporate contract.

Anita Davis: [00:03:20] And some clients don’t really even think about, well, what would it be like if I strategically purchased another company and made an acquisition? What would it be like if my competitor is thinking about retiring, because they’re in that silver tsunami and they haven’t even thought about it, but they’re ready to exit. And then, if you position yourself with the right capital, then you might be able to make a strategic acquisition, buy a new territory, get into a new market. So, those are the solutions that Praxis will help a client work through.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:55] So, your clients, what could they be doing today to make them a perfect fit for you tomorrow? What are some of the activities they have to do to kind of clean up their books, maybe to show that, hey, you can trust me with this capital, I’ll use it wisely?

Anita Davis: [00:04:11] What a great segue, because at the conference, we have a solution called our financial funding assessment. And assessment basically walks the client through, are you ready for funding now? Are you close, but not quite there, or are you not ready for funding? And then, we will—through either one of those scenarios, we can walk a client through the process of positioning their company for funding. So, we help you either with some education, some financial literacy education, some strategies, some tools in our tool kit, so we offer a resource kit. So, if you come by booth 2312 here at the conference, then you can talk with our team about strategic growth.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:04] And talk about the show for a second. Is this the first WBENC show for you or you’ve been coming to these for a while?

Anita Davis: [00:05:10] So, I actually launched my business at WBENC in 2016, didn’t know what I was doing. I just used to be a banker, and I’m like, oh, these people must need money. Yeah, this must be my jackpot. Okay. Life doesn’t work that way. And so, I have come to—I think this is my fourth or fifth conference, and I’m on the host committee with Roz Lewis. And so, the host committee, we basically are here to help anybody who is from out of town and sponsoring this event, but also to make sure that they know what’s happening here in Atlanta.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:44] And then, for folks that are from out of town, how would you kind of attack the show? And maybe around town, what are some things you’d make sure to see?

Anita Davis: [00:05:55] I think at the show, you need to be prepared for who you want to meet. You can’t meet everybody, and everybody is not necessarily a fit for your company, even though they may have a big corporate name. So, you really need to decide, do you have the solutions that the corporations are looking for and have a strategic plan on how you’re going to convey that in a brief nanosecond, because that’s about all the time you’re going to get?

Anita Davis: [00:05:55] And when you do that, then that’s the best strategy for being prepared to be able to address what the conference is going to mean to you. And also, make a plan to meet all of these other brilliant business women owners around here. So, I tell people, it’s the 25th anniversary, make a plan to meet 25 people a day. If it’s not 25 people a day or that’s too aggressive for you, but make a plan for the whole conference to meet at least 25 people. Just go with the theme.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:55] Yeah, it’s right there for you. So, now, talk about GWBC. For women who haven’t joined yet, tell them why they should join.

Anita Davis: [00:07:04] I would tell you that this whole organization here, GWBC, from Roz, who is the president, all the way down to her team, the certifying team, they all want us to be successful. And I’ve had nothing but really great support from the organization and the people in it. They know me. I know them. And they want to see us grow. And if you’re in business here in Atlanta, you need to join GWBC. I just brought somebody over here with me just now to introduce her, because she wasn’t certified. I said, let’s go over here and let’s meet the team.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:40] That’s right. It’s one of those things. There are a lot of women businesses out there that haven’t taken the time to be certified. Talk to that. That’s an investment worth making. It is strategic solution.

Anita Davis: [00:07:52] It is a great investment. It was hard because I’m in the financing business, and I’m like, maybe these corporations don’t need me, but I’ve strategically figured out how to be able to provide solutions for them, for their suppliers that are in their supply chain that need—that might be creating some financial risk to the supply chain. So, you really just need to be able to think through, how can you serve the client? And it’s really about the client. With GWBC, they help you move along that track to be able to offer solutions for corporate, and then tell you how to make that strategy work for you.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:32] So, if somebody wants to get ahold of you, learn more about Praxis, what’s the website?

Anita Davis: [00:08:37] The website is, it’s a brand new fancy website, you guys, but it’s under Praxstra, P as in Paul-R as in Robert-A-X as in Sam-S-T-R-A. So, we, praxstra.com. If you go to praxstra.com, it’s a little bit unique, then you can have access to our site and see what we have to offer you as a business owner.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:05] Well, Anita, thank you so much for sharing your story, doing important work. We appreciate you.

Anita Davis: [00:09:09] Thank you very much for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:12] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from 2022 WBENC National Conference, live from the GWBC booth, booth 1812. We’ll be back in a few.

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Jill Frey, Cummins Facility Services, LLC

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022. And we’re inside the GWBC booth and we’re joined with Jill Frey with Cummins Facility Services. She is with the Ohio River Valley. What is it, the group?

Jill Frey: [00:00:36] Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] What do they call them?

Jill Frey: [00:00:37] Yeah, it’s an RPO and it’s the Ohio River Valley. RPO.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:40] And then, you’re the co-hosts, right, of this whole event?

Jill Frey: [00:00:44] Yes, we are. We’re co-hosting with the Atlanta RPO and we are rocking it out. We’re having so much fun. So, we all have these awesome scarves that we’re wearing.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:51] I heard the scarf’s the giveaway.

Jill Frey: [00:00:52] Yeah, yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:53] Only special people get the scarves.

Jill Frey: [00:00:55] You are right, Lee. Only special people get to wear them.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:58] Well, before we get into that side of what you’re here for, talk about Cummins for a second.

Jill Frey: [00:01:03] Thanks, Lee. I appreciate your time. Thanks for asking me to be on your show. Super fun.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] Sure.

Jill Frey: [00:01:08] So, Cummins Facility Services, we’re actually celebrating our 50th year in business this year, so it’s a really great year for us. It’s also the 25th anniversary for WBENC, so they’re half of our age. Anyway-

Lee Kantor: [00:01:21] It’s not a competition, but if it was, you’d be winning.

Jill Frey: [00:01:25] I’d be the oldest. That means, I have more wisdom, right? Anyway, so we are a national facilities management company. We just branched off about four years ago, started doing technology, and we make buildings smarter. So, after COVID, that’s really been a popular thing. We can tell you how many people are in your building, how to better use your building during the hybrid situations that are going on now, how much food to make, how much energy to have every day. So, we let your building talk to us, so we can tell kind of what’s going on, what’s the temperatures in your building? What do you need more of? What do you need less of? How can we make it run better, cheaper, stronger, faster?

Lee Kantor: [00:02:04] So, 50 years ago, how smart were the buildings?

Jill Frey: [00:02:07] Oh, my, they weren’t very smart at all. That’s a really good question, Lee. So, a lot has changed. Actually, not a lot has changed in facilities management, in terms of technology, but now, really, with COVID and those new hybrid situations, we’re really trying to take advantage of that and show how we can offer more solutions in a building so they can be smarter. Because 50 years ago, everybody came into work, dressed in their ties, they smoked 50 years ago.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:35] Yeah, different problems to deal with then.

Jill Frey: [00:02:37] Right. The ceilings were black, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:02:39] You don’t have that problem anymore.

Jill Frey: [00:02:40] No. It’s amazing how evolution happens.

Jill Frey: [00:02:44] We’re all safer and we’re all healthier.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:47] Healthier. Wow. It’s a win-win.

Jill Frey: [00:02:49] That’s exactly right.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:50] So, now, how do you attack a conference like this WBENC Conference?

Jill Frey: [00:02:53] Oh, my gosh. We’ve had so much fun. So, I’ve got about six people here and we all have matching tennis shoes.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:59] Yeah. That’s a thing. What is that?

Jill Frey: [00:03:02] Yeah, they’re blue and pink. They’re really fun. So, that’s been awesome. We’re called the Blue Shoe Crew.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:07] Uh-huh. That makes sense.

Jill Frey: [00:03:07] Yeah. But we’ve really worked hard on making sure we’re targeting the people that we want to do business with, the people that are in our footprint, right? And we’ve been working every week for the last three months figuring out the booth setup, who we’re attacking, our marketing. We have these fun wristbands that tell you our booth number, and then we’re having happy hour every day at our booth 513 from 3:00 to 4:00. So, we’re having wine, and beer, and everything. We have couches, people can sit. So, we’re making it very easy to do business with us.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:39] That’s right. They’d hang out at least.

Jill Frey: [00:03:41] Yeah. We’ve got this beautiful green wall with flowers on it, so people can do like their TikToks, and their pictures, and things like that.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:50] You’re right.

Jill Frey: [00:03:50] Yeah. So, I’m going to give you guys one, so if you want to come for a happy hour, you can.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:52] Thank you. We’ll be there.

Jill Frey: [00:03:54] Yeah, you have to have one of these to get in.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:56] Oh, you can’t just walk in?

Jill Frey: [00:03:58] No.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:59] Someone’s got to invite you in?

Jill Frey: [00:03:59] It’s VIP.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:00] I can see that. Alright.

Jill Frey: [00:04:02] Thanks, Stone.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:04] So, now, at the conference, Ohio Valley decided to partner with Atlanta to co-host this. How did that come about, because there’s 14 of you vying for this co-host spot, I’m sure?

Jill Frey: [00:04:14] Well, it’s a really good question, Lee. Thank you for asking. So, we hadn’t been together for three years, because the-

Lee Kantor: [00:04:22] I know. It’s been a minute.

Jill Frey: [00:04:22] Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:22] There was a pandemic.

Jill Frey: [00:04:23] Yeah, I don’t know if you heard. Yeah. So, Columbus was supposed to host the event in 2020, and then that got canceled. And so,, Atlanta was on the ticket for 2022, so they said, Hey, Atlanta, we’re just going to split you up with Columbus—or I’m sorry, with Cincinnati, with the Ohio River Valley Group. And so, that’s how we got to share the hosting committee.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:44] So then, how do you share it here in this building today? Like do you split duties or is it kind of a free for all?

Jill Frey: [00:04:50] Yeah, we get to do it—we all do it together, so it’s really fun. So, the scarf has both cities on it. It has Cincinnati and has Atlanta skyline on it. And then, like today, for lunch, we were up on the stage. And so, both host committees from Georgia and from Ohio were both up there. So, it’s more fun. It’s more of a party. It’s more of a sisterhood. We get to know more people and we get to do fun things.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:14] And it gives you a chance to really get to know the folks, right?

Jill Frey: [00:05:17] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:19] There are 14 around the country, and they’re kind of doing your own thing in your own area, and this just kind of brings you together.

Jill Frey: [00:05:25] Yeah, that’s very good, Lee. We have 14 RPOs, and then we have our national convention. So, it’s been really fun to get to know the other RPO and they’re just like a sisterhood, so it’s really great that we’ve got to enjoy that and get to know another city. It’s kind of like our second city.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:42] So, now, here at the event, are there speakers you are excited to see? Are there panels you’re excited to hear?

Jill Frey: [00:05:48] Yeah. So, we had the CEO of Accenture speak today at lunch and he was fantastic, so that was really great. And there’s just a lot of people that are just so happy to be here. And so, they’re just—there’s, I think, five different stages, and we have to download this app to hear each person speak. So, it’s not like they’re speaking-

Lee Kantor: [00:06:09] They had to give you headphones in order to do it right.

Jill Frey: [00:06:11] Yeah. So, I really love it that WBENC is utilizing new technology to be safer and to make sure that we are getting everybody involved. And it’s just such a huge space, and we get to really throw all that technology into it, but yet just be one-on-one, so you can really feel like you’re in the space.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:30] Right, because relationships are important and this is the first time in forever that we all got together face-to-face.

Jill Frey: [00:06:35] I know. There’s a lot of girlfriend hugging going on, right? You’re just like, oh, my God, I miss you, I love you, right? I haven’t seen you forever. I have seen probably five people, and they didn’t know who I was, and I walked up to them like, oh, my God, you’re Jill Frey? Like, Yes. I talked to them on conferences like for years. They’re like, oh, my God, you’re Jill.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:55] There is a real Jill Frey.

Jill Frey: [00:06:57] Yeah. So, it’s been really fun to like—that’s what I’ve been doing, is just going around kind of meeting people that I’ve been talking to about the conference, or about different committees I’m on, or things like that. So, that’s been really wonderful, because my badge, you can’t really see my name or you don’t like want to stare at it, right? But then, I’m like, hey, Michelle Smith, I was just talking to her at Nationwide, so it’s just fun. You get to like meet an old friend that you never met, that it’s like a pen pal or something.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:25] Right. Now, talk to the women that haven’t got certified yet, talk about why that’s important and what you’ve gotten out of it yourself.

Jill Frey: [00:07:31] Yeah. So, that’s a really great question. There’s a new scholarship program that went on here called the Collegiate Scholarship Women, and they’re here, and they’re just out of college, and they have women-owned businesses, but they’re not certified. And so, I was really pushing hard for them, I’m like, hey, they’re here on a scholarship, but I’m like, yu guys got to take that next step and get certified.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:53] Right. You’re almost at the finish line.

Jill Frey: [00:07:54] Exactly. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:55] But you’re not there yet.

Jill Frey: [00:07:56] Yeah. So, even if you’re not just coming out of college, if you’re a woman-owned business, it’s so important, because that’s going to give you that documentation that that building needs, or that facility or that business needs to get you that business. So, it’s just kind of dotting the I and crossing the T. It’s just really important to get that certification. But then, it opens your doors so much to new women, and new friends, and new people to collaborate with, and just a whole new world out there. So, it’s worth getting your certificate and getting involved.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:26] So, if somebody wants to learn more about Cummins, what’s the website?

Jill Frey: [00:08:30] Oh, thanks for asking. It’s cumminsfs.com. And then, we also have Cummins—well, we have Facility Genius. You’ll see all those other companies on the Cummins website, but there’s a lot going on in the tech world of how to utilize the buildings with the hybrids and all that fun stuff. But go to cumminsfs.com. Cumminsfs.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:55] Good stuff. Well, Jill, thank you so much for sharing your story.

Jill Frey: [00:08:59] Lee, you’re awesome. Stone, you’ve been great, too. Thank you. So fun.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:02] Alright. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you in a few at the WBENC National Conference.

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April Pollack and Shelly Heller, Tempagenix, LLC

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here on another episode of GWBC Open for Business. But this is a special one because we’re broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference. And we are live from the GWBC booth, Booth 1812, if you want to stop by and see us. Today on the show, we have the folks from Tempagenix. We have Shelly Heller and April Pollock. Welcome.

Shelly Heller: [00:00:44] Thank you.

April Pollack: [00:00:44] Hi.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:45] So, one of you – you guys can arm wrestle for this – tell us a little bit about Tampagenix. How are you serving, folks?

Shelly Heller: [00:00:51] We have a line of temperature regulating and monitoring products for the retail market.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:59] And then, how did you get into this line of work? What was the genesis of the idea?

Shelly Heller: [00:01:05] What year was it, April?

April Pollack: [00:01:06] 2015.

Shelly Heller: [00:01:07] 2015. So, we –

Lee Kantor: [00:01:08] She remembers. It must have left a mark with her.

April Pollack: [00:01:13] Trust me, there’s a lot.

Shelly Heller: [00:01:16] We have a temperature company that’s real close to our office. And we were thinking that we needed a thermometer that you could just put on your forehead and use no batteries, nothing like that. And one had already kind of existed, but we wanted to make it ours. So, we went over to our thermometer company – that we know – and we invented it. And by the grace of God, I will say this, the world shutdown. You couldn’t get any thermometers from anywhere all over the country and all over the world. And so, we sold – how many thermometers, April?

April Pollack: [00:02:05] Eight million in 2020. They’re made in the USA. They’re paper-based with a medical grade adhesive. So, they’re are a forehead thermometer strip.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:14] So, your book is called Timing is Everything.

Shelly Heller: [00:02:17] You know what? Honestly, what we’re doing right now, it’s going to be timing. We should do that. Absolutely. That’s a great idea.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:24] So, that was just pure random luck that that happened like that?

April Pollack: [00:02:29] It was. We both own separate businesses. So, I own a marketing, advertising and web design firm in Dayton, Ohio.

Shelly Heller: [00:02:36] And I own a shipping and packaging company in Dayton, Ohio.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:39] Okay. So, unrelated businesses and how do you know each other?

April Pollack: [00:02:43] We’ve been friends and partners. And she’s been a client of ours for almost 20 years. And we were actually at another woman-owned business conference in Columbus in 2015, and it was at that show we came up with the idea for the thermometer strip. And decided, “You know, this is something we should give it a go and see if there’s any interest.” And we called it our side hustle, until 2020 when it overtook our lives.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:13] It became your main hustle. So, were you certified businesses prior individually?

Shelly Heller: [00:03:20] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:20] And so, this has always been part of the DNA of both of your businesses?

April Pollack: [00:03:24] Absolutely.

Shelly Heller: [00:03:24] Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:25] Now, why was that important?

Shelly Heller: [00:03:27] Well, honestly, I mean, I don’t know how many years I’ve been coming, maybe 10, 15.

April Pollack: [00:03:32] Or longer than that.

Shelly Heller: [00:03:33] Yeah. And I learned more from women in here than I do from anybody that we do business with. I mean, the women in here are very intelligent. And when they say, “Oh, you’re going to be around a bunch of women.” No, no, no. It’s a different ballgame in here. We all want to help each other’s business. There’s no jealousy. There’s no you got more than me. It just doesn’t exist here. And so, we got a lot of ideas here, didn’t we?

April Pollack: [00:04:06] Absolutely. And our certification is the primary reason we were as successful as we were, because we were able to make it into national retailers through their supplier diversity channels. We’re in over 5,600 CVS locations. Were in Kroger’s.

Shelly Heller: [00:04:25] Target.

Shelly Heller: [00:04:25] We started in Target, Walmart.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:29] Because I’m trying to communicate – obviously, the folks that are GWBC folks, and people that are in this kind of inner circle that know what the deal is – there’s a lot of women-owned businesses, there’s a lot of businesses that don’t understand the importance of this.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:45] And how when you partner with a group, like GWBC or the Ohio River Valley Group, that you’re able to kind of have this edge that enables you to meet these enterprise level corporations and have conversations face to face, and talk to them, and get to know them, and do business with them. They can take your business to new levels that you almost couldn’t dream of. That you wouldn’t have access as a regular, “Hey, I’m going to knock on the door and see if these big companies are going to do business with me because I’m a small company and I have an idea.”

Lee Kantor: [00:05:21] Talk about that because I think that just that alone is worth it. You know, because it’s kind of a hassle to do all this stuff to get certified. But it’s worth it in the end because it can change your business.

April Pollack: [00:05:32] Well, two examples we can think of right off are, due to our certification and being active in this group, we get preferred payment terms from one of our national retailers. We get paid in ten days instead of 45 or 60. And another of our national retailers, we did not have to pay the $50,000 shelving, the slotting fee to be on shelf, because we were certified.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:56] And that 50,000, those add up, right?

April Pollack: [00:05:57] And those add up.

Shelly Heller: [00:05:59] Actually, really quick. Right. And another thing, too, is that, I think people misunderstand that when you become a women-owned business that you automatically get into these places.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:12] “Look, I’m a woman-owned business.”

Shelly Heller: [00:06:15] “Can you get me in?” No.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:18] It doesn’t work like that.

Shelly Heller: [00:06:18] No. I mean, yes, granted we get to go talk to some people and say, “Hey, we have this available. We have this available.” They’re either going to say yes or no. Or they’re going to say, “We’ll put you off for another year. Or, we’re going to do that kind of thing.” The fact that we’re allowed to be here is the blessing. It’s what we do with it. Then, the bigger companies decide to do with us. Does that make sense?

Lee Kantor: [00:06:39] Right. But the beauty of this organization is, not only do they give you access, they teach you how to get the most out of the access. This isn’t one of those associations or groups where you’re like, “Oh, I pay the fee and then I’ll get business.” It’s not an ATM machine. You have to do work in order to win. But they teach you how to do the right work so you can win, and you can win big if you do this right.

April Pollack: [00:07:04] Absolutely. At our last show, at our last national conference in 2019, we were connected with CVS. And they have an executive leadership series that over 2,000 businesses apply to. And we were invited as one of 15 businesses, and we did a five month course with CVS in their ELS program, where they led us by the hand and taught us about our product, how to pitch it. I mean, we still to this day – and that was 2019 – use our CVS pitch deck that they helped us handcraft in that series. And we use that for every buyer meeting we have.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:43] Right. And that’s the thing, in order to get the most out of it, you have to be coachable, you have to be willing to say, “I don’t know. I want to learn. I have to be vulnerable. I have to kind of be the authentic me in order to get the most out of it.” But if you do this, the win can be tremendous.

April Pollack: [00:08:00] Absolutely. And we always make fun of ourselves. Like, don’t be afraid to ask the dumb questions. Because, I mean, the first time we were trying to get on walmart.com, it took us weeks. Like, “What is a POD?” And we’re Googling. Because we did not have the retail background. And we’re not afraid to be ourselves and ask the questions. And people are more than willing to step up and help teach you.

Shelly Heller: [00:08:26] And it’s amazing. I mean, when we were at CVS giving our presentation to everybody, we’re not afraid to embarrass ourselves. That’s all I’m going to say. We had the entire room dying of laughter in the first sentence when I gave our presentation. I mean, I thought it was good presentation. But you can’t be afraid of these. They’re just people. I mean, they can say no. And we can say no.

Shelly Heller: [00:08:54] So, you really have to realize that if you have something great to pitch, pitch it. If they don’t want it right now, they may come back in two years. So, I mean, that’s the thing. I think what it’s taught us is that, it’s not always, “Oh, we’re going to put you in next week.” That never happens. So, yeah, we’ve learned a ton, for sure.

April Pollack: [00:09:12] We were invited out to Bentonville to Walmart headquarters, and it was our first manufacturing samples off the line, our first stab at packaging. And we went in thinking we had the best thing.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:25] We got this figured out. We’re going to be blown away.

April Pollack: [00:09:26] And Walmart, they saw it and they said, “We like the idea, but your packaging really needs work. And this is what you need to do, A, B, C, and D. And then, maybe we’ll talk to you.” And we took their advice and the packaging that’s on retail shelves today are by Walmart. Like, you can’t take offense or get your feelings hurt.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:47] Well, they might know a thing or two about selling in that environment.

April Pollack: [00:09:52] Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:52] So, if somebody wants to learn more about Tempagenix, where should they go? What’s the website?

April Pollack: [00:09:58] The website is tempagenix.com, and that’s T-E-M-P-A-G-E-N-I-X.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:06] Well, thank you both for sharing your story today. You’re both doing important work and we appreciate you.

Shelly Heller: [00:10:10] Thank you so much. We appreciate it.

April Pollack: [00:10:11] Thank you so much.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:12] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at WBENC National Conference 2022.

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Kanchana Raman, Avacend

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812, if you want to come by and check us out. Right now, we have Kanchana Raman with Avacend. Welcome.

Kanchana Raman: [00:00:31] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:33] Well, I’m so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Avacend. How are you serving folks?

Kanchana Raman: [00:00:38] So, we have—this is our 25th year, just like WBENC.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:42] 25 years old as WBENC, congratulations.

Kanchana Raman: [00:00:44] Thank you. So, WBENC is celebrating for us and vice versa. So, it’s great. So, we have been in the ICT industry, so basically, primarily in telecommunications and technology, and serving Fortune 100 customers. And many of our customers are here today, so it’s exciting to stop by at everybody’s booth, and customers are also stopping by at our booth. So, it’s great to catch up with everybody after, I think, two years.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:15] A little pause. So, now, 25 years ago, were you always—were you targeting those Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies, or did you kind of work your way up the ladder?

Kanchana Raman: [00:01:27] So, if you look at the kind of skill sets that we have, we have always worked with Fortune 100 customers, so even my first customer was a Fortune 100 customer in 1996.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:39] Wow. And you’ve stuck—so they’ve stuck with you for all this time?

Kanchana Raman: [00:01:43] Well, what has happened in our industry is there is a lot of mergers and acquisitions going on, so many of my customers have been acquired, have gone through name changes, but they are still around, I think, in a different version or a different avatar.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:59] Right. Some part of them is still around.

Kanchana Raman: [00:02:01] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:01] Now, why is it important to you to be a certified woman business owner?

Kanchana Raman: [00:02:07] So, first of all, awareness. I wasn’t aware that I was a woman-owned business for-

Lee Kantor: [00:02:13] Well, you do, you’re a woman-owned business.

Kanchana Raman: [00:02:14] … almost 10 years. I know. So, I got certified, I would say, about 10, 15 years now. And one of our customers wanted us to get certified, and that’s when we knew that there was a certifying body, and you can be part of this.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:31] So, you weren’t aware of it. You were just going about your business, and then someone said, hey, if you’re certified, then this opens up other doors for you and it might be worth your time.

Kanchana Raman: [00:02:40] Absolutely. We would like for you to get certified, and I think that’s how we got into this. I’m just so thankful for that guidance, because I think one of the main things is somebody to educate us on what is out here. And so, that’s how we got certified, and I was on the board. Somehow, as soon as I got certified, I was on the board of the Georgia Women’s Business Council for three years, and I guess that also gave me a great insight as to how things work over here, and the partnerships, and the sisterhood. And also, I’m part of the forum here at WBENC, so it’s a national forum, so I’ve been part of the forum for about 10 years as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:20] So, once you got—once you joined, then it was like you really immersed yourself in it and you got really involved.

Kanchana Raman: [00:03:27] Yeah, it was instant bonding.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:30] Right. Like there’s a lot of business associations out there or business groups that you can become part of, but is this one of the ones, where you’re like, you’re kind of looking forward to going, where some of them, you’re like, oh, well, I got to go to that one.

Kanchana Raman: [00:03:43] I think most of them, I look forward to going, but this especially is about sisterhood, about friendship, about a support group, if you would, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:03:53] Mm-hmm.

Kanchana Raman: [00:03:53] I mean, everybody is very kind over here. And between the WBEs, we are always sharing lessons learned, best practices, and we’re always there for each other. I mean, even today, it’s like, like Roz said, the need of the day is support and kindness.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:11] That’s right, and grace. Sure. Now, for you, what is one of the lessons learned that you can share with maybe a younger person who is just launching their career?

Kanchana Raman: [00:04:23] So, this is not something that’s going to get you a contract instantly, right? You have to invest in the organization, invest in the relationships, prove yourself. And with time, magic happens.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:38] And then, you’ve seen that happen?

Kanchana Raman: [00:04:40] Yes, absolutely. I have gotten some of my big customers from these events. And again, for me, since I’ve been in business for a long time, this is a great opportunity for me to visit with a lot of my customers. Everybody is here under one roof.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:01] You can find them pretty easily.

Kanchana Raman: [00:05:02] Yeah. So, definitely—especially post-pandemic, with the travel restrictions and everything, this is really great that you can meet everybody here.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:10] And it’s in your backyard.

Kanchana Raman: [00:05:12] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:13] You’re down the road.

Kanchana Raman: [00:05:13] At home in Atlanta, yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:16] Now, is there anything at the event that you’re most looking forward to, any speaker or panel that you’re most excited about?

Kanchana Raman: [00:05:22] There are a lot of great panels all throughout the day, but it’s just that between meeting people that you haven’t met in two years, I’m pretty busy, so I’m hoping that there is a recording of everything that’s going on, and we can go back and learn from that because there are some great panelists and great speakers here today.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:43] So, if somebody wants to learn more about Avacend, what is the website?

Kanchana Raman: [00:05:48] It’s avacend.com. Avacend.com, and we are here in booth 1813.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:55] Alright. Well, Kanchana, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing an important work and we appreciate you.

Kanchana Raman: [00:06:00] Thank you. We appreciate the Radio Business X-

Lee Kantor: [00:06:04] Thank you.

Kanchana Raman: [00:06:04] … for being supportive of the women’s organization.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:07] Alright. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you in a few at the 2022 WBENC National Conference here in the GWBC booth.

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Kimberly Bunton, TKT & Associates, Inc.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center. We’re inside the booth of GWBC, Booth 1812, if you want to stop by and see us. Right now, we have Kimberly Bunton with TKT & Associates. Welcome, Kimberly.

Kimberly Bunton: [00:00:36] Well, welcome to me. Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:38] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about TKT. How are you serving folks?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:00:43] TKT is a national full-service diversity firm. We have a whole suite of services and products, beginning with DEI, supplier diversity. We have a staffing organization called Astute Sourcing that does talent acquisition, full-service staffing. And then, we have another arm called TKT Connect that does workforce development and spin management.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] So, what’s your back story? How did you get into this line of work?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:01:11] The back story is that we were founded by this incredible woman named Tierra Kavanaugh. She was the Affirmative Action and Chief Diversity Person for the State of Kentucky. Once she left that appointment, she started TKT with the largest construction contract in the nation at that time, which is the Indiana and Kentucky Bridges Project. And from there, TKT has grown into what is TKT today, which is, in 2020, we were an INC. 5000 number 20 company, and we’re six years running on the Women Presidents Organization Fastest 50.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:53] So, now, for you, personally, what has kind of been the most impactful thing where you’ve seen real change?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:02:01] That’s a good question. There are several changes. I mean, obviously, all businesses are going through the changes in the last two years. We lost our founder. However, we didn’t lose our footing. And so, for us, it was a shift in how we did our staffing organization and then actually adding new products to our repertoire, particularly in our consulting business with doing influencer marketing.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:25] So then, how did that kind of evolve? Like, was the customer telling you, “Hey, we need help in this area”? Or was this something that just leadership said, “Hey, you know what? We should get into this area”?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:02:36] Well, you know, we were going through the pandemic, but we were also going through a racial crisis at the time. We had George Floyd going on. And then, in Louisville, Kentucky, where we’re headquartered, we had the Breonna Taylor incident going on. And so, while we were based in DEI, we hadn’t done much of that up until 2020. We had kind of backed away from that, spend more time doing talent acquisition and supplier diversity.

Kimberly Bunton: [00:03:02] But once the civil unrest came upon us, we were forced into really coming out to do more of the DEI work, particularly with our chamber. And trying to help other companies and corporations that were already in our client base do more with DEI. And found a niche in influencer marketing, because social media was so big anyways. But during the shutdown, social media became such a powerful force that DEI was expanded into that area.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:33] So, how do you kind of bring that service into your clients kind of sphere of influence where they see like, “Hey, maybe this is something that we should take advantage of”?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:03:44] We literally started with pitching with one of our largest clients. We formed a partnership with a smaller influencer marketing agency. We established a new area called the TKT Collab, where we partnered with small and mid-sized black and brown agencies across the country that would not normally have the opportunity to work with some of the Fortune 500 companies that we worked with. And we said, “Hey, we’ve got a new product that we think that you can benefit from that can help you with getting out there, getting your word out there, and getting the more diverse clients.” And literally started with one major client and started moving from there.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:21] So, how does it work? How does a firm kind of dip their toe into influencer marketing?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:04:29] You need to know influencer marketing, so we literally had an end with a smaller influencer marketing agency that had a niche that is in black and brown influencers over the age of 40. And so, we didn’t start, you know, trying to take on the big boys in influencer marketing. We really started with a gap and said, “Okay. This is a gap.” And we had a client that had a need in that particular area.

Kimberly Bunton: [00:04:54] And we had a niche in the types of events – we were doing events activations as well – in the events that we had access to and we just kind of made a marriage of it. It was very successful. And then, we just kind of stepped and repeat, and did it again and again.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:08] And then, what is kind of the biggest win in that area?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:05:12] The biggest win is being able to put other black and brown creative agencies in front of major, major corporations. That’s the big win. And that actually goes with our mission of continuity of commitment. And what we’ve defined continuity of commitment is, is providing diversity in every aspect of a corporation. So, we were finally able to add that creative piece that we had not done before. We were able to service every other area but not creative until 2020.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:44] And then, here at the WBENC National Conference, how do you go about getting the most out of your time here?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:05:51] Oh, wow. Every moment here is getting the most of our time. I mean, this is the first time in over two years that we’ve been able to get together, so it’s really more like a reunion, if you will, of seeing people that we haven’t seen before. We’re sick of seeing each other on Zoom. And so, it’s just been amazing to go, “Hey, that’s what you really look like. Or, hey, that’s what you look like now.”

Lee Kantor: [00:06:12] “You’re much taller than I thought you were.”

Kimberly Bunton: [00:06:14] Yeah. Exactly. I get that a lot, “You’re much taller or your hair has grown so much since I saw you last,” or whatever that is. But that, and then we are strategically situated next to some of our biggest clients. And so, being able to connect and have that access to them is also very powerful.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:31] So, at this event, are there certain panels or speakers that you’re excited to see or is this just kind of the reunion, like you said, just getting to see a bunch of folks that you hadn’t seen in a while?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:06:41] Well, they’ve got some amazing speakers and there’s some great topics, I can tell you that. But, for us, it really literally is connecting to those individuals and those corporations who have been supporting us all along. That has been our biggest excitement about being here, is to say thank you to the people that have been supporting us all along.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:59] Now, any advice for a young person that maybe has started their own business, a woman-owned business, and hasn’t gotten certified yet, is there some advice for them to encourage them to get certified?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:07:12] Yes. You know, the certification process can be tedious. And in some instances, you know, the paperwork can be daunting. But it’s worth it. It’s worth it to make sure that you’re registered with those corporations so that you can be in the room to be able to receive those opportunities. Those RFQs, those RFPs have specific designations sometimes, and you can’t receive them if you aren’t registered with that company to do business with them, particularly if they are looking to do business with women-owned businesses.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:44] So, if somebody wants to learn more about TKT, what’s the website?

Kimberly Bunton: [00:07:47] tktandassociates.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:50] Well, Kimberly, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Kimberly Bunton: [00:07:54] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:56] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you all in a few at the WBENC National Conference 2022.

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Kittie Watson, Innolect, Inc.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here live from the WBENC National Conference 2022. This is the 25th Annual Conference for WBENC. And we’re inside the Georgia World Congress, and we’re inside of GWBC’s booth, Booth 1812, if you want to stop by and check us out. Today on the show, we have Kittie Watson with Innolect. Welcome, Kittie.

Kittie Watson: [00:00:41] Thank you. It’s great to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:42] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Innolect.

Kittie Watson: [00:00:47] Well, Innolect is an executive and organization development consulting firm. And what we do is, we prepare leaders for the future. We also ensure that you have the right kind of culture to address the great resignation.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:00] So, your tagline says “growing leaders”.

Kittie Watson: [00:01:03] That’s right. We grow the leader in everyone.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:05] So, you believe that there is a leader in everyone, that’s the premise, right?

Kittie Watson: [00:01:10] That is the premise. And it may not always be seen easily or it might need to be refined, but every person has that ability.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:18] Now, when did you start believing that to be? So, is that something since you were a kid, you were like, “Oh, everybody can be a leader. I can see that. I see that kid over there in the playground eating the rocks, I think somewhere in there, there’s a leader.”

Kittie Watson: [00:01:32] I think it actually started when I started teaching at Tulane University. I was chair of the Department of Communication, and is working with students. And then, moving into the corporate arena, I began to see where a lot of people just didn’t have confidence, particularly women. And, initially, I was working with a lot of women to help them move up the corporate ladder and think about that differently.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:52] So, now, internally they have to have a mindset shift, right? They have to stop self-sabotaging themselves and really have these self-limiting beliefs.

Kittie Watson: [00:02:02] Or other people sabotaging. Yes. Definitely.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:05] But, also, they have to believe that they are the leader. They have to take that first step because you can’t want it more than them.

Kittie Watson: [00:02:12] Well, I think in some cases, really, people just have never had an opportunity. They haven’t been put in roles where they’re actually maybe leading. And they think that leading is the same thing as management. And so, we all can have a voice and say the right thing. And I see this particularly within the inclusion and equity and diversity space where people can be a leader, and show up, and express what they think is right in that particular environment.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:42] And that’s where the importance of representation is, to see that it is possible for a person of all types of people.

Kittie Watson: [00:02:51] It’s true. And all of us want to be seen and heard. And there’s an opportunity now because, as I just mentioned a while ago, there’s this Great Resignation and 26 million people have left their jobs in the last six months. And it used to be that people left for pay and benefits. But, now, they’re leaving because they want flexibility. They want to work with an organization that has purpose and meaning where they feel like they’re doing something worthwhile. They also want to learn, and grow, and have advancement possibilities. But the biggest one is to be included and to have a manager who cares. So, what we’re doing often is helping develop those leadership skills so that employees want to stay.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:34] So, now, what are some symptoms that a company is having that they might have a problem but they don’t know it yet?

Kittie Watson: [00:03:41] Well, there are a lot of examples of that, but most of the time they don’t know it and people leave, and so they haven’t realized it.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:48] So, turnover or something like that could be a clue that maybe something is wrong internally. That maybe it isn’t that we can’t find the right people. It’s just maybe something internally is happening that we’re not attracting or we’re turning away people.

Kittie Watson: [00:04:04] Well, what we know is that people want to be listened to, understood, and they want what they’ve said to be acted on in some way. So, organizations have gotten so involved in doing another survey, but then they don’t respond to the survey. And so, employees keep waiting and nothing happens. Or they have managers where they’re not included in decision making. So, they don’t get to impact things that might impact them. And so, we really try to help the organization think, both quantitative and qualitative, about what they can do to become listening leaders, really, and to demonstrate that they care.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:44] Right. Because it’s one thing, I think, that employees are getting, kind of been there, done that, “I’ve heard you say that a million times. You say that people are your most important asset, but then you’re treating me the same as you treated me five years ago. So, you’re not walking the walk.”

Kittie Watson: [00:05:00] Right. Well, and even today, there was an article that came out in McKinsey and just talked about the wage gap from the CEO C-suite to the worker that’s making the difference in the business. And that gap is widening. And, now, with the cost and inflation and all those things, people are thinking, “People don’t really care about me.” So, they’re beginning to look for those organizations that truly live the values, don’t just put them up on a piece of paper on the wall. And they are included. They are involved. They are given opportunities. They’re given feedback, tough feedback sometimes. But they are given opportunities to grow and learn and make a difference.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:42] So, what’s an example of a client that you’ve had that you’ve helped get to this new level, that maybe they were struggling? You don’t, obviously, name the name of the company. But what is their issue they were struggling with and then how did you help them get to this new level?

Kittie Watson: [00:05:55] Well, with one company, they brought us in because they were having a lot of litigation and discrimination.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:02] That’s a clue, right?

Kittie Watson: [00:06:03] Yeah. A clue, yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:05] We’re getting screwed a lot, is that normal? Does everybody get screwed this much?

Kittie Watson: [00:06:10] And it was a culture that had been created and that finally just blew up. And so, we were brought in to begin to understand what was happening in leadership, or lack of happening in leadership or management. And got involved with focus groups and interviews and a survey that we listen to. And then, we were able to begin at the top to help leaders see what they were doing that might be getting in the way. Then, we engaged through a cascade, all people in the organization, and had their voices heard. And there were times where some employees were not a good fit for the organization and the culture they wanted. So, not everyone got to stay.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:54] Sure. And it works both ways, right? They can self-select out and then the company can decide they’re not a good fit.

Kittie Watson: [00:07:03] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:03] And that’s the empowering thing that every individual has. They have the power to say, “Yeah. This isn’t the right fit for me.”

Kittie Watson: [00:07:10] And I think a lot of times, you know, something else that we’re working on right now and have been, as you know, after George Floyd was killed, there were a lot of organizations that gave money externally, but they really didn’t do much internally. And so, what we’ve been doing is really helping those organizations look at the kinds of training that can stick not just, “Okay. Check the box, we did that.”

Kittie Watson: [00:07:34] But really thinking about what could we do differently, what kind of dialog, what skills do people need so that they can talk about what’s going on with them. We’re working with the city government right now that had a lot of racial issues in the city. And so, bringing the community together with city workers and city employees to have a voice and talk about what made them feel less than, and how can we do things differently and equitably for all employees.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:04] It’s kind of a version of that think locally, act globally. You have to start within first, try to change what you can change and control internally. And then, kind of broaden it rather than, “Oh, yeah. We cut a check to this big national organization. See, we’re good guys.”

Kittie Watson: [00:08:18] Yeah. The optics were great. And yet people then thought, “All right. They’re doing this, what are they going to do for us?” I mean, “What about the manager that said this to me last week?”

Lee Kantor: [00:08:29] Right. “What about Mary? What about her issues? What are we doing for Mary, who’s on our team?” And they’re like, “No. We’ve already donated. Then, you see, there was a press conference.”

Kittie Watson: [00:08:38] And there are a lot of people that they don’t know what they don’t know. And so, we’ve done a lot of what we call change guide coaching and helping really move through those changes that they need to make. Or we’ve worked with teams to have them talk together and look at purpose and why they’re there. And even with the hospital systems, for example, where they have been so discouraged, we’ve had to remind them about why they went into health care to begin with.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:05] They kind of lose sight of that, right?

Kittie Watson: [00:09:06] Oh, my goodness. Especially in the last two-and-a-half years.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:09] Right. They’re just kind of running. They don’t know where they’re running or where they’re running to.

Kittie Watson: [00:09:13] And so, we are seeing a lot of good people leave.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:17] Right. They’re just so frustrated.

Kittie Watson: [00:09:19] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:20] And then, the event here today, the WBENC National Conference, what brings you here? Do you go to all of them?

Kittie Watson: [00:09:28] I go to most of them. I mean, there are several things that bring me here. I mean, GWBC, I’ve been on the board before and very committed to that, of course. And I’ve met a number of good clients through this process that I’ve gotten to have conversations with and opened doors. I also am a mentor for the Collegiate Accelerator Program, so I love being able to mentor young leaders as they’re starting, and that always gives me kind of a jolt to be able to do that.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:57] Sure.

Kittie Watson: [00:09:57] So, there are lots of reasons. I have many friends here that I’ve made through the years. And it’s a great way to stay in contact with clients, particularly after we haven’t seen them in so long.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:08] Right. This is the first time in forever that we’ve seen people face to face like this, especially this quantity at one place.

Kittie Watson: [00:10:14] Yes. But it’s so spread out here, though. It’s so different than in the past, but it’s great.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:19] Now, for you, any advice for that young person that says, “You know, I’d like to be a leader. I think I could be a leader,” what are some action steps they can be taking today so they can become a better leader tomorrow?

Kittie Watson: [00:10:31] Well, the first thing that I usually say to anyone is an area I’ve done a little research in, and that is learn to listen. Listen to what the organization needs and your management needs. And if you can listen and meet some need, you’ll be recognized for that. Because most people want to talk as opposed to really listen.

Kittie Watson: [00:10:52] The second thing I say, is, to ask for that. Tell people what you want, what your aspirations are, and ask how they might help you for that development. And to create your own individual development plan. Even if your manager is not supportive, think about what are the skillsets that you could use that would help you move to the next level. Also, get feedback. Ask for it, ask for the feedback that will help you learn and grow. We know that when people come out of an education system, they’re at one level of maturity. And we see maturity grow in people when they start asking for feedback and really want it.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:30] And not everybody has the confidence to do that. You have to be vulnerable and you have to be ready to hear things that maybe you don’t want to hear.

Kittie Watson: [00:11:39] Exactly. And that’s a tough thing. I mean, because we are sensitive that way. And, often, it’s difficult to get that feedback. But it truly is a gift, and we learn from it, and we can be better for it.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:52] Now, a lot of young people dream of having a mentor, somebody that’s going to guide them throughout their careers, are there any tips you have for them on how to get a mentor and how to be a good mentee?

Kittie Watson: [00:12:04] We’ve actually developed mentor and mentoring programs, and, again, it’s clarity at the beginning of expectations and roles. And I know that there are a number of organizations that have formal mentoring and they match. I think that can work really well. We see it working extremely well at WBENC within supplier diversity.

Kittie Watson: [00:12:26] Yet, also, it is watching people within your organization that you admire and respect. And asking them questions, and eventually asking if they’d be willing to meet with you maybe once a month or once a quarter. But be very specific, but honor who they are. And, generally, people are pretty honored when you ask them to guide, or to give advice, or something like that.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:52] So, be bold. Take the risk.

Kittie Watson: [00:12:54] Be bold, yes. Take that risk.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:56] And if somebody wants to learn more about Innolect, what’s the website?

Kittie Watson: [00:12:59] It is innolectinc.com, and that’s I-N-N-O-L-E-C-T-I-N-C.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:07] Well, Kittie, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Kittie Watson: [00:13:12] Thank you. Thank you. It’s great to be here. I appreciate it.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:13] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We are broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth. We’ll be back in a few.

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Teresa Williams and Re’Nauta Bell, Cushman & Wakefield

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Here we are live at WBENC’s National Conference and we’re inside the booth of GWBC, at booth 1812, if you want to come by and check us out. Right now, we have Re’Nauta Bell and Teresa Williams with Cushman Wakefield. Welcome, ladies.

Teresa Williams: [00:00:33] Thank you.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:00:34] Thank you for having us.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:35] Well, I’m so excited. For the one person out there who doesn’t know about Cushman Wakefield, why don’t one of you give a little bit of an elevator pitch of how you’re serving folks?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:00:44] We are a commercial real estate company and we are here to support the Greater Women’s Business Council with finding diverse vendors.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:53] And how did you guys get into this line of work? Were you always working in diversity or HR, or how did that come about?

Teresa Williams: [00:01:02] Well, I’ll dive in. I kind of fell into the industry. Maybe more appropriately, I think I kicked my way into the industry. I basically took a leap of faith. I sold my business and I decided that I wanted to do commercial real estate after being exposed to it. And I have had my husband set up some meetings for me and I basically crashed a couple of them, and this is where I landed. And it’s been a beautiful, beautiful experience. And I’m here today, because of an amazing woman, Kayla Dang, who is the CEO of GMI Group, who’s also a member of the Greater Women’s Business Council. So, so happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:39] So, now, did you start in residential real estate and move to commercial or?

Teresa Williams: [00:01:44] So, actually, I started—I was in the residential sector, but on the finance side, so I was doing home mortgages, and then we ventured off into commercial mortgages, and that’s when things got interesting.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:57] It’s a different world, right?

Teresa Williams: [00:01:58] Yeah. Yeah. I really loved it. And it was just—it made sense to me. So, doing what I do today, representing occupiers who are looking for office space made a lot of sense.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:09] Now, in residential, a lot of women are involved in that. Is that the same in commercial or is that a more male-dominated industry?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:02:18] Very, very good call out. It is at some point in time, so that’s why we would like to change that footprint, right? So, we’re here at this conference and we’re looking for diverse suppliers, not just women, but all genres, of course.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:33] Well, because it’s such an opportunity for folks. I would think that this is something that there’s a lot of people that if they would just open their mind to it and become aware of the opportunity, there would be a lot of people flocking to you.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:02:44] Very much so. And actually, that’s why we’re here. So, with Cushman & Wakefield, we want to expand our diversity within all of our—sorry, with all of our business lines. So, if there are companies out there that do any type of roofing, electrical maintenance, anything within that building envelope, we need those suppliers.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:06] Right. And you have to become aware of them and they have to become aware of you. Now, it’s fascinating to me because people may not be aware of all the different kind of ways that Cushman Wakefield serves a market. Can you talk about, like you mentioned, some of the services, but there’s a whole plethora of services that address this market, right? It’s not the obvious ones. oh, I’m going to rent somebody’s space. There are lots of people that touch a building.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:03:30] Like janitorial services. Move and change, so that’s like moving services. We also janitorial, already said that, landscape and snow removal. Anybody who does any HVAC, we have so many different categories and we need the diversity throughout. And it can even be a sub. They don’t have to be the first tier.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:57] So, any service that touches any of the work done in the building is somebody you want to get to know, right?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:04:05] Exactly.

Teresa Williams: [00:04:06] Inside and outside the building.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:07] Right. It’s not just the person, like I said, that rents the space.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:04:11] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:12] And I think that people—I think some small businesses sell themselves short. They think too small. They’re not kind of expanding their mindset of, well, I do this one thing, but there’s lots and lots of people that might benefit from knowing that I do that.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:04:26] Exactly. And I don’t know how this is going to be broadcast, but if they can find us as we’re walking through this conference today, what they can do is we’ll allow them, we’ll scan our barcode, and then they can go into our database.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:44] And so, they can add their name to a directory, so that-

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:04:46] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:48] And then, let people know that Cushman Wakefield’s all over the place. There’s not just one office right there.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:04:54] We’re national. We’re actually global.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:55] Global, right.

Teresa Williams: [00:04:56] Yes. We have over 450 employees. Shoot, I can’t remember how many offices we have, but we are located in 60 different countries. Actually, that was 450 offices, 53,000 employees, 60 countries.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:12] Yeah. So, you have—the world is really your oyster when it comes to this. And if I—like say I’m a janitorial service provider, and I partner with Cushman Wakefield, and say I’m in Minneapolis, is that something that, now, I’m in the database, so if somebody needs me in an adjoining market, they might call me as well, right?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:05:31] They will search for that region, they’ll search for that service, and it’ll connect us to the right folks, the managers that lead that.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:39] Right. So, there’s really no reason not to put your name in the hat.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:05:43] Exactly.

Teresa Williams: [00:05:44] It’s a great opportunity for you to expand your business as well. Say you serve just the Atlanta market, you’re interested in expanding, contracts can afford you that opportunities.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:54] Now, how do you attack an event like this WBENC National Conference? Are you just kind of walking around meeting people? Are you doing those kind of things?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:06:04] Actually, we have clients here.

Teresa Williams: [00:06:04] Yeah, it’s very targeted.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:06:06] Very targeted, right. So, it is speed dating. If someone sees our brand or our name on our-

Lee Kantor: [00:06:12] You want to meet people.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:06:13] Exactly, we do, right? But we also have clients here that we are working with. And so, we’ll be at their booth and we’ll speak to people as they come up as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:23] Right. So, are you divide and conquer, or you are a team here?

Teresa Williams: [00:06:27] We divide, we conquer, we come back together, and then we do it all over again, so yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:33] Now, it’s been a minute since these conferences have happened. Everything’s been virtual. How has that been for you to kind of go around? And I’m sure there’s been a lot more hugging today there’s been in probably months.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:06:43] I know.

Teresa Williams: [00:06:44] Yeah. I saw some people I haven’t seen since before the pandemic, and it’s been a huge love fest, so I’m so happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:52] Right. It’s like the world has opened up. It’s wild. So, if somebody wants to learn more about Cushman Wakefield, what’s the website, what’s the best coordinates to kind of learn about this program?

Teresa Williams: [00:07:03] You can reach us at www.cushmanwakefield.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:08] And then, kind of drill down to supplier diversity, where would they go in the website, do you know?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:07:12] I would say supplier diversity or category management. That will lead you to our category managers for each category that I named earlier in the program, janitorial services.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:25] Right. So, you can put your information in the appropriate place?

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:07:29] Exactly.

Teresa Williams: [00:07:30] And we do have champions for our partners, so it’s not a situation where our partners sign up and-

Lee Kantor: [00:07:37] I know, forgotten, right?

Teresa Williams: [00:07:38] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:38] There’s somebody on the team that’s going to come back behind there and really help them be successful.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:07:43] Absolutely. Exactly.

Teresa Williams: [00:07:44] And that’s the whole point.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:46] Well, thank you both for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Teresa Williams: [00:07:50] Thank you.

Re’Nauta Bell: [00:07:50] Thank you for having us. We appreciate it.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:52] Alright. This is Lee Kantor. We’re broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside the GWBC booth. We’ll be back in a few.

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T.J. Lewis, Ally

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC’s National Conference 2022. This is the 25th annual conference here. So, we’re excited to be here and we’re inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812, if you wanted to stop by and see us. Right now, we have TJ Lewis with Ally Financial. Welcome, TJ.

TJ Lewis: [00:00:37] Thank you. Thank you very much. Happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] Well, you’re a partner here with GWBC. Talk about why that’s important for Ally to be partners with GWBC.

TJ Lewis: [00:00:46] Yeah. So, Ally, just to give a little bit of background on myself and Ally, I joined Ally in January 2020 actually to launch our supplier diversity program. So, we’re a relatively new program. And in doing that, we knew we needed to really partner with some of the best councils in the area, and we have some key markets in the southeast, as well as the Midwest, and we immediately contacted Roz. I’ve known Roz from previous roles and knew that we wanted to kind of jumpstart our program engaging with the GWBC, and it’s it’s been a fabulous partnership that we’ve had over the last two-and-a-half years.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:36] So, you started this from scratch for Ally?

TJ Lewis: [00:01:38] We did. I did. So, I joined in. Ally’s known for very strong DE&I culture efforts, our corporate citizenship work that we had as a team. We had just gotten to the point where it was time for us to launch the supplier diversity program and I was honored to be selected-

Lee Kantor: [00:01:58] To champion that.

TJ Lewis: [00:01:59] … to champion that. And it’s been a joy. But keep in mind, I gave you the timeline, January 2020.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:07] I know. That was an interesting starting point.

TJ Lewis: [00:02:08] Right. Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:10] Like, hey, do you know that there’s a pandemic going on here?

TJ Lewis: [00:02:12] Well, it just—we didn’t know, and that was the thing. So, a couple of months in, less than three months in, we’re in the middle of the pandemic. And actually, one of the first things we did was we sat down with like the GWBC and some of the other councils, in particular, on the local side, and said, okay, we knew we had to reach a lot of the businesses that were being impacted the most.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:40] Right. And they needed the services of Ally and they needed the Ally to be an ally.

TJ Lewis: [00:02:45] Yeah, that’s right. And they needed the opportunities. And how do we do that? All of a sudden, WBENC, the national conference is going to be canceled. Everything’s canceled, right? And so, actually, we sat down, we talked with Roz and team, and we came up with some pretty innovative things, where we brought the access through virtuality, virtual events.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:05] Right. You had to figure out a way to make it happen, because business didn’t stop for everybody.

TJ Lewis: [00:03:09] Exactly. And that’s what’s been meaningful. So, it’s funny because being here today, I’ve worked—my team has worked with a lot of the the folks at GWBC for years, and we had never met them in person.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:22] And you never met them, right?

TJ Lewis: [00:03:24] That’s right. So, it’s exciting just to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:27] It’s like a reunion.

TJ Lewis: [00:03:28] Yes, that’s exactly right. Exactly right. I joke that we’re not just a square box with a photo, right?

Lee Kantor: [00:03:34] Right.

TJ Lewis: [00:03:34] It’s real people.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:35] It’s hard to believe.

TJ Lewis: [00:03:36] Right. And so, it’s just been really exciting to be here, and the partnership and things that we’ve been able to do. We got involved in their mentorship program, where we were able to mentor a couple of women-owned businesses, and we’re doing that again this year.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:52] And the impact is real. Like this isn’t just something that a corporate higher ups are talking about, like, yeah, that’d be a nice thing. You’re seeing the real results of that relationship and the impact that makes not only on the individual business owner, but also their family, their community. I mean, the impact really trickles out and ripples out well beyond that individual.

TJ Lewis: [00:04:13] Without a doubt, and that’s what keeps us charged. And partnering and working with the GWBC and organizations like this just keeps us going. And we figure out ways to be more innovative and creative.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:29] Right. More creative and to make things happen, because you have to—you can’t stop innovating, or else, you’re going to die on the vine here. You got to keep kind of changing to adapt to what’s happening, because the world is so chaotic and changing so rapidly, you have to help them kind of dream bigger, really.

TJ Lewis: [00:04:48] That’s right. And just kind of tying it in, I mean, so Ally, if you know anything about Ally Financial, we’re a digital financial institution. And so, that’s kind of a disruptor. It’s kind of an innovator in this space.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:02] So, how do you kind of—as having a digital footprint, but you’re serving individuals locally and hyper locally, how do you kind of thread that needle to be available to them as they need you every day in a local market, but also have this kind of global really presence?

TJ Lewis: [00:05:20] Yeah. I mean, well, it’s the principles of the company. Well, we’re able to serve anyone everywhere.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:28] Right. But also you want to be hyper local so that you can serve the community.

TJ Lewis: [00:05:32] And that’s just in the communities that we operate and serve and across the 11,000 employees that we have. We are very active in those communities across the board. And so, it’s just part of that.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:46] That’s the culture and the DNA of the organization.

TJ Lewis: [00:05:48] Absolutely right. Absolutely right. And it’s actually why it was so fruitful starting the program here. It was—we already had a good culture, so it wasn’t about it’s just the right thing to do, everyone’s like, what can we do to help?

Lee Kantor: [00:06:02] Right. How can we do more?

TJ Lewis: [00:06:03] Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And that’s been exciting, working with Roz and team to, to really come up with those things. They’ve been really instrumental. We started a couple of things. Like we have—we do an annual symposium that we hosted virtually, and that all came out of the pandemic. We probably wouldn’t have done that, but we had to.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:24] Right. It’s kind of forced your hand there, but it’s one of those things, where after the pandemic, you’re like, well, let’s keep doing that, why not?

TJ Lewis: [00:06:31] That’s right. And then, that turned into then we do quarterly spotlight events, where we have a lot of the women-owned businesses are getting involved. They’ll pitch to our our teams. And what we found was in addition to how we we come to conferences like this, we actually do virtual events, where they’re able to talk directly to our buyers internally in house, and they’ve loved it. So, again, it’s just—the innovation that we’ve been able to get creative around is really exciting.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:59] And it must be so rewarding, too.

TJ Lewis: [00:07:01] It is. It is.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:02] Now, how do you attack an event like this, conference? Like there are so many people, like you said, it’s like a reunion where these are the first time you’ve seen in person probably a lot of these folks. What’s the strategy for you personally? Are you speaking and are you on a panel or are you doing any speaking? Are you kind of just going into booths and introducing yourselves?

TJ Lewis: [00:07:21] Yeah. So. A lot of the work that we’ve done was kind of on the forefront. A lot of the companies that we’ve met with and we know that they’re here, we actually scheduled a lot of time to try to follow up, meet with them in person.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:34] Because it’s an efficient way to really do a lot of face-to-face conversations.

TJ Lewis: [00:07:38] That’s right. Because everything else we’ve been doing for the most part has been virtual. And so, we’re taking that—the time to have that human touch. There’s always ad hoc meetings. I’ve been in this industry a while, so knowing a lot of people, a lot of companies that it helps. And so, we really, as a team, have kind of—we did our homework upfront, came in with a game plan. We do certain engagements.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:59] So, that’s great advice for someone that is new to this industry and had to work a conference is you’d better be doing some upfront work and plan this out, or else, it’s overwhelming. There’s too many people and too many things happening if you just show up and think you’re going to just wing it.

TJ Lewis: [00:08:14] That’s right. That’s right. Now, you’re 100% right. The homework is done. You’re almost in execution mode when you get here, not like wandering around.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:20] Right. You better be because you’re invested so much to get here, so you might as well get the most out of it.

TJ Lewis: [00:08:24] Absolutely. So, it’s been really fun. And I have a few team members that it’s their first conference here. And seeing that and with the changes, and it’s interesting, because it’s almost you couldn’t say like, how is it going to be, because it was all new for all of us, again, than what it was three years ago.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:42] Now, for the folks that should be connecting with you in terms of supplier diversity, are there certain niches that you want to work with or any women business is fair game here?

TJ Lewis: [00:08:54] Yeah. Our approach is if you have a product or service that you believe can help our institution, we’re here to listen. And so, because sometimes, we have a focus in certain areas, but our foundation is being a disruptor, and sometimes, disruptors, they come from areas you’re not thinking about.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:13] You couldn’t have anticipated.

TJ Lewis: [00:09:15] Right. Exactly. So, we keep an open mind around. So, really, I’m interested in companies that I may have never think that, we’re a financial institution, this isn’t going to, sometimes, they’re the ones that

Lee Kantor: [00:09:28] Surprise you.

TJ Lewis: [00:09:29] … can surprise you and be that supplier you really want to engage with.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:33] Right.

TJ Lewis: [00:09:33] Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:33] So, now, if somebody wants to learn more about Ally, what’s the website?

TJ Lewis: [00:09:38] Yeah. So, our ally.com, you can—you’ll hit the supplier diversity page as well. But one of the things, if people are interested, they can actually send an email to us in supplierdiversity@ally.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:53] And that’s A-L-L-Y?.

TJ Lewis: [00:09:55] A-L-L-Y, yes. And our team, we respond to that. We do—when we look for suppliers to potentially pitch us, we do have like a one pager that we would send to those companies, and they can fill that out, and we can get information on them to learn more.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:15] And that just gets the ball rolling.

TJ Lewis: [00:10:16] Gets the ball rolling. And so, you send an email there and our team will respond.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:22] Alright. Well, TJ, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

TJ Lewis: [00:10:26] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:28] Alright. This is Lee Kantor. We’re broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022 inside the GWBC booth and we’ll be back in a few.

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Randy Brown, Emory University

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC’s National Conference 2022 at the Georgia World Congress Center. We’re inside the booth of GWBC, and that’s booth 1812 if you want to come by and see us. Right now, we have Randy Brown with Emory University Manager, Supplier Diversity Program. Welcome, Randy.

Randy Brown: [00:00:37] Thanks. I appreciate it. Looking forward to the conversation.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re doing at Emory. Talk about the Supplier Diversity Program over there. How are you serving folks?

Randy Brown: [00:00:47] Well, first of all, Emory is listed as the largest employer in the metro area for the last two years. We’re the largest healthcare in the metro area. Prior to the pandemic, our economic impact was 14.8 billion, including health care.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:00] Starts adding up to real money, right, after a while?

Randy Brown: [00:01:03] Yeah. Well, that’s the economic impact, not spend. The thing for us is that we spent the last couple of years, about 20-plus years, focused mostly on our government contracts that we get from NIH, and research contracts, and also CDC. We have about $2 billion in research contracts. Bringing me on in 2020, December 2020, my current boss, Scott Schachter, and our CPO, Kevin Nash, and then our VP of Finance, Debbie Mowry, wanted to expand the program to survive diversity and inclusion.

Randy Brown: [00:01:36] So, in the first year, we were able to increase our spend exponentially. I think it’s around $10 million from me coming on and including the fact of adding more diverse vendors. One that we talk about the most is the fact of even having a diverse vendor for our sanitation that we deal with. It helps us from a sustainability standpoint and increasing visibility for Emory as well to be more inclusive within the metro area.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:04] And it’s one of those things when the enterprise-level organizations like yours come into play and start thinking about, hey, let’s see if we can engage with the more of the diverse suppliers, the impact is huge for them. Like a contract for them of 20,000, 50,000, 100,000 it’s game-changing. You can change their individual—them as an individual, their family, their community. And for you to be thinking like that and to opening kind of a wider net for folks, it must be very rewarding for you.

Randy Brown: [00:02:39] It is. I think that we look at it from a standpoint of what our mission is. Our mission is to create, teach, preserve, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity. Emory is really no more so for some of the research or the educational pieces that we do, but I talk about the fact that as we continue to do this work, we’d be in the business already of students, research, and patients, and health care. By being more inclusive and diverse vendors in the metro area, we’re able now to expand those areas, where people are going to come to Emory for those things that I just mentioned.

Randy Brown: [00:03:13] The best thing about my job is the fact of seeing businesses that mature as they grow. Now, I’ve only been there a year-and-a-half, but however, we’ve accomplished a lot, even using for—since the pandemic, we usually have a staff fest in the spring right after graduation, hadn’t had it in two years, had it this year. The first time ever we used a certified woman-owned minority business and we sold more t-shirts that we have in the last—any staff as we have prior to me coming.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:42] Right. So, the impact is real. Like this is not kind of this hypothetical, I wish this could happen. This is something you’re seeing it happen. You’re seeing the results, and then the impact you’re making is real. Now, as you’re moving forward, why why was it important to partner with GWBC?

Randy Brown: [00:03:58] Well, previously, Emory was members of the Georgia Supplier Development Council, but I felt that expanding our reach into other areas and other councils. So, the first was Greater Women’s Business Council. Then, this year, we expanded the Georgia Hispanic Chamber, and then OUT Georgia. The more that we’re able to expand our reach and engagement, it allows us to get more diverse vendors in, because we can’t reach them.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:22] Right. You don’t know everybody.

Randy Brown: [00:04:23] We don’t. I try my best, though. I’ve been here a lot. But yeah, that’s basically the goal, is to try to at least be able to reach out to those that we don’t know or get the word out.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:32] So, now, if there’s somebody that wants to partner with Emory, do you have a directory? Is there a way to kind of let them know they exist and to get on your radar?

Randy Brown: [00:04:41] So, one thing I would suggest is going Google, in the sense of Emory Supplier Diversity Program. We’re revamping the site, so at some point by August, we hope to have it changed. But you can email supplier.diversity@emory.edu. Again, supplier.diversity@emory.edu. Send us your capability statement. I always ask that they include at least 2 to 3 things that they feel they can do for Emory. The reason I say that is my background originally was working with an MBE, but also worked in various other positions.

Randy Brown: [00:05:18] But from a sales standpoint, you should already know the customer you’re trying to get and you should know some information about them. You also leverage the fact of Emery’s name being a very prominent figure in the metro area. However, I also recommend to vendors that come in, don’t try to eat a whale. They assume when they see Emory, they’re like, oh, it’s huge, we’ve got the Oxford campus, our research, everything else. Focus on what you do. So, we’ve had companies that say they do light bulbs, but they do other—that’s it. Focus on the lightbulbs.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:49] Lightbulbs, right.

Randy Brown: [00:05:50] Stay in your lane.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:51] Start small, dream big.

Randy Brown: [00:05:52] And that’s it, because we understand that. And the other thing is don’t look at it as your pipeline for all your business. Focus on continuing to do it, because the advantage for us is the fact that we’re willing to increase and do this work in the last year-and-a-half. And the other piece is, as mistakes happen, things happen, we want to make sure that we are addressing that through a process so that people don’t get a bad taste in their mouth.

Randy Brown: [00:06:16] Average employee at Emory is around 15 years. We’ve got people on staff that have been there 30 years. So, you imagine them in these cycles of being used to working in the same way, some complacent maybe in the sense of, I’m doing my job, habit-forming, so we started a new acronym that we use called PREP. So, PREP is something I brought along that basically means pause, reflect, evaluate, proceed. Pause before any engagement, reflect on what you’ve done in the past, and then go ahead and evaluate it from a standpoint if there’s an opportunity for a diverse vendor or sole source.

Randy Brown: [00:06:54] We do, do a lot of scientific, so that would mean that we do. And then, the other one is proceed. We don’t want to delay the pipeline of work that needs to be done. And in our case, we’re also decentralized. Because we’re such a big university, some business units that have their own procurement department. So, I try to focus a lot of that through central procurement, but I also do a road show.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:13] Right. So, you have to go around to introduce these vendors to maybe different groups that wouldn’t have been aware, because they have their own system internally. So, now, it was great advice, I think, for folks out there that are listening when it comes to when you’re selling yourself to an enterprise level of organization, start small, do a great job, prove yourself, make everybody comfortable, learn how to work together. And then, over time, you can expand, but don’t try to rush into things and try to do 14 different things for somebody, even though that you know you could.

Randy Brown: [00:07:45] Yeah, I agree with that. I think that I look at it from a standpoint of when we bought a house that had a fireplace, it was a traditional fireplace, not a gas logs or gas starter. So, I kept having problems trying to build this fireplace—I mean, build the fire. And so, I looked it up, Googled it, and then looked on YouTube. So, look at it from a standpoint of igniting your business, right? So, in other words, when you’re doing it, do you need fuel heating air?

Randy Brown: [00:08:08] The fuel is usually the newspaper. The heat is the kindling, which is new wood, thin, and you stack it close together, and then spread it out to allow air to come in. That creates a flame. And that’s kind of how you want to look at it from the standpoint coming into Emory. The advantage is as you continue to do that, at some point, you find a log that will push you other places, because I am not that person that’s authorized to do that. All I could do is be an advocate. And so, in doing so, you know that if you put a new piece of log on to cook, it’s getting cooked.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:41] You’re not going to heat anything.

Randy Brown: [00:08:42] Didn’t need to heat anything.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:43] You’ll just be frustrated.

Randy Brown: [00:08:43] But it has to be something weathered. It’s been through some things. The advantages, you get someone with the wisdom that’s been at Emory that is your advocate that, now, can basically say, hey, we’re going to push this forward. And I think that’s where you develop your relationship.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:58] Right. You have to be patient and let it evolve, and you earn your way up the ladder.

Randy Brown: [00:09:02] Yeah, that’s definitely true. And the one thing I’ll say is that, also, continue to do your research on whoever you’re working with. So, if we’re not in the news, find out where you can find news about us. Use the student paper, use the Emory Report, which is our university paper, but engage with areas of Emory to try to do that. However, I will say, continue to work with the supplier diversity manager, because they are your advocate. So many times, we developed a relationship, and then months later, I’m hearing, oh, well, we’re having a problem, I wasn’t on the email, I didn’t know about it.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:39] Right. You couldn’t help.

Randy Brown: [00:09:40] I couldn’t help. The other thing is having developed those processes in the background that we want to do, quarterly meetings, making sure that we’re doing what we need to do on our part, but also doing the same for the vendor.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:51] Right. The communication is important. I mean, you’ve got to check all these boxes, and that’s why you can’t fast-forward these things even though you’d like to. You just got to let it play out. It’s going to take as long as it takes. Do the best you can, earn your way up the ladder, and do a great job, and then you’ll see it evolve and you’re going to have more opportunities.

Randy Brown: [00:10:11] I think about it from the standpoint of the pandemic. The pandemic put the country on pause for about two years. However, prior to that, everything was microwaved. We’re coming out of the pandemic, now, you’re trying to accelerate that microwave, because you’re like, oh, I’ve had two years.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:26] Right. I’ve been waiting.

Randy Brown: [00:10:26] But instead of basically going back, to steal the PREP analysis, pausing, so you can basically make sure, because things have changed and evolved, technology has changed, however, the opportunities are going to be there if you’re willing to wait, but also be patient and consistent in your communication.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:43] Well, Randy, if somebody wants to learn more about the program, what’s the best way again?

Randy Brown: [00:10:46] Again, Google it. It’s under Emory Supplier Diversity, but also be able to send an email to supplier.diversity@emory.edu. And we ask that you send your capability statement. If you don’t know what that is, get with Greater Women’s Business Council, they’ll be happy with that.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:04] Right. They’ll be happy with that.

Randy Brown: [00:11:05] The other one is that you also need to make sure that you are a certified minority vendor. We definitely ask that. The other one is that as you do that, make sure you give us one or two items that you feel you can provide for Emory, but stay in a smaller-

Lee Kantor: [00:11:18] Right. The super power, the thing you do best.

Randy Brown: [00:11:22] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:22] Well, thank you again for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Randy Brown: [00:11:26] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:27] This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few. Broadcasting live from WBENC’s 2022 National Conference inside the GWBC booth.

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Charlette Wynn, P3 Delivery

TRANSCRIPT

WBENC_060822_CharletteWynn_2.mp3
Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC’s National Conference 2022. This is the 25 years of WBENC. It flew by. And we’re inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812, if you want to stop by and see us. Right now, we have Charlette Wynn and she is with P3 Delivery. Welcome.

Charlette Wynn: [00:00:38] Well, thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] So, tell us a little bit about P3. How are you serving folks?

Charlette Wynn: [00:00:43] P3 Delivery is an award-winning management consulting firm that provides services in the area of project program management, business process improvement, and performance management, including organizational change and change in training.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:59] So, there were three Ps in there, right? That’s where they-

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:01] It’s P to third power, yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:03] So, if you’re looking for a fourth P or we’re going to stay with the 3 P?

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:07] We’re going to stay with the 3 Ps.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:09] So, how’d you get into this line of work? Were you always an entrepreneur?

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:13] I always had an entrepreneur spirit. I got into this work after leaving Deloitte Consulting for a year, management consulting career, and decided to branch out on my own.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:25] So, how’s it been? Do you enjoy your own adventure rather than the big corporate?

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:31] I do. I do. And I was actually back and forth for a period of time, and it was 2016 when I decided to focus on growing the business, as opposed to working in the business.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:42] Right. So, that’s a different mindset, right?

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:44] Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:45] Did they teach you that in school or do you have to kind of learn that on your own?

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:48] I kind of learned that in my own.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:50] Right. I wish they’d cover that.

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:52] I wish they did, too. I have a lot of lessons learned that I can share with individuals.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:56] So, how did you get involved with GWBC?

Charlette Wynn: [00:01:58] I met Roz actually at a WBENC Conference about four years ago, and she shared me more about GWBC, and from that point on-

Lee Kantor: [00:02:07] And certified, getting started.

Charlette Wynn: [00:02:09] And getting certified and participating.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:13] And has it impacted your business?

Charlette Wynn: [00:02:15] Yeah, absolutely. I think that’s what led us to win our last two awards, through some of the connections I’ve made over the years.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:21] Wow. It’s so important for the women out there that have their own business to take that step to become certified. It can really take your business to a new level.

Charlette Wynn: [00:02:31] Yes, it can.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:33] So, now, how do you attack a conference like this one, where it just seems like it’s a family reunion, everybody’s getting together seeing people that they’ve never seen?

Charlette Wynn: [00:02:41] Well, you do your homework. You do your homework. For me, I had a more targeted approach this time, and actually, I’m using this also to do a survey on a couple of things that I’m working on. So, yesterday, I spent that time, because I knew it wasn’t going to be that busy meeting with the four companies that I wanted to have seen.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:59] So, you targeted four?

Charlette Wynn: [00:03:00] I talked—I had four that I was targeting for yesterday, yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:04] And that’s important for the newer business person out there. You come into this event, you can’t just wing it, like that’s a rookie mistake.

Charlette Wynn: [00:03:14] It is.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:15] Right? You got to kind of be strategic. You got to do your research.

Charlette Wynn: [00:03:19] And realistic. It’s hard and overwhelming, because you see so many great businesses, but I’m learning to go what I call deeper than wider. And then, even today, I followed up on two of the contacts that I made from yesterday. They told me to come back.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:35] Because you went even deeper, right?

Charlette Wynn: [00:03:38] I went even deeper. And so, it seems like I’ll get closer to an opportunity now as a result of this focus.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:43] Right. So, it seems like, oh, four out of there are hundreds here, that seems, oh, well, I missed a lot, and you don’t care. You care about, let me go deeper with these four, and now, that, maybe one of them will-

Charlette Wynn: [00:03:57] And then, balance the time with more of the classes and events.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:03] The education and networking.

Charlette Wynn: [00:04:03] Educational series like in the past. And I think most small businesses are so anxious to get a contract, and so they use these industry trade shows of way of what they think is connecting. And so, this year, I just chose to have a little bit more balance, and getting a little more education out of it, and do the survey that I want to do to get some primary information.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:24] And be more patient and not look at this as a quick fix solution. This is a long-term investment.

Charlette Wynn: [00:04:30] Yes. Yes. That’s a great way to phrase it.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:33] So, now, what’s been the most rewarding part of being involved with GWBC and kind of immersing yourself in this community?

Charlette Wynn: [00:04:41] Well, this is my second time on the air, so of course, it gives me exposure.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:44] That helps.

Charlette Wynn: [00:04:45] Yes. And I even delivered a webinar for them during the COVID time. We had the special series. And so, I believe that gave me some extra exposure as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:57] So, now, are you finding that when you’re working an event like this and you’re getting deeper in those relationships that—are you starting to see maybe some sprout, some like, hey, this is going to work out, you feel like this is a better approach?

Charlette Wynn: [00:05:11] I think it’s a better approach. Even a couple of companies that I boost, I stopped at, I actually knew a few of the individuals, and they were connecting with other people that were focused more in the area that I am pursuing.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:26] So, now, at P3, who is an ideal customer for you.

Charlette Wynn: [00:05:32] A UPS, a Coca Cola, a federal government agency, anyone that’s looking to improve upon their business processes, looking at efficiencies within their organization, that’s the ideal client.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:48] Right. So, an enterprise-level organization.

Charlette Wynn: [00:05:50] Enterprise-wide level or a large federal government agency. Probably 70% of the work we do today is with federal government, so our ideal client would be in that space.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:03] So, now, if somebody wants to learn more, what’s the website?

Charlette Wynn: [00:06:06] www.p3delivery.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:09] And it’s the letter P, the number 3?

Charlette Wynn: [00:06:11] P3delivery.com

Lee Kantor: [00:06:14] Alright. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Charlette Wynn: [00:06:17] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:18] Alright. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at the 2022 WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth.

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Jennifer Barbosa, International Supply Partners

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC’s National Conference 2022 inside the booth of GWBC, booth 1812, if you want to come by and see us. Right now, we have Jennifer Barbosa and she is with International Supply Partners. Welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:00:35] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] So, how’s the conference been for you so far?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:00:38] It has been amazing. We’ve made some awesome connections. So, opened up some new opportunities, solidified some great relationships. It’s more than I had anticipated.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:50] It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? You walk in and it just-

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:00:52] Oh, my goodness. All of it, it’s way more than I expected, but I love that the way they have the system, the schedule on the app, it helps you to navigate.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] Right. Because you could get—if you just came in here and thought you were just going to wing this, good luck.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:01:12] No, no. I would not recommend that.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:14] I would not recommend that.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:01:15] Have a plan of action.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:17] Exactly. Now, talk about International Supply Partners. How are you serving folks?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:01:22] Sure. So, International Supply Partners was founded in 2016 here in Atlanta. We are a full supply company where we leverage our relationships with manufacturers, international as well as domestic, supplying office, medical, janitorial, industrial supplies and equipments. We are really good at very innovative products new to the market and we are really good at sourcing products that are in high demand but maybe in low inventory. So, we can call up our manufacturer partners who produce those products, and say, hey, can you do me a favor?

Lee Kantor: [00:02:03] So, relationships are important, right?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:02:04] Absolutely. Yes. And that’s-

Lee Kantor: [00:02:06] And you have a lot of relationships in a lot of important areas.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:02:09] Hence, the name Partners.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:10] Exactly. So, now, how did you get into this line of work?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:02:14] Well, the funny story is I was a stay-at-home mom, former military spouse, and I had six kids at home, a new baby, and I was bored.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:25] Bored. So, let me just start this brand new business. It’s connecting lots of people all over the globe.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:02:30] Yes. I was just like, I want to supply, and my goal originally was to supply to the federal government. And it slowly started to expand, and now, we supply—we just finalized our partnership agreement with Overstock Government and the GSA marketplace. So, we will be supplying PPE to GSA, which both federal agencies and state governments will have access to. We also have served hospitals. We have hospital health centers that we serve on a regular basis. We have served state counties and local city governments, as well as nonprofit organizations. And we are steadily working on our relationships with corporate and Fortune 500 companies, which we are actively building up on those as well. So, we have a partnership, a master agreement with AT&T. We are working to leverage our relationships with CVS and some of the other major corporations so that we can be of service to them as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:39] So, how has the GWBC helped you?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:03:43] Well, aside from the amazing network that I’ve made, the relationships with other women owners, the cohorts, the programs, the webinars, I’ve received a lot of valuable information, some valuable skill sets, and just opened up my eyes to what I didn’t know.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:08] And what’s possible.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:04:10] And what is possible. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:12] Now, any advice for that stay-at-home mom out there that maybe has that itch, that entrepreneurial itch to take that leap, and to kind of trust your gut and to go boldly forward?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:04:24] Well, I’ll tell you this, if you have—if you are a stay-at-home mom, you have a lot of management skills, organization skills.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:34] Don’t discount that.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:04:34] Do not discount that, because it comes into great value and purpose when you’re running your business. And I always say if you feel that in your gut and your heart, and it keeps bothering you, then it means that you need to go ahead and do it. And you don’t need to necessarily have all of the tools or all of the plan in action, just start. You’ve just got to start somewhere.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:59] Uh-huh. And is that what you did? You started maybe small, and then were able to-

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:05:02] Yeah, I started—I registered the business with the state. I started—I went ahead and immediately registered and got my company certified as a minority-owned business.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:12] So, you knew that that was important?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:05:13] Oh, absolutely, especially when you’re serving the governments. But right now, the trend also is a lot of major corporations, they’re really big in supplier diversity and inclusion. So, having these certifications is essential.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:29] It’s not a nice to have, right?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:05:30] It’s not a nice to have. No, it’s an essential. It’s absolutely must have. So, I went ahead and started that process immediately. And I’m glad that I did, because it really set us apart very quickly.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:41] And then, it helped probably take you to a new level faster than if you had not done that.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:05:46] Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, conversations were a lot easier to have. You were able to get the decision maker’s attention a lot faster, because like I said, DE&I are big topics and it’s really important to a lot of organizations. And then, the federal government has mandated opportunities for women-owned, minority-owned businesses, and you have to take advantage of that.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:13] It’s like a fast pass.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:06:14] It is. It is.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:16] And it’s true. It’s one of those things where if you’re a woman-owned business or minority-owned business, you should really consider investing the time, because it’s not easy to get the certificate. It’s not like something you just check a box, and they go, here’s your certification, you have to do some work, but it’s work-

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:06:31] You got to do the work, and it’s not hard work, i’s tedious work. It’s paperwork and it’s a lot of back and forth, and some certifications take a lot longer than others, but it is well worth the time and investment for it. Absolutely. And there are free certifications and there are membership organizations that you can get certified through, which I highly recommend as well, like WBENC, like the Greater Women’s Business Council. There are so many out there.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:01] Right. And it’s worth—even if you just meet a person that’s a member of them, just ask them questions. It’s such a collaborative community. Everybody’s trying to help everybody. It’s not this cutthroat, dog eat dog situation.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:07:12] Not at all. Not at all.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:14] People are rooting for each other and they want everybody to succeed.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:07:17] And then, also, one great thing to consider is a lot of the decisionmakers in these major corporations sit on the board or are part of some committees of these organizations that do the certifications. So, the level of networking and connections you’re going to have are invaluable.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:38] Right. And it’s efficient, because like you said, these people are on the board. You can meet a lot of people quickly. And these people are the right people in the right organizations.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:07:46] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:47] So, if somebody wants to learn more, what is the website for your organization?

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:07:51] Well, you can visit us through internationalsupplypartners.com or you can also go to queensupplier.com. That’s what they call me.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:00] That’s what they call you.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:08:01] The Queen Supplier. And reach out to us. We love to partner up with other businesses that do the similar thing, or if we can support you and make sure that you look good to your clients, that’s what we’re going for. We’re here to be a partner on every aspect.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:18] Well, Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Jennifer Barbosa: [00:08:22] Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:24] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022 inside the GWBC booth. We’ll be back in a few.

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Linda Denny, Linda Denny Consulting

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:17] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC’s National Conference 2022. It’s been 25 years for WBENC, and congratulations to them for that big achievement. Right now, we are proud to be having an interview with Linda Denny, past president of WBENC. Welcome, Linda.

Linda Denny: [00:00:37] Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] So, 25 years, it’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Linda Denny: [00:00:42] The WBENC founding story is very amazing.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:46] So, share with us.

Linda Denny: [00:00:47] It’s just amazing that this organization came into being, and actually has prospered and impacted women’s businesses as much as it has. It’s exciting to think about. The organization was in the works for many years. Originally, women business owners were being certified by the minority counsel. And so, there were quite a number of women in certain locations around the country that were certified through the minority councils.

Linda Denny: [00:01:21] But when the minority council had a new president come in, and she said, well, White women aren’t minorities, this is for minorities, this is not for White women. And so, she literally just made them leave, even though many of them were very active in their councils and all. So, they basically got kicked out. But it was a blessing. I have thanked her many times, because-

Lee Kantor: [00:01:51] There was unintended consequences, right?

Linda Denny: [00:01:52] An Unintended consequence, that’s right. And what happened is there were women, of course, that were kicked out, were very upset about that, but there was a group down in Dallas, Texas that were particularly upset about it. And so, since there was a core group of corporate members down in that area or corporations down in that area that supported that particular council, they asked, would you, in fact, help us start a women’s council?

Linda Denny: [00:02:23] There needs to be a women’s council doing certification and replacing what we’ve just lost. And so, they hemmed and hawed around about that for, well, maybe we can do that, I don’t know, for quite a few years, frankly. So, these ladies just finally got to the point where they’d had enough. And so, they started being very aggressive about it. They went to the newspapers, they were on television. They were saying, this is not right.

Linda Denny: [00:02:57] And after a while, I think, frankly, they just shamed them into coming together to do it. But from the corporate side, also, they needed a council, such as WBENC, because they were—many of them wanting to start using women’s enterprises in their supplier diversity programs. But in order to do that, they were having to send their own staff out to review these businesses and to be sure that this really was a woman-owned business, not a man-owned business with a woman’s name on it.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:33] Right.

Linda Denny: [00:03:34] Because WBENC is looking at the ownership operation and control of a company. The certification does. So, in fact, they needed this. And so, finally, 11 corporations came together and decided that, yes, we should do this. And so, long story there, too, but to make it brief, they, over time, came together. They all put in a few bucks, and said, okay, we can start this. Susan Berry, the first president of WBENC, was hired to write the business plan and to help launch the organization.

Linda Denny: [00:04:21] And she eventually then became the first president of the organization. And the organization started with a certification standard that was very similar to what the minority counsel uses, but they did that because that’s really how—there’s regulations in federal law about how you can classify a business as minority-owned, women-owned, whatever. And so, those standards had to be very similar anyway.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:51] Consistent.

Linda Denny: [00:04:52] Consistent, absolutely. And they’re still consistent throughout the entire certification arena, regardless of its veterans, or people with disabilities or whatever. All the organizations that certify do so based on the same standards. And so, because these several hundred women had gone through certification already, they grandmothered about 500 businesses.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:22] Kind of got a jumpstart.

Linda Denny: [00:05:23] Got a jumpstart, that’s right, into the organization. They went out to many of the women’s business development centers. And then, there were other organizations that had been working with minority councils or were supporting women’s businesses, and they became, eventually, the regional partners of WBENC, and WBENC is the national council that oversees the certification standards, et cetera, but it’s the local organization.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:56] Right, the 14 RPOs.

Linda Denny: [00:05:57] That’s right.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:58] What were they at the beginning?

Linda Denny: [00:05:59] The Greater Georgia Business Council is the certification body for WBENC or they actually do the physical process.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:08] Right. They’re the boots on the ground in there.

Linda Denny: [00:06:09] They’re the boots on the ground and it couldn’t happen without them, believe me.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:13] Right. Exactly. But was there always 14 or was that something that just kind of grew over time?

Linda Denny: [00:06:19] There’s always been about 14. At one time, there was 15. And during my tenure as president, we kind of rearranged some of the territories a little bit. One of the original councils had more states than they could really manage. Georgia, for example, was just one state. Well, that didn’t make a lot of sense, because they were adjoining some of the states that they really needed to process and that weren’t getting as much services maybe they should have.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:48] Right. You got to spread the love.

Linda Denny: [00:06:50] That’s right. So, in fact, the Georgia Women’s Business Council became the-

Lee Kantor: [00:06:55] The Greater Women’s.

Linda Denny: [00:06:56] … Greater Women’s Business Council, because-

Lee Kantor: [00:06:58] Yeah, they used the G.

Linda Denny: [00:06:59] That’s right. Branding, who wants to redo all those logos.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:03] We don’t want that.

Linda Denny: [00:07:03] So, anyway, that is how the Georgia Women’s Business Council, including both or all Georgia, North and South Carolina came into being. And it’s been a really good change for all of the councils and it functions much better with the arrangement that we have at this point in time.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:28] So, now, what is the kind of the state of women’s business in your mind? You’ve seen this evolve over the years, obviously, you’ve been doing this for a minute. How has women’s business changed or has it?

Linda Denny: [00:07:41] I think it has, and I think it’s changed because people are more aware of it. Certainly, there’s been women’s businesses since ancient times.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:50] Right, beginning of time.

Linda Denny: [00:07:51] The beginning of time. And women are very entrepreneurial, and they’re very creative, and they have a lot of focus and drive if they want to. Just ask any child or many children.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:06] But to have this community where it’s so collaborative and everybody is helping everybody kind of get to a new level if possible, are you finding that more and more women businesses are taking a leap to becoming certified, or is this something still, you’re fighting this fight of, hey, this is worth it to the certification, get certified? It’s great that you’re a woman-owned business, but this is important not only for yourself, but also for every—the greater good for the whole.

Linda Denny: [00:08:34] I think that story is being told, and we’re seeing a lot of growth. WBENC, again, started with 500 certified businesses.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:45] Sure. And where are we at now about?

Linda Denny: [00:08:46] And I heard Pam say yesterday that it’s almost 17,000 today.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:51] Wow.

Linda Denny: [00:08:51] And during my tenure as president, we went from a little under 5,000 to right at 10,000. And so, the momentum was really starting to grow. And in the last 11 years, then we’ve gone to nearly 17,000. But what’s exciting too is that we’ve seen certification work. Just yesterday, I had a conversation with a woman who was telling me about what an impact certification has had on her company. And I’ve seen businesses go from not even quite $1,000,000 in revenue to now $1,000,000,000 in revenue. And not every business has that capability.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:35] Or that dream.

Linda Denny: [00:09:35] Or that dream. That’s right. Not everybody wants a business of that size. But the people that do can do it. And certification has been a really important part of that, because it opens the doors to contracts. And you still have to go and win the business the old-fashioned way through service, and price, and all of the things that it takes to compete in a contract of opportunity, but in fact, women are blending those opportunities. And suppliers that are the corporate supply professionals have told me so often, we love women business owners, because we find so much better service, sometimes, so much better communication, et cetera. And so, that’s exciting.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:27] So, what does WBENC need more of? Do they need more of the business that’s already a million. that wants to be the billion or do they need more of the just getting started, and hope, dreams of being a million?

Linda Denny: [00:10:37] I think WBENC’s always going to have a variety of those businesses. We have certified businesses that were already well over $1,000,000,000 now. That’s a job, I got to have to tell you.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:50] Right. Well, it’s hard to even put them in the same category.

Linda Denny: [00:10:54] But then, the brand new businesses, sometimes, use this as one of their first marketing tools, which it certainly can be, depending on what the business is. Now, the local dress shop, that’s not going to work. But in fact, if you’re a business that will eventually have a B2B type of customer base, a business customer base, not consumer customer base so much, but it’s amazing what this can do, but you have to have the right expectations about that also. And that expectation, if you’re a brand new business, is that you have to take baby steps. And that means you’re not going to walk into some big corporation, and get a great, big contract. That’s not going to happen. Maybe you’re going to do business with other WBEs. Many of our our women’s business enterprises do business with each other.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:54] And that’s okay, though.

Linda Denny: [00:11:55] Oh, it’s wonderful. I mean, I always look for women business owner when I’m buying something. I love that women-owned logo, because it sure makes it a lot easier. But in fact, that may be the first step that a brand new business would take, is seeking to do business with other smaller businesses, not maybe the giant corporations.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:21] But that’s part of the-

Linda Denny: [00:12:22] But that’s the building process.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:23] Right. And this is something you learn when you immerse yourself in the community. It’s not like this lottery ticket that you join, and you’re like, where is my million-dollar contract? I’m here now. It’s not like that. You got to look at this as this is now part of my culture, and I am part of the community, and I got to kind of earn my way up the ladder. So, I’m going to start here, and I’m going to do the work, and I’m going to volunteer, I’m going to be a part of the group, so you can see I am a leader, I am a person that you can trust for this kind of work. And then, work your way up the ladder. And then, the opportunity is really, you can dream as big as you want to.

Linda Denny: [00:13:00] That’s exactly right. And that’s what’s so exciting about WBENC, is that as the leader of this organization or a leader in this organization throughout many years, really, almost from the very beginning, I could see those businesses come in, and I could see the growth and the excitement. And again, the businesses that were those million-dollar businesses today are those 800 million, $900 million, billion-dollar businesses. And you stand back and you think about the impact that those businesses have had on not just their employees, but their customers, their people that they work with. I mean, the-

Lee Kantor: [00:13:49] The ripples are real.

Linda Denny: [00:13:51] The ripples are real. There’s a little—I spent 23 years in the financial services industry and in a corporate career as part of that. And we used to tell insurance agents that a dollar spent in a community will multiply itself at least seven times. And so, you think about those billion-dollar businesses, just their payroll, the seven times that that dollar turns over in every community, those small businesses are where business growth comes from in this country, and that’s exciting to help that.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:33] Now, at this stage in your career, what is the most rewarding part of your journey? To see these people, like you said, starting out, where they were just a person with a dream, and now, they have this entity, and they’re impacting thousands and thousands of people. Do you have your own adventure or are you on your own—a new entrepreneurial journey?

Linda Denny: [00:14:51] I worked so hard for so many years for all of this. When I retired from WBENC, I did quite a lot of consulting with various kinds of companies and organizations.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:04] Large and small or?

Linda Denny: [00:15:07] Large and small. I helped what was, at that point in time, called the United States Business Leadership Network, which today is called Disability:IN. And they were wanting to start a certification program of their business owners that were disabled, and because they were not having any way of reaching into those corporate markets and the bigger markets that they wanted to be able to reach to.

Linda Denny: [00:15:37] So, I was hired as a consultant and worked very closely with the organization for several years. Establishing that, we established the service-disabled veterans part of that program also. And so, it was very exciting to work with them. And then, also, just structurally, how the organization was organized, and how their board was organized, and some of those kinds of things. I just did-

Lee Kantor: [00:16:06] So, the foundational structure of the organization.

Linda Denny: [00:16:08] The structure of the organization along with the certification program, and helped bring them some good people that I knew would do a great job in leading some of those sections of their adventure, too. And I also worked with the National Veteran—NVOBA, National Veteran-Owned Business Association. I always have to stop and think about how to say that.

Linda Denny: [00:16:33] And helped them start their certification programs and also helped that organization be launched as a nonprofit organization, because corporate members were really interested in making sure that an organization that they supported with their corporate dollars was one, and the certification organization, I should say, was one that had the standards that are pretty standard throughout the industry or the certification industry, if you want to call it that.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:07] It’s becoming an industry. Like now, there’s a lot of them out there doing this kind of work.

Linda Denny: [00:17:13] The certification community, let’s call it that.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:15] Alright.

Linda Denny: [00:17:17] Anyway, I’ve assisted them in launching both the organization and the certification program. Again, helped them find some great people. We thought about that one very differently. And so, that certification program is done in a little different manner than what some like WBENC is. It doesn’t have regional partners or that kind of thing.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:38] But the standards are similar, right?

Linda Denny: [00:17:40] The standards are the same.

Lee Kantor: [00:17:41] That’s the key, right? The consistency of the standards. So, how they kind of do what they do is less important than as long as at the end of the day, they’re getting the result that everybody desire.

Linda Denny: [00:17:53] Well, the standard has to be the same. It has to be the same across the board. And I’m very happy to say that NVOBA today and Disability:IN with their service-disabled veteran designations, they have agreed to just make that—to make reciprocity between the two. So, if you’re in the database for NVOBA and you’re a service-disabled veteran, then you can be in the database for Disability:IN.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:22] So, you don’t have to kind of create the wheel again.

Linda Denny: [00:18:23] So, you don’t have to go through it all again, because frankly, the certification process is a pretty arduous one.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:29] But it has to be. Like it can’t be something where just check-

Linda Denny: [00:18:31] That’s exactly-

Lee Kantor: [00:18:32] … four boxes and you’re done. It can’t be like that.

Linda Denny: [00:18:35] That’s exactly right.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:35] We want to keep those standards as high as you want to keep them.

Linda Denny: [00:18:38] Exactly right. We inspect what we expect, and that’s a key management tool I learned long ago.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:45] It seems to be bearing fruit. It seems to be working pretty well.

Linda Denny: [00:18:48] So, it’s been wonderful to see those organizations really grow and prosper, and the impact that they’re having also. And certification has been kind of one of the things that I’m very proud of in my career. When I first came to WBENC, one of the very first things that Susan Berry assigned me to do was to work with the Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce or National Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, because they were wanting to set up their certification program. And it’s mature. It’s been going for many years now. They’ve got thousands of businesses certified. And so, it’s great to stand back and just look at all of that chaos that I helped cause.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:35] Well, if somebody wants to get ahold of you, are you available on LinkedIn? Are you still doing consulting?

Linda Denny: [00:19:40] I am still doing some consulting. I basically am retired and play in my garden, except when I break my arm, as I have now. But other than that, yes, I most definitely am on LinkedIn and I’m available to-

Lee Kantor: [00:19:56] Have conversation to help people.

Linda Denny: [00:19:57] Have a conversation. I love promoting women’s businesses, and veterans’ businesses, and businesses with persons with disabilities, and it’s just been such a rewarding thing for me throughout all these years.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:12] Well, congratulations on all the success and thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Linda Denny: [00:20:18] Oh, thank you so much. And it’s been a pleasure to be with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:21] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference inside GWBC’s booth, booth 1812. We’ll be back in a few.

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Billie Schultz, CECSO, Inc.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022. This is the 25th annual conference, and we are proud to have with us, Billie Schultz, one of the founders of the organizations or one of the early participants. Billie, welcome.

Billie Schultz: [00:00:33] Yes, thank you. I’m so excited to be here celebrating the 25 years.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:40] 25 years.

Billie Schultz: [00:00:40] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:40] Is it a blink? Did it go by fast for you?

Billie Schultz: [00:00:45] No, it’s going by faster, because at first, it was kind of clogged up, but now, it’s really a very unique organization and growing, 18,000 and growing. So, we’re excited about that.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:04] When you were at the beginning stages, is this how you imagined it could be or is this better than you imagine? Where is it in your mind?

Billie Schultz: [00:01:12] It is better than I ever imagined, because we were just a few women knowing that we needed a certification process that really helps weed out all of the know—helps weed out the fronts as we were called in the day. So, it’s amazing. I can’t say enough good words about it. Pam Easton and the awesome staff that she has today is doing great things, and we just know that we’re going further to spotlight what women are doing throughout America and beyond, so it’s a great adventure.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:00] Absolutely. Now, are you seeing that women today are a different type of entrepreneur and business owner than they were 25 years ago? Are they dreaming bigger, or where do you see them?

Billie Schultz: [00:02:12] Yes, we are dreaming bigger. I think a lot of people have started really reflecting, and some of the things maybe that happened to us in COVID, and now, the supply chain, but we are becoming more and more innovative. I am in technology myself, and so we have to become more innovative to keep up. And so, we are doing significant things in technology and I hope that we will be able to have a technology committee within the WBENC family very soon that spotlights all of what we do.

Billie Schultz: [00:02:55] I represent 10 major manufacturers in the technology industry, so there is a lot going on in each one of those manufacturers. I am here at this conference to spotlight one of the things that I have done in developing a particular application for logistic and manufacturing companies. It is a print, ship, and return label that is only about flipping over the label. It is cost savings and it is sustainable. It does not have any plastic on it. And so, very innovative.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:40] Now, have you found that technology now, it’s so ubiquitous that every company is, in essence, a technology company in some regards?

Billie Schultz: [00:03:49] Yes. Yes. When I assumed the leadership role of this company, it was just a service organization, and I knew immediately that I had to move toward getting manufacturers to look at my service business and see how good we were, and then be willing to partner with us to perform certain things in the technology industry. Been with some of my manufacturers for over 25 years.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:21] And then, being a certified woman business owner, that’s part of, I’m sure, the DNA and the organization you’re with now. Any advice for that women business owner that hasn’t taken the leap to be certified?

Billie Schultz: [00:04:35] Well, I would just encourage them to give it a try. First of all, if you’re in any kind of business, there are opportunities at WBENC. And so, we women want to do business with women, and one of the things that I’m talking about here today is the second tier. Some of the large corporations, if they can’t reach us on the first tier, what about the second tier? And what about us building a collection of those second tier women business owners that are very credible, like my service business was years ago. But now, I can represent, in fact, I do represent some manufacturers first tier, and then I’m free to go out there and find women that can help in the second tier position.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:28] Right, and partner with them?

Billie Schultz: [00:05:30] Mm-hmm. It is about the pooled power of women right now, I believe. And Susan Barry, who was the first president of WBENC or CEO of WBENC actually said, Billie, always say something about the pooled power of women when you speak, because we do need to pool our power, we do need to prove who we are and speak out. And so, that’s what we’ve been doing and it is working.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:00] Absolutely. Look around. There’s lots and lots of folks here.

Billie Schultz: [00:06:03] Really, it’s just awesome. I can’t say enough good word.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:07] Now, when you started, there was a few hundred women that had pulled together to to form the group, and now, you’re up to, like you said, 18,000. How much—what do you think—the the sky’s the limit, obviously, but how many women businesses are out there that aren’t certified? There has to be hundreds of thousands, right?

Billie Schultz: [00:06:24] Yes. It is all about communication and connections, and that’s what we’re doing right now, is we’re connecting with not only corporation, but women, and we’re connecting in their skills, and then furthering our skills as we partner together.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:44] Right. Pooled resources. It’s the same as it was, same as it ever was, right?

Billie Schultz: [00:06:48] Yes, same exact thing.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:49] 25 years ago, the rules are the same in that regard.

Billie Schultz: [00:06:51] The rules are the same. And I believe there’s a value in connecting with corporate women, because I think they’re kind of at the same place that we were maybe some time ago. They need to have more opportunity to speak out on their skills and to further their career, because lots of things happen. My late husband passed away. I had to do significant things. I had to be bold. I had to go out and get a new bank, because the bank that we had the credit line in wouldn’t accept my signature. I mean, it’s like, what’s wrong with this-

Lee Kantor: [00:07:33] What world is this? I mean, how is that possible?

Billie Schultz: [00:07:38] It was. And now, I have two wonderful banks.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:41] I bet you do.

Billie Schultz: [00:07:44] And they never questioned my signature. They just want me to pay it back.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:48] Exactly. When we focus on what’s important, then things get done.

Billie Schultz: [00:07:52] Yes, it does get done. And then, I had no manufacturers to represent. So, tell you a quick story there. My service people found out there was a fax machine bid out on the street, some large corporation that we were servicing in Dallas. And so, they said, do you know anybody, this was my service person talking to me, that would partner with you to do this bid on this contract? And I said, well, I don’t know them, but I’m going to call them.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:26] I’m not going to wait and hope they find me, I’m going to go out and take some action.

Billie Schultz: [00:08:30] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:31] I make the relationship that happened.

Billie Schultz: [00:08:32] Yes, that way, it did happen. I’ve called up the biggest manufacturer at that time, and I said, I have a bid that one of my customers is going out to bid for and I want to bid it, but I want to be the prime, and you could beat the sub. Well, after he got through choking, because he didn’t know me, okay, we’ll do the deal, let’s bid, and we won. I’m still with that manufacturer today.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:03] Well, congratulations on all the success, and thank you so much for all that you’ve done to help this organization and so many—the ripples are real and the businesses you’ve impacted. You look around here and a lot of this couldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your efforts. Thank you so much.

Billie Schultz: [00:09:18] Thank you, and thank Roz for recommending that I do this interview, because I was kind of blown away.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:24] Well, before we wrap, let’s get your website for your organization, because that’s important.

Billie Schultz: [00:09:30] Okay.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:30] Or to say the name of your organization.

Billie Schultz: [00:09:33] Well, it’s CESCO Inc. We are an IT equipment, software, solutions, supplies, value-added reseller in 10 major manufacturers for those sales and service.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:47] Yeah. So, Google that and you can find out more, because you can help a lot of people, and get involved and help those manufacturers get their goods out there to the world.

Billie Schultz: [00:09:56] Exactly. We are partnered together to make new business. I look forward to connecting with more people here. I already had some good meetings, so yes, continue your work. Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:10] Well, thank you for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Billie Schultz: [00:10:13] Oh, I didn’t say one thing. I do mentoring for young girls in The Harmony School for Underserved Kids.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:22] Is that in Dallas or that’s national?

Billie Schultz: [00:10:25] It is Texas wide.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:28] Texas wide.

Billie Schultz: [00:10:28] And then, it’s 56, I think, schools throughout Texas, and I happen to be in the business park where they are, one of them. And so, they invited me to breakfast. I wanted to know what I did, and then I took—there was an opportunity at the Go for the Greens Conference, which is one that I serve on the board of. And so, I told my husband, I said, I need to do something right now, because I was faced with meeting these girls, and I just want to make some kind of impression in letting them see what’s out there. So, he said, well, let’s just take three of the girls to this conference. And so, we took three, paid their airfare, and their hotel, and all of that, and they went to where Disney actually does a presentation on how to get an internship at Disney. And then, UPS does something about corporate. So, these girls just completely changed their lives.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:43] They ended up—I’m sure they were so hungry for that type of information, an opportunity.

Billie Schultz: [00:11:48] They couldn’t hardly say their name when I first met them, and now, they’re just—you can’t stop them talking. In fact, there’s an interview on Go for the Greens website and somebody might look at it.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:59] Yeah. Well, thank you for doing that and be the change you want to be in the world. That’s the lesson here. I mean, you’ve made such a difference, because you’ve stepped up, and more, the change that needed to be happening.

Billie Schultz: [00:12:12] Well, the girls are part of the next gen’s employee availability.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:20] Sure. So, well, thank you, Billie, so much. We appreciate you. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022 in the GWBC booth.

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Gabrielle Christman, Hunter International Recruiting

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kanter here, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022. And we’re inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812, if you want to stop by. And I’m excited to welcome Gabrielle Chrisman. Welcome, Gabrielle.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:00:31] Thank you. Happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] Now, she’s the president and CEO of STEMHUNTER and Hunter Recruiting.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:00:38] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] So, tell us about STEMHUNTER. How are you serving folks?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:00:42] Okay. Great. So, STEMHUNTER launched in May of 2022. We are a STEM-focused job board. So, general job boards, 94% of the jobs posted are not STEM-related, so STEMHUNTER, 100% of the jobs are STEM-related, and we are the only WBENC-certified job board in the US.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] Now, how did you get into this line of work?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:01:04] So, my first business was Hunter International Recruiting. I had a life sciences background, working at Eli Lilly in the Cleveland Clinic. And I started Hunter Recruiting in 2006, looking for scientific, technical, and engineering talent. And so, for the past 16 years in business, we haven’t found a job board that works how we want it to work to find technical professionals in science and engineering. And so, we built one. About two-and-a-half years ago, we set out to build one, and we’re really excited to be launching for the first time publicly to WBENC.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:35] Now, why was it so difficult, do you think, to have a job board the way that you wanted it to be, because job board’s been around forever, but there was nothing in this specific niche that you wanted it to do what you wanted it to do?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:01:47] Right. So, as technical recruiters, we search for talent differently, and as STEM professionals, STEM professionals search for work differently. And so, there is no system in place that honors how that happens, how we want it to happen, and also gives us the technical functionality to allow us to layer our searches to literally find the needle in the haystack fast. So, from a technical perspective, we were able to make that happen. We have two features that are currently patent-pending, and in booth 512, we have a live demo going on, so we can demo some of those features to those attending the conference.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:22] Now, in this world, the unemployment rate, I’m sure, is like zero, right? You’re finding people that already have jobs and they’re working somewhere else. How do you kind of—if I’m the candidate, how do I—what do I have to do to catch your eye? What are some of the kind of clues that I have to—the breadcrumbs I have to lead so that you’re like, hey, I’m going to call Lee, he’s the exact fit for what I’m looking for?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:02:48] Right. So, on the Hunter side of the business, Hunter Recruiting, that’s what we’re known for, tapping people on the shoulder. We call those passive candidates, the ones happily working for your competitor that haven’t done their resume in 10 years. Those are the types of talent that we want to find and bring to you. And there’s a lot of ways in which we do that. One of the best ways we do that is by hiring technical recruiters who have a background. So, our IT team, our folks that had an IT background, our scientific team, they worked in a lab, they understand formulations, same with our engineering team and so on.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:03:19] And so, when they’re calling candidates about technical roles, first of all, they speak the technical language, they know the jargon, they understand what the job is, and they’re likely to be able to engage that candidate to, hey, maybe let’s just put feelers out. A great way to engage candidates right now is saying, hey, update your resume, let’s get a pulse on the market. The market is changing. There’s a price for staying with your employer through the great resignation. And so, let’s see what the value of your skill set is in the market.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:46] Right. But from a candidate standpoint, what do I have to do as a candidate to catch your eye? Is there something I should be doing? Is there—should I be getting more involved in the association world? Should I be publishing more? Should I—what can I be doing to you that are like, wow, this is the right one, this person is standing out?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:04:04] I think that you can, first of all, put yourself out there, right? If you don’t have a resume updated once a year, it’s, first, put yourself out there.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:11] So, once a year, I should be updating my resume, which is kind of a rule.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:04:14] Yes, you should be updating your resume once a year. If you haven’t updated your resume for five-plus years, you should scratch it and start again. And actually, on our website, we have a great downloadable tool to help you build your resume called a Resume Builder. And so, you should be building out a resume that is easy to read. Recruiters read resumes, what we call above the fold. Just like in the news industry, you read above the fold, recruiters do the same thing.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:04:36] You’ve got to make us page down on that resume. So, we need to see what you’re doing most recently, what types of roles you’re most interested in quickly, and that has to be relevant, and very readable and usable, just like any website that we’re interfacing like would be. Right now, the employer market is not as strong as the employee market, so if you’re a candidate and you’re looking for a job, you should be visible, you should have a strong resume, and you should be pushing it out there.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:00] Should I say I’m looking for new opportunities?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:05:04] That’s a great question. It’s a little bit of a double-edged sword. It’s great to open up your network and tell people that you’re starting to look, you’re starting to think about opportunities, you’re open to things that might be worth exploring. There are ways in which you can kind of send a signal to recruiting teams that you’re actively looking, and then you’re opening up the floodgates for a lot of phone calls in the market we’re in.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:26] So, now, from the job board standpoint, what should I be doing in that regard? Should I—is that like table stakes, any candidate should be putting their name in that hat?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:05:35] I think if you’re a STEM professional, and you want to be notified when roles open up that are right for you and understand what the value of your skill set is, absolutely. You should come to STEMHUNTER, you should upload your resume and be notified when a job that’s right for you opens up, and then decide if you want to apply from there. One of the great features we have for candidates that is only on STEMHUNTER is called Messaging that Matters.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:06:00] And for the first time, candidates can ask questions to a hiring team before they apply. So, a lot of times, we know, the data shows that women don’t apply for jobs that they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements, and diverse candidates don’t apply if they don’t meet requirements either. So, we’re seeing that feature used hugely on the board. You can ask questions to the employer, hey, you said four years of experience, I have three, but I did this other thing in my last project, can I still apply? The answer is yes, but male candidates get that, and they apply, right? They’re like, whatever.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:31] Close enough.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:06:31] Right. Me see job, me get job, it’s like, right? But women aren’t that way. And so, they’re asking questions anonymously. They’re getting those answers, and then they’re feeling comfortable to apply, which is what it’s all about for employers right now. You just want to cast a wide net. You want as many applicants that you can put in front of your hiring team, and then find the best fit for the culture and the organization.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:50] Now, what brings you to this conference? What are you trying to get out of this conference?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:06:54] So, this conference, I’m part of the host committee representing WBENC ORV. We’re headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. And I’ve been to WBENC National Conferences since 2016. I’ve been certified since 2008. So, for me, the national conference is like Christmas, the week of Christmas and trade show day.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:14] So, you’re going every year?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:07:16] Every year.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:17] Doesn’t matter where it is?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:07:17] It’s always on my calendar. I’m always there. The ability to see our current customers, to meet new customers, to connect with other WBEs. In my industry and some incredible industries you didn’t even know was an industry until you get here, just the energy is unmatched that was kind of nuts.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:33] So, you’re coming for the networking or you’re coming for the education. Has being certified helped you think your business get to the level it is? Like if you weren’t certified, do you think you would have achieved what you’ve achieved thus far?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:07:45] I think that to answer your first question, I come for both the networking and the education. There’s some great educational opportunities that will take place this afternoon, that’ll take place tomorrow that are unparalleled to hear from those kind of thought leaders all on one stage at the same time. From our certification, absolutely. We’ve seen value out of our certification, but it’s like anything in life, what you put into it, you get out. So, to be here, and be present, and take those opportunities to introduce yourself to new people, to take risks within the network, to get involved in volunteering within your region has what have made the WBENC experience for me and my company so much more fruitful than it would have been if we hadn’t been involved on a national level?

Lee Kantor: [00:08:28] Now, for the folks that are getting involved in your RPO in Ohio, you can’t just join, right? You can’t just say, oh, I’m going to join, I’m going to pay the money, and then I’ll just wait by the phone and business is going to come my way, right? This is one of those things that you got to kind of do the work, you’ve got to volunteer, you have to take leadership roles if you want to get the most out of this.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:08:53] Yes. Yeah. I always say you have to show up, right? You have to show up. You have to put yourself in the room. You have to sit down at a table where you don’t know anyone at that table. And if you do that, it’s amazing what kind of road can be revealed to you through WBENC. And I found that throughout my experience, I remember coming to the conference as a first-time attendee and what that felt like, how brave these women have to be to come here in a platform like this, not knowing anyone.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:09:19] And so, I feel for our first-time attendees, but I also see the excitement on the other side of that, that they’re getting to meet all of these prospective customers. You couldn’t meet this many people in a year in business development. And so, having this opportunity is tremendous, but you have to put yourself in the room and into those situations. And some of the most fruitful relationships I’ve had through WBENC have been by the accident of who I was sitting at, at a table, who I was waiting in line with to get my lunch. Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:45] You’ve got to make the serendipity happen, though.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:09:47] Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:48] Good stuff. Well, congratulations on all the success and thank you so much for sharing your story today. What’s the website or the best way to get a hold of you or somebody on your team in either STEMHUNTER or Hunter Recuiting?

Gabrielle Christman: [00:10:00] So, you can find us, STEMHUNTER, in the app store. We have an app, STEMHUNTER. It’s in the business section of the App Store or on stemhunter.com. And then, Hunter International Recruiting, you can find us on the web or at hirecruiting.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:14] Well, thank you again, Gabrielle, for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Gabrielle Christman: [00:10:18] Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:19] Alright. This is Lee Kantor, broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC’s booth.

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Leslie Zinn, Arden’s Garden

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here live from the WBENC National Conference inside GWBC’s booth, Booth 1812, if you want to come by and see us. I’m so excited for our guest right now. It’s Leslie Zinn with Arden’s Garden. Welcome, Leslie.

Leslie Zinn: [00:00:32] Thank you. Glad to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:34] Now, you’ve been keeping me hydrated and keeping me energized with a variety of potions and concoctions. How did you get involved with Arden’s Gardens?

Leslie Zinn: [00:00:43] Arden is my mother.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:45] Arden is your mother? Really?

Leslie Zinn: [00:00:47] So, I was brought in for free labor.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:48] So, you’ve been in that garden since birth.

Leslie Zinn: [00:00:49] That’s right.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:52] So, talk about, you know, kind of the genesis of the idea. How did that –

Leslie Zinn: [00:00:56] Yeah. Sure. So, my mom was a huge health nut all my life. She fed my brother and I the grossest combinations. And she always wanted a juicer called a Norwalk but it costs too much money. So, to make herself feel better, she got out her credit card and she bought it and she called all her friends and said, “I bought this incredible juicer. I want to use it. I’m going to give you juice.” So, that was how we started.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:19] And so, it started out just with a juice recipe she just invented?

Leslie Zinn: [00:01:23] She invented lots of different recipes, some that you would never, ever put in your mouth, like broccoli.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:30] So, you put it in your mouth.

Leslie Zinn: [00:01:31] I have. You will know when broccoli juice is being made from a mile away. There’s no doubt about that. But she came up with a lot of different combinations. Yep.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:40] So, she was involved in this kind of holistic health and wellness before it was cool.

Leslie Zinn: [00:01:45] Yeah. 1993.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:47] So, now, talk about the evolution of Arden’s Garden from her, I guess, juicer, her blender to what it is today.

Leslie Zinn: [00:01:55] So, a health food store opened in her neighborhood and they heard about her and they said, “Hey, come to the back of our store, we’ll give you the produce, you make the juice, and we’ll split the sales.” She thought, “Well, this is a homerun because I’m buying the produce and I’m giving the juice away. So, this is great.” But that little cold press was very, very labor intensive. So, she brought my brother and I in to help out with free labor. And that’s how we began.

Leslie Zinn: [00:02:19] But about nine months into that, we were not selling a lot of juice in that health food store, so we said to our mom, “Hey, go into Buckhead where people have money and try and sell this.” And she went to hair salons, which was not our idea. We were thinking like stock brokerage houses, lawyers offices. But my mother doesn’t think like normal people, and that decision turned our whole business around. Because hairstylists are stuck in their stations, they like things that are new and trendy. They always have a different customer in their chair and they have cash from tips. So, in three weeks she was selling 300 times the amount outside of that little health food store as we were and a business was born.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:59] So, now, the evolution of the business, is it a franchise? Is it you’re selling through other –

Leslie Zinn: [00:03:07] Yeah. So, we are totally family-owned, 100 percent woman-owned. We have 16 of our own retail stores in the Atlanta area and we also partner with Publix all throughout the southeast, Kroger in Atlanta, Whole Foods, Sprouts, a lot of different retailers.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:26] So, you decided not to be a franchise?

Leslie Zinn: [00:03:28] No. We’re not a franchise.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:29] Your eyes light up, obviously it was a strategic decision, but is there a reason behind that you wanted to be in more control over the entire operation and the brand?

Leslie Zinn: [00:03:41] Yes. We wanted to stick true to our mission, which was to make healthy products convenient and affordable. And we felt if we kept it in the family, we would drive my mother’s mission, which was to promote wellness.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:53] So, it’s family-owned still?

Leslie Zinn: [00:03:55] And it’s family-owned still.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:57] So, how do you see it kind of evolving and expanding? Or is it okay you’re just here in the local footprint and that’s okay?

Leslie Zinn: [00:04:04] I think we’re very happy where we are. But being at this conference has been eye opening for us. A lot of people have never heard of our company. We’ve been in business 27 years, they’re like, “Well, how can I get it in New Jersey? How can I get it in Texas? How can I get it in Chicago?” So, that’s going to be our next step, to figure out how we can provide them.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:23] And do you have any ideas?

Leslie Zinn: [00:04:24] Yes. We have new innovations. So, for example, we now introduced HPP, which is High Pressure Processing, which gives you a much longer shelf life without killing nutrients and keeping the taste. So, we have a lot more distribution capabilities, so we’re going to grow.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:42] So, you’re obviously starting it here in the southeast and then just expanding.

Leslie Zinn: [00:04:47] We are in six states right now. So, we want to get up to Virginia, up to D.C., up to New York, go along the eastern seaboard.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:56] Are you still partnering with hair salons? Is that still part of your –

Leslie Zinn: [00:05:00] No. We are not partnering with hair salons. We love them. We will be forever grateful to those hairstylists, but we are not partnering there.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:08] So, through grocery stores and things like that?

Leslie Zinn: [00:05:10] Grocery stores, specialty stores, and then we also have our own retail stores. So, when you walk into one of our stores, we have a lot of plant-based foods that are very perishable. And we like to pride ourselves on being an oasis of health. So, if you don’t know how to start your health journey, come to one of our stores and we’re going to help you.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:29] So, education is part of the mission as well.

Leslie Zinn: [00:05:32] Huge. Huge.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:33] Now, why was it important to get certified and be part of GWBC?

Leslie Zinn: [00:05:38] Well, we had been women-owned for 26 years.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:42] I know. But to be certified is another thing.

Leslie Zinn: [00:05:44] That’s right. We didn’t really know, honestly. And we didn’t know the benefits of being woman-certified. And a juice company kind of fills a different little niche, but it’s been very helpful. We’ve been introduced to some partners that we would not have had an introduction to, so it opened the door.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:00] Did it help in regard to getting into, like, the grocery stores and the larger chains and things like that?

Leslie Zinn: [00:06:05] It did. What it did is it opened the door and then we got the interview.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:11] The product, that’s going to sell itself, right? It’s just the opportunity –

Leslie Zinn: [00:06:16] Right. That’s exactly what it did, is, it open doors for us.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:20] So, how has the conference been? So, you said you’re meeting people. Was that a no-brainer to actually have a booth here as opposed to walking around?

Leslie Zinn: [00:06:28] It was a no-brainer because we’re an Atlanta-based business and it was in Atlanta.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:33] So, that is why.

Leslie Zinn: [00:06:33] Yes. I mean, in 27 years, we’ve done one conference. This is our second.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:40] Right. So, that’s a big change, though, for you to do a conference in this manner.

Leslie Zinn: [00:06:44] Yeah. It’s a big change. It’s very exciting. Because we’re used to selling to the same people, so to have new eyes –

Lee Kantor: [00:06:51] Right. Your regulars, right?

Leslie Zinn: [00:06:52] Exactly. So, to have new eyes on our product, be really enthusiastic. It pumps us up.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:57] Right. It gets you fired up. The opportunity is endless, really. Now, in the booth, I got to taste a tiramisu concoction. Talk about that. That is a new offering of yours. Or is it just being tested here?

Leslie Zinn: [00:07:13] It’s going to go into our stores, into our retail stores. So, our major push is to offer more plant-based foods because we cannot live on juice and smoothies alone. And I’m plant-based, I don’t like to cook, I want to go somewhere and just be able to buy something that’s healthy. So, we have a major initiative to expand our product offerings in our retail stores.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:36] And then, how did you pick tiramisu as the recipe?

Leslie Zinn: [00:07:41] We tried a lot of different ones.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:43] What are some of the ones that didn’t make it?

Leslie Zinn: [00:07:47] Strawberry cheesecake.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:48] Strawberry cheesecake couldn’t?

Leslie Zinn: [00:07:50] No.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:51] No broccoli cheesecake? It didn’t make it either?

Leslie Zinn: [00:07:53] Not yet. But, listen, there’s a juice over there that hasn’t made it yet, but it’s going to make it, and it’s called the Kalenator.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:01] Kalenator. Okay. Keep your eyes open for the Kalenator in a market near you.

Leslie Zinn: [00:08:05] That’s right. That’s right.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:06] So, right now, can people buy Arden’s Garden online or it’s only in the store?

Leslie Zinn: [00:08:11] They can. They can buy online. They can come into a grocery store. They can come into one of our retail stores.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:16] And then, the website?

Leslie Zinn: [00:08:18] The website is ardensgarden.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:20] Well, Leslie, thank you so much for sharing your story today. And I’m so fortunate to be next door to you here in the booth and get to sample some of the great stuff over here. And for any of the folks listening, make sure you check out an Arden’s Garden near you, even if you just have a question about plant-based kind of what’s out there.

Leslie Zinn: [00:08:38] Please. We would love to have you, for sure.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:38] You want to be a resource to the community. It’s not just about selling juice.

Leslie Zinn: [00:08:44] That’s Arden 100 percent.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:46] All right. Well, Leslie, thank you again for sharing your story.

Leslie Zinn: [00:08:48] My pleasure.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:49] All right. This is Lee Kantor broadcasting live from WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC booth, right next door to Arden’s Garden. Back in a few.

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Crystal King and Clovice Vaughn, Grady Health Systems

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from WBENC’s National Conference 2022 inside the Georgia World Congress Center, inside the GWBC booth, Booth 1812, if you want to come by and see us. I’m so excited to have the guest we have right now, Crystal King and Clovice – Clovice?

Clovice Vaughn: [00:00:35] Clovice. There you go.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] … I screwed up. Clovice Vaughn – sorry about that – with Grady Health System. Crystal and Clovice, welcome.

Crystal King: [00:00:45] Thank you.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:00:45] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:46] So, how’s the show been for you?

Crystal King: [00:00:48] It’s been really good. Lots of great exhibits, great conversation. So, it’s been awesome.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:00:54] It’s been great. It’s just been good just to get out and see –

Lee Kantor: [00:00:57] And see a lot of people at one place.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:00:59] And see real people, yeah, exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:01] Spend a minute. Talk about GWBC, why is it important for you to be involved?

Crystal King: [00:01:06] It’s important for us at Grady. We have a really robust program at Grady for diverse suppliers, and women suppliers have come through for us in major ways, especially during COVID, staffing companies providing nurses and PPE. We just believe that women always make the world better. And we find the same with our women-owned business partners.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:31] Now, at Grady, you use a variety of services, and want the women business owners to kind of think bigger and broader, right? Because there’s a lot of things they might be able to help you with that they may not be thinking. They might be self-selecting out before they even have a chance to have a conversation with you. What are some of the maybe different types of things that you need from the women business owners that maybe they’re not thinking that they might be a good resource?

Clovice Vaughn: [00:01:59] Well, from my perspective, it’s business as usual. You know, being a hospital, you don’t really think about certain things in that capacity, because in a hospital we bill construction-wise, marketing, IT. I mean, all of those that you see in some of the other big name corporations, the hospital industry using them as well. Well, now we have our specialties like medical devices, durable medical equipment, things of that caliber. But for the most part, we use some of the same service levels as some of the other big name corporations.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:38] Right. So, anything that you would do for any large company would be appropriate for Grady. But a lot of times people think, “Oh, Grady. I don’t have a medical device or I don’t know anything about medicine. They’re not in my list of people to even have a conversation with.”

Crystal King: [00:02:55] That’s right. And we try to really change the conversation about that. Don’t think of health care as health related things all the time. Anything it takes to run your house, anything it takes to run a city, a school, any other business. We have printers, we have everything, janitorial service.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:15] Every business need you have.

Crystal King: [00:03:17] Every business need we have.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:18] And, plus, the medical stuff. So, it’s not an or, it’s an and.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:03:21] In addition to, correct.

Crystal King: [00:03:23] That’s right. And we would love to see more women-owned businesses on that medical side, on the clinical side of the house, with medical devices, with medical technology. Those are places where we we see that women pull the shrink tremendously. And so, we would love to help grow and develop women-owned businesses on that side of the business.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:46] So, now, when you say grow and develop, what does that mean? Like, say, I’m a woman-owned business and I want to partner with Grady, how do I even get started?

Crystal King: [00:03:53] So, if you’re listening to this podcast, hopefully you’re tuned in to WBENC, and we really use GWBC, the Greater Women’s Business Council, where Roz Lewis is the CEO and Chair, as our main resource to reach women-owned suppliers. Because it’s so many people, Clovice and I can’t possibly meet everybody. So, we have a level of comfort that if you’ve come through WBENC and you’ve gone through that certification process, it puts a stamp of approval on you.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:23] Right. You’ve been vetted. We know that you’re legit. Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you’re a certified woman-owned business. Those are two different things.

Crystal King: [00:04:31] That’s right. And we don’t get to count you for our spin reports if you’re not certified, so get certification.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:36] You better get certified.

Crystal King: [00:04:37] And so, we attend all of the WBENC events, the GWBC events, and that’s where you will meet us and most corporates, because we can’t be everywhere. So, we use them as our conduit to the people.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:53] Right. They’re the first line of defense.

Crystal King: [00:04:55] That’s right.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:04:56] And just to add to that conversation part, you mentioned about the certification piece and that vetting process, so that eliminates some of the fieldwork or trenchwork that we would normally do by identifying business that’s associated with GWBC and WBENC.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:13] Right. So, you don’t have to kind of vet them because they’ve already been vetted in order to be part of that organization.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:05:20] True.

Crystal King: [00:05:21] That’s right.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:21] And then, that enables you to focus on the most important part, the relationship building part, to making sure it’s the right fit for you and your team. And they have what you need and you have what you need from them.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:05:33] Very much so.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:34] That’s an education process, right? Just because someone sells something or has a service, that doesn’t mean they’re the right fit. You have to kind of learn how to work together, right?

Clovice Vaughn: [00:05:43] No. There’s a combination of things. It has to be a need for that product, goods, and services. You know, once you identify that need, then you can have that opportunity to identify women-owned businesses that can bring forth that value for those opportunities. So, yeah, it has to be a handshake for the need, for the products, goods, and services needs. Once that has been identified, then that’s where you can always start and develop those relationships that you have.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:13] Now, does it work best when they maybe start small with a small need just to get to know each other or get to work together so you can say, “Okay. These people are a good fit. They know how we operate. They know what to do in order to be successful in our ecosystem.” Because the way you do business may not exactly be the way that some other big business does business.

Crystal King: [00:06:32] Yeah. And we’ve been spending a lot of time educating our suppliers about what it means to work in health care, because health care is different than energy or telecom. So, we work with group purchasing organizations. For instance, Grady works with Vizion, our group purchasing organization. We use distributors, Medline is our distributor. So, while you might not be able to come in to sell something to Grady today, we make those introductions so you can get on Vizion contract or get on Medline contract. And they don’t just deal with Grady. They deal with all the hospitals.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:06] Right. Then, they’ll open the door to other things.

Crystal King: [00:07:07] So, we’re really trying to educate people on not minimizing what you do and making them understand what it really means to work in health care, being on GPO contract, being on distributor contract, and then bringing new technology to the table. Because I’m putting it out in the universe, there’s a huge need for hospital at home services right now. The technology and the connections to do it effectively.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:33] So, there’s opportunity there that isn’t being tapped and you have a need. And if somebody is out there listening –

Crystal King: [00:07:38] We know we have the need, but we know we haven’t met the person with the technology yet. But we need a way to monitor patients once they go home, that transition of care. Grady is great about we don’t send people home if we’re not comfortable that they will get the same level of care that we’ve been providing in the hospital. So, that makes our average length of stay a little longer than some other hospitals. But if we can send you home and know that you can be monitored, and get the food you need, and the outcome is going to be the same as if you were in the hospital, that’s a huge opportunity right now.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:15] Huge. Now, is there a story you can share maybe with a woman-owned business that you worked with that you, you know, helped and then it was impactful?

Crystal King: [00:08:24] We have so many.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:26] We don’t have to name the name of the company, but maybe tell the story about what they came to the table with. Maybe they were small and grew or something like that.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:08:33] Well, yeah, I have an excellent story in that aspect. One of the woman-owned certified business that is here at the event today. At that time they were highly into the IT profession. Of course, the pandemic happened. They had to pivot because not many businesses was doing a great deal in IT. They pivot to the nursing aspect. I was one of the responsibility. Crystal and I brought them to the team for the nursing aspects of it. And that really saved their company’s life.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:09] Because if they didn’t have that, then they would have gone out of business, probably, because there wasn’t any opportunity for a period of time.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:09:16] And every time that lady sees –

Lee Kantor: [00:09:18] She hugs you and thanks you.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:09:19] Yes, she does.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:19] I mean, I can’t emphasize enough, especially to the corporates out there, the account that you give them, even if it’s a small account, it could be life changing for them. It could be an individual with their family that makes a difference between them eating this month or not eating this month, or they’re in business or they’re not in business. So, the impact is real.

Crystal King: [00:09:41] It is. And we really have tried to help the suppliers understand our needs and help our internal customers understand the suppliers needs. Because we have to meet in a certain place.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:53] Right. They got to work together.

Crystal King: [00:09:54] So, in health care, you’ll find that a lot of things are streamlined. Like, for instance – I don’t know if I should say the name – but we use an MSP, I will say that. But during COVID, we have several women-owned businesses who made millions of dollars through that MSP, because nurses were writing their own ticket. But our internal customer only had to deal with that one person, right? They didn’t have to manage 15 different companies.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:26] Right. That became someone else’s problem.

Crystal King: [00:10:28] Right. And so, to understand the needs of the customer, but understanding that, “Hey, if you can just give a slither of that pie to this small or women-owned company, that’s life changing for somebody.” We’re really teaching supplier diversity at Grady from a standpoint of economic empowerment and economic impact that the more we employ the diverse women-owned businesses then those are people who give people in our communities jobs who don’t show up with no insurance in the ER, so it’s a win-win.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:05] Everybody wins, though. This is a situation that everybody wins.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:11:08] Yeah. There’s a trickle down effect.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:09] And a lot of these folks just need the opportunity.

Crystal King: [00:11:12] That’s it. That’s it. And we are opportunity givers. We love it.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:19] So, how does someone get on the supplier list? Is it through GWBC as the first step and then they get certified there, and then that’ll get them connected with Grady? Or does Grady have a place on the website or somewhere that they can go and raise their hand and say, “Hey, I’m here”?

Clovice Vaughn: [00:11:34] Well, I’ll say D, all of the aforementioned. Of course, I mentioned previously there has to be that need for that process –

Lee Kantor: [00:11:42] Right. There has to be a need and all that. But if everything is there, the best way to go to the website and kind of poke around, there’s a supply there or –

Clovice Vaughn: [00:11:50] We do have on our website contract opportunities. So, if you see a need out there that fit your bill or fit the opportunity skillsets that you provide, then, yeah, by all means respond to that.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:12:01] But it goes back to what you mentioned earlier, the relationship building. So, if you build the relationships with a woman-owned business and then an opportunity comes about, you’re going to instantly think about that conversation that you have. You reach out to them, ask them about their skillsets, and provide information pertaining to the RFP or RFI or RFQ, whatever, are reflected. And then, the next steps come into play where you make the introduction to the subject matter experts. The subject matter experts learn more about what those businesses do and kind of fits within that pipeline.

Crystal King: [00:12:40] We’re not big on the dropping your name in a bucket and then we try to fish you out. We want to know you. So, we are very involved with WBENC, with GWBC, we’re members at the national level and at our local level. And the best way to see us is to see us.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:57] Relationships are important.

Crystal King: [00:12:58] Relationships matter for us. Because I’ve worked in organizations and we’ve had instances where fishing somebody name out of a hat doesn’t let you know if it’s a good match.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:10] You got to do the work and you got to invest in the relationship.

Crystal King: [00:13:14] That’s right. So, supplier diversity at gmh.edu is a place they can send capability statements.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:23] But reach out to a human being, get to know you, and then let it evolve from there.

Crystal King: [00:13:28] That’s it.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:13:28] Yeah. It’s not a black hole.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:30] There are humans there, promise.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:13:32] Yes. We are not a robot.

Crystal King: [00:13:34] Yeah. We really do. We go through them all. And we’re not afraid to tell you it’s not a good fit. And we make so many introductions to other health care systems who are bigger than us, who have different needs. But I tell everybody, Grady is a very old hospital, so if you’re a construction, you should definitely be talking to us. We always have something broken, busted, leaking, need fixing.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:57] Well, thank you both for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Crystal King: [00:14:01] Thank you.

Clovice Vaughn: [00:14:02] Thanks for having us.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:03] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in the few at WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC’s booth.

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LaKesha White, Vice President, Certification, WBENC

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here live from the Georgia World Congress Center at the WBENC National Conference 2022, inside GWBC’s booth. We have LaKesha White. Welcome.

LaKesha White: [00:00:30] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:31] Now, you’re one of the big shots at WBENC, right, LaKesha? Rumor has it. Probably, one of the founding mothers of the organization. Now, really, talk about your work at WBENC.

LaKesha White: [00:00:46] So, my work at WBENC spans almost two decades. I started within the WBENC family back in 2003.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:59] Before it was cool.

LaKesha White: [00:01:00] Before it was cool. Before anyone knew what certification was. At our regional partner organization in Louisiana. And then, because I am a military spouse –

Lee Kantor: [00:01:14] You might travel a bit.

LaKesha White: [00:01:15] … prior military, he is actually retired now. So, clearly, I had to leave.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:22] Periodically, that happens, right?

LaKesha White: [00:01:24] Yes. Just a little bit. So, no one can keep up with where I am. And, luckily, I was able to land in the hands of Roz because I moved to her territory in North Carolina. So, I spend a couple of years there, and then I had to move again. So, you know, that’s the life of a military spouse.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:48] A little nomadic.

LaKesha White: [00:01:49] Yeah. Sometimes you have to start over. So, I had to leave Roz. I moved back to Texas, to San Antonio, Texas, and actually did some things for the RPO in Houston because they covered that territory.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:06] So, you collect all the RPO –

LaKesha White: [00:02:08] Pretty much. I almost call myself, like, the RPO stepchild because I go all around.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:14] You’ll get there. You get a punch card, right? You get at all 14, you win a prize.

LaKesha White: [00:02:17] Yes. So then, finally, there, I got a call from the national office, because WBENC had been approved as a third party certifier for the WOSB certification and they were looking for someone to pretty much launch that, and offered me a position. So, enter LaKesha into the actual WBENC staff in 2011. So, this year will be 11 years of being with the national office.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:50] So, how is this event? I know you haven’t had the event for a year or so because of the pandemic, and now you’re doing this event here in person. And it’s pretty exciting to have everybody all together like this, right? It’s kind of like a reunion.

LaKesha White: [00:03:02] It is. I think it exceeded our expectations because, you know, with COVID, you don’t know how comfortable people are going to be. So, to know that we have over 3,000 attendees, clearly we’re doing something right. They wanted to come.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:21] People are so hungry for this, right?

LaKesha White: [00:03:21] Yes. And they just want to be together. And I’m shocked because I just didn’t think I would ever see this again in one space.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:28] This many people.

LaKesha White: [00:03:29] But that’s been our number one priority, is, you know, trying to make it as safe as possible, which is why we changed the entire structure of the conference. You know, no longer having the workshops kind of in closed in rooms. We’re just in this big open space so people can feel a little more comfortable moving around. But it’s been great.

LaKesha White: [00:03:57] And, you know, we’ve seen each other over the last years in the squares, like I call it Hollywood Squares. So, it’s so nice to see people. And some people just walk by you because you may look a little bit different than you look in that square.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:10] You’re a lot taller in real life.

LaKesha White: [00:04:12] So, thank God for the the name badges. Like, “Oh, that’s really you.”

Lee Kantor: [00:04:18] So, over the years of seeing the evolution kind of WBENC, do you feel positive about the trend of women certified businesses? Is this something that you feel optimistic about?

LaKesha White: [00:04:31] Absolutely. It’s funny to say that I think it’s in to be a woman, like, it’s finally our time. And I’ve seen that kind of transition over the years. And I hope it’s creating more opportunities for our WBEs. And I’m so glad those who made the decision to come, I’m sure it’s going to pay off for them. So, I’m like, “Use it to your advantage.”

Lee Kantor: [00:04:59] Sure. Now, is there a story you can share or maybe something impactful of a woman that you helped certify or got certified that, you know, it changed maybe the trajectory of their family or their life or their community?

LaKesha White: [00:05:15] I have one. So, from my first RPO in New Orleans, her name is Teresa Lawrence. She’s the owner of Delta Personnel. And she started the process. You know, I was the certification manager. And it was all in the midst of Katrina. And so, clearly, after Hurricane Katrina, we were all displaced. Like, I was in Texas. I’m from Texas, but evacuated to Texas for a month. And then, even when we moved back, working from home. That was my first experience of working from home way back in 2005 because of Katrina. And I just kept after her, because people’s lives were in shambles. They’re trying to figure out how they’re going [inaudible].

Lee Kantor: [00:06:06] [Inaudible].

LaKesha White: [00:06:07] You know, forget about this company. I don’t know where my family is.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:11] I have to eat tomorrow.

LaKesha White: [00:06:11] And things like that. And so, you know, just kept after her. And I’m sure she had some choice words for me, like, “She keeps bothering me.” But she’s like, “She changed my company because if she wouldn’t have kept after me, I wouldn’t have had all these opportunities.”

Lee Kantor: [00:06:33] She wouldn’t have done it. Right.

LaKesha White: [00:06:33] And so, that is my joy in all of this is to see, you know, small business when they’re sponsoring events and things like that, they’re up on the panels giving that advice and being the mentor. So, that makes all of this work that – I always say – back in 2003, I answered an ad in the newspaper job interview and it turned into a career.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:01] Yeah. And the passion. It’s a life’s work. It’s almost a calling.

LaKesha White: [00:07:05] Yes. You know, it’s like you feel like you are are changing the world.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:12] Well, you are one business at a time, one business person at a time. It’s true. I mean, it sounds silly in some ways, but it’s real. I mean, to that person, their life changed, their family changed. They have a better tomorrow because of what you did yesterday.

LaKesha White: [00:07:27] Yes. And it makes it all worth it. And people ask me like, “Oh. Does it inspire you to be a business owner?” And I’m like, “Oh, well.” Like, Look, we all have our place.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:38] We got our lane. I’m helping you.

LaKesha White: [00:07:38] I’m going to be the champion for you, but I like taking vacations. So, that’s what my calling is, you do the hard work and you inspire me, but I don’t know if I want that seat.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:52] So, the conference has, you said, 3,000-ish people here.

LaKesha White: [00:07:58] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:00] When you were drawing this up on the chalkboard of, “Okay. We got Atlanta.” And I know you had to go higher, River Valley was the one before this, and then that got postponed, and they combined the two host committees for this one.

LaKesha White: [00:08:14] Well, no. It was always supposed to be combined.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:17] Oh, it was supposed to be combined.

LaKesha White: [00:08:19] Yes. So, we were coming here and because of kind of the territories bordering, you know, decided to combine it. So, it wasn’t a missed opportunity. We came back.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:27] So, they just made sure that they hit them and didn’t skip them.

LaKesha White: [00:08:32] Yeah. No skip.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:33] So then, it’s here in Atlanta, so everything was kind of touch and go for a while almost to the last minute.

LaKesha White: [00:08:40] Yes. We didn’t know. And you have to fill it out.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:47] You have to be bold. It’s the theme, right? You have to be bold.

LaKesha White: [00:08:47] And, look, we just had to go with it because after a certain point, you have to commit. Like, we had a very small kind of boutique event in November to where we could fill things out, and it really was depending upon the corporate members, because for a long time they couldn’t travel and that’s the concern.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:08] Budgets were cut.

LaKesha White: [00:09:09] Yeah. The WBEs, we absolutely promote doing business with one another, but they also want to meet the corporate members.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:16] Right. It’s an ecosystem here that every part has a role.

LaKesha White: [00:09:21] Yeah. So, the November meeting, it was nice and definitely the WBEs were all in.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:28] Yeah. They’re in no matter what was happening.

LaKesha White: [00:09:30] And then, when we got kind of the green light from the corporate members like, “Yeah. I’ll be able to travel.” We’re like, “Okay. We’re full steam ahead now. We’re going to make this happen.”

Lee Kantor: [00:09:40] Game on. So, now, what’s kind of your view of next year, like next conference? Is this just bigger and better? Is that the plan?

LaKesha White: [00:09:49] I think so. We’re going to Nashville next year. So, yeah, it’s always a little competition. Like, each year, we want it to be bigger and bigger and bigger. And then, the RPOs, because they host, they have a little competition going, so it makes it interesting. But we’re always going to top it going forward.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:15] So, one action step before we wrap, for a woman business that isn’t certified, what should they be doing to think about to get ready to go through certification and why should they be doing certification?

LaKesha White: [00:10:25] So, I say, certification is a marketing tool for your company. It’s not a guarantee for business, but it can possibly give you the leverage that you need to get that opportunity that you want. And it’s really about having all your ducks in a row. Clearly, we know the process is a little intrusive. However, it really is a learning experience for a number of our WBEs to see that, “Oh. I didn’t realize I needed that in place.”

LaKesha White: [00:10:57] So, reading your bylaws, making sure you have those things in place to protect you, and to ensure that it mirrors your actual operations of the company. And if you have all the documents together, you’re operating according to our standards, then absolutely apply. And if you have questions, we are available to answer them. Don’t assume, because that could be a waste of your time.

LaKesha White: [00:11:24] So, contact us, email us. We are very responsive. I hear that some organizations aren’t. So, I pride us on having excellent customer service, gold standard customer service. So, please, we will respond to you. We even have someone responding now. We’re here at conference and a couple of our team members had to stay back because of COVID, but still operating.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:50] Because customer service is important.

LaKesha White: [00:11:51] Yes. It’s customer service, so we don’t stop.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:54] Right. And that’s the thing, you don’t want to just think that you fill out a form and this is going to take care of itself. If you have a question, ask the question. There’s no dumb questions. It’s important. And be bold. Take the steps. Be certified. You can catapult your business to a new level if you just do everything right, and play by the rules, and be at the standard that’s needed in order to get certified.

LaKesha White: [00:12:19] Yes. And get involved. The people here are involved. That’s what it takes.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:25] You got to show up and do the work.

LaKesha White: [00:12:26] Yes. You can’t just think that you’re going to have the certificate and then everybody’s going to want to do business with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:32] It doesn’t work like that.

LaKesha White: [00:12:33] It doesn’t work like that. We do business with people we know.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:35] Well, thank you so much for sharing your story. What’s the website someone can go to for more information?

LaKesha White: [00:12:39] It is wbenc.org, www.W-B-E-N-C.org.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:46] All right. Well, thank you again for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

LaKesha White: [00:12:50] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:51] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at WBENC’s National Conference 2022.

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Cheryl McCants, Impact Consulting Enterprises

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022, inside the Georgia World Congress Center, inside the GWBC booth, Booth 1812. So, stop by and see us if you want to catch up and tell your story. And right now, we’re excited to talk to Cheryl McCants, and she is with Impact Consulting Enterprises. Welcome, Cheryl.

Cheryl McCants: [00:00:40] Thank you. Glad to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:43] Well, before we get too far into things, tell us about Impact Consulting Enterprises. How are you serving folks?

Cheryl McCants: [00:00:49] So, Impact is a communications company that I founded 33 years ago, back in 1989. And we specialize in telling stories that inspire smiles, trust, and confidence.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] And so, 33 years overnight success kind of story.

Cheryl McCants: [00:01:07] Yeah. A long 33 year overnight success. Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:11] So, how has the business evolved over the years?

Cheryl McCants: [00:01:14] Well, as most people would guess, the business started before things like what we’re doing now existed.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:22] Like, before the internet.

Cheryl McCants: [00:01:24] Before the internet. So, what’s very interesting is I moved our offices not too long ago, and so I had an old pile of business cards that didn’t have email addresses on it, that didn’t have cell phone numbers on it. And my daughter says, “Mom, these cards, why do you have them? They’re not complete.” So, things have evolved.

Cheryl McCants: [00:01:45] What I would say, however, is, as much things change, they still stay the same. So, it’s all about communicating. And we now have different channels of communication. So, we’ve got our podcast, we’ve got our internet, and it’s really all about connecting with people.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:00] So, that part hasn’t changed. The storytelling part is the same. It’s just the way you do it might have changed a bit.

Cheryl McCants: [00:02:06] Absolutely. It’s the channel of communication.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:09] So, now, who is the ideal client for you?

Cheryl McCants: [00:02:13] So, ideally, we work with organizations, for profits, not-for profits, government agencies that need to connect and communicate with diverse audiences. It used to be called multicultural marketing. You know, it’s been called a lot of other things. Since the unfortunate murder of George Floyd, lots of corporations have stepped up their commitments to work with businesses that are black-owned or business owners of color. And we work with them to help make sure that their messages are respectful, to make sure that the imagery that they use is not offensive, to make sure that there’s culturally competent communication in all that they do.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:54] So, what is kind of the pain that they’re having where they should be calling Cheryl and her team? Like, what’s a symptom that you’re the solution to?

Cheryl McCants: [00:03:03] So, anybody that’s looking to connect with diverse audiences, if you’ve got a product that you want to sell and you realize that you want to connect with the African-American community, or the Latino community, or the Asian, or the LGBTQ+, or the female audience, and you want to ensure that you don’t have faux pas that we’ve seen in some advertising campaigns that have taken place recently, my team comes on as added bench to your ad agencies. We come on as added bench to your internal comms team. And then, we come on as strategists for those organizations that are really looking to fulfill their commitments 100 percent.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:45] Now, are you looking for more kind of enterprise level companies as a client, or are you looking for more agencies for you to kind of take that bench role for them or a combination?

Cheryl McCants: [00:03:57] We are really looking for more enterprise, like in industries or agencies. We’re currently doing some work with Bristol-Myers Squibb. That’s one of the reasons why we’re here today. And we’re working with them on helping to tell the story about the impact that their investment in diverse suppliers has, not just on that women-owned business or on that minority-owned business, but the communities that the employees and the other partners of those businesses live, work, and play in. So, really looking for other organizations that either need help telling that story, don’t know how to get it together, we can work with them as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:36] And that’s something important for the corporates to realize that their budgets in some ways are so huge to throw some money at these groups. It’s pocket change for a lot of these folks. But the impact is dramatic.

Cheryl McCants: [00:04:51] The impact is huge.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:52] And I don’t think they really can empathize to the level to understand that that’s the case.

Cheryl McCants: [00:04:57] Right. No, absolutely. So, we also have an initiative called The Great Football Sunday. And the idea is that, if one-tenth of a percent of the Super Bowl campaign budget could be put towards a nonprofit or for-profit, but an organization that works to end homelessness in the city that the Super Bowl is taking place, if we turnkey that around, then I call it the Great Football Sunday, because then everybody would be able to watch the Super Bowl. And in order to watch the Super Bowl, you got to have a T.V. And, hopefully, the T.V. is in a home. So, yes, one-tenth of a percent goes a long way when you’re talking about billions of dollars.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:41] Right. And it’s so important for the corporates to really let that sink in. And then, you help them tell those stories and help them reach the people that need to be reached.

Cheryl McCants: [00:05:50] Right. We help them tell those stories internally and externally. During my work with Nike, for example, we know that your strongest and largest pool of advocates are your employees. So, you want to make sure that when people go home and they’ve got Thanksgiving dinners or they’ve got Mother’s Day celebrations and people say, “Oh, so how’s work?” You hopefully want them to say work is grand, work is great, and here is why.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:14] It’s a story they tell about.

Cheryl McCants: [00:06:15] Exactly. So, we work on preparing internal communication support, key messages, video productions, social media management, the media buying, the full spectrum. However, it all ties back to making sure that people know who they should be talking to, when they should be talking to them, and what they should be saying.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:39] So, how is this show working for you? You said you’re here for Bristol.

Cheryl McCants: [00:06:42] Here with Bristol-Myers Squibb. I’ve set up an appointment with Amazon for the week after next when I get back to New York.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:50] There you go.

Cheryl McCants: [00:06:51] I’m going to be connecting with Target, 1:00 tomorrow. So, so far, so good. And I’m also really excited about the new energy trends that are coming. And I do believe that offshore wind technology is the next big it.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:10] You heard it here first.

Cheryl McCants: [00:07:10] And so, I’ll put it out there. There you go, offshore wind.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:15] So, if somebody wants to learn more and get a hold of you, what’s the website?

Cheryl McCants: [00:07:18] So, you can reach us online at eimpactconsulting.com. I’ve got a podcast, Marketing McCants. You can get some marketing tips. We’re on Facebook. We’re on Instagram. We’re on Twitter. We’re out there. Just look for Impact Consulting Enterprises and Cheryl McCants.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:37] All right. Cheryl, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Cheryl McCants: [00:07:41] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:42] All right. This is Lee Kantor broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC Booth 1812. We’ll be back in a few.

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Sara Webb, Intandem Promotions

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside the Georgia World Congress Center. And we are inside the GWBC booth, Booth 1812, if you want to come by and check us out. I am so excited to have with us right now Sara Webb. She is the CEO of InTandem Promotions. Welcome, Sara.

Sara Webb: [00:00:40] So glad to be here in person.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:43] In person.

Sara Webb: [00:00:44] After all this time. Love It.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:46] After multiple Zoom interviews, we are now here in person.

Sara Webb: [00:00:48] Thank God.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:50] I didn’t see you here yesterday, but I saw your work. I saw all of these beautiful GWBC tennis shoes that have been roaming around here, and I heard that you might have played a part in that.

Sara Webb: [00:01:02] Aren’t they so fun? So, we get to create emotional connections through tangible products. So, as the team is walking around, you’re seeing their logo, you’re seeing the brand, and it creates that connection that draws them in to both the booth as well as to what do you do. It creates those conversation opportunities.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:22] Right. It’s a surprise and delight moment because you don’t expect to see that there.

Sara Webb: [00:01:28] A hundred percent.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:28] And so, how did this whole tennis shoe idea come about?

Sara Webb: [00:01:33] It’s so fun. Well, you know, we knew that we were going to do a lot of walking. There’s just a few steps a day. I haven’t tracked where I am today, but yesterday I was up to about 25,000 steps. So, yes, my high heeled shoes just were not going to cut it. So, it was a great opportunity for us to leverage both branding as well as comfort.

Sara Webb: [00:01:53] And what’s really cool is that you can do as little as one version. So, just an order of one. There’s lots of different styles, lots of different imprint. And what’s really great is that we get to custom create them. So, we can do full color, we can dye sublimate. And what I really, really, really like about it is that I don’t have to have the same style for every single team member. You can have Vans, you can have sneakers. And that’s what’s really cool about what I do is actually making product that fits the demographic that you’re trying to attract.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:26] And in the environment that they’re going to be using it.

Sara Webb: [00:02:29] A hundred percent.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:30] So, now I would imagine you created this for the GWBC folks. Has every single place been calling you and saying, “Hey, how did they get that? How do I get that?”

Sara Webb: [00:02:43] We have gotten some great business, so we definitely appreciate GWBC’s support as we’re continuing to draw people too. But we have a booth here, we’re Booth 2212.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:53] 2212, down a few rows away.

Sara Webb: [00:02:55] Down just a couple of rows. But we’re also doing onsite, on demand t-shirts. And it’s crazy right now. They literally had to pull me out of my booth to come and talk.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:07] Sorry. Sorry.

Sara Webb: [00:03:07] I mean, not that I would never want to. I mean, I love talking to you, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:11] I thought you like to talk.

Sara Webb: [00:03:11] You’re one of my favorites, but, like, we had a line that was wrapped around.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:15] People like shirts.

Sara Webb: [00:03:17] They love shirts. And then, being able to have that custom personalized experience, that’s what’s so cool about what we do in our online stores, is that, employees are able to pick product based off of what they like. And the corporates aren’t having to house this huge inventory quantities. We’re shipping globally as well as domestically. We’re in multiple locations. And so, it really creates this personalized experience for clients.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:42] They’re done at scale.

Sara Webb: [00:03:43] Done at scale.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:43] That’s the beauty.

Sara Webb: [00:03:44] And it’s here.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:45] It feels personalized. It feels like a one off. But it can be done for everybody.

Sara Webb: [00:03:49] A hundred percent. And that’s what’s so cool about where we are in this industry and in this time.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:53] Yeah. Well, technology allows that to happen. Because it wasn’t too long ago that would have been impossible or you would have to be a gazillionaire to afford this stuff.

Sara Webb: [00:04:01] Well, the craziest thing is that when I started in this business, I literally had proofs come across on a fax machine on my desk. I mean, I was too, but besides that.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:12] Right. So, now, how has being involved with GWBC and the WBENC impacted your business? Has it opened the doors for these large corporate kind of clients? Has that opportunity kind of presented itself because of that?

Sara Webb: [00:04:28] Absolutely. There’s no way that we would be where we are without the support of GWBC and WBENC. Between the two organizations, their connections, and then we’re also a member of We-Connect as well globally. So, having the opportunity to be in front to show what we do, to have the conversations, and to really have those opportunities, not even from a business perspective in terms of buying and selling, but understanding what the market actually needs and is looking for and how we scale our business going forward. And that’s really been pivotal for us as we continue to build and grow in the next decade.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:05] And that’s an important thing for people who are not members yet or are considering being a member. You learn so much from the other business people that are part of the community, right? Like, they can open doors for you or just make you aware of things that are happening in industries maybe you’re not as familiar with, that that’s you’re kind of sweet spot. And then, you can kind of say, “Oh, that idea, if that’s working over there, why don’t we try it over here?” Like, just from a community and education standpoint, the value of being part of the organization is worth it.

Sara Webb: [00:05:35] Absolutely. So, I’m having the opportunity to talk to different companies as they’re standing in line waiting for their free shirt. And while I’m doing that, I’m hearing all sorts of stories, their own personal journeys and things that they’ve experienced, and talking about pitfalls and opportunities where they’ve shown, and how they managed and who to contact. And that’s from other WBEs just here at this conference.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:00] That are in line. This random serendipitous conversations.

Sara Webb: [00:06:05] Yes. Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:05] And you learn just from that. I mean, imagine if you put energy and kind of worked it on purpose, then strategically, I mean, the sky’s the limit.

Sara Webb: [00:06:13] Exactly. Exactly. So, you know, having the corporates here helps, but having the WBEs and the support, it’s so great.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:19] Don’t sleep on that part of the membership.

Sara Webb: [00:06:22] It’s so great. It’s so great. I mean, in my booth, they saw how slammed we were. And I had fellow WBEs come and help support us pulling shirts. True story. True story.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:32] Wow. True story. I mean, that’s the power of the community. It isn’t one of those organizations where everybody’s kind of angling to get one step ahead of each other. We’re all working together and we’re trying to hold each other up.

Sara Webb: [00:06:42] Absolutely. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:44] So, now, any story you can share from your work in creating these promotions for folks that you helped. You came up with an idea, maybe it was silly, maybe it was an out there idea. And then, someone said, “Yeah. Let’s go for it. Let’s be bold,” because that’s a theme here. And then, they did something that kind of was a game changer for them.

Sara Webb: [00:07:05] I think one of the cool projects that we just completed was for a large company, and they were looking for a solution in terms of we don’t want to ship all the products. We don’t want the clients to have to come to the event and then have to take it back home with them. How do we run and manage this?

Sara Webb: [00:07:24] And so, we created individual kiosks for this client. And where this was really a game changer for us, is that, as I shared, we’re creating emotional connections from tangible products. So, when you have that experience, when you go to an event and you’re taking something away, how does that make you feel? And so, we created these individual kiosks. They were able to go in and customize. So, having that personal touch, being able to pick the product. And then, at our warehouse and fulfillment center, the orders were being received and it’s going to be delivered when they get home.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:57] So, it’ll be there when they get home?

Sara Webb: [00:07:59] They’re not having to pack it, they’re not having to worry about shipping it or any of that. And that’s really a game changer for us. And the thought concept of how do we –

Lee Kantor: [00:08:09] Exchanging the paradigm, right?

Sara Webb: [00:08:10] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:10] You were thinking of, “I got to make something and hand it to them and they take it.” But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Sara Webb: [00:08:15] It doesn’t. It doesn’t. And that’s what’s so great about, like you said, technology and how things are growing. And then, having the connections and the partnerships and the warehouse and the fulfillment. And that was huge and game changing for us during the pandemic, because when that happened, nobody was home. Corporates weren’t keeping product in their house or at their corporate location.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:40] In the warehouse. Right.

Sara Webb: [00:08:41] We were having to ship it. And so, really leveraging some of those learnings of what has happened from the pandemic and then actually moving them.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:48] Having used that moving forward.

Sara Webb: [00:08:50] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:51] Yeah. I mean, it shows when you’re in kind of this chaos or a crises, there’s opportunity even in there. And there could be a silver lining that’s going to pay off down the road if you just open your mind to it.

Sara Webb: [00:09:04] Well, I have a very funny story that happened, and it’s funny now because I’m on the other side.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:08] It’s funnier now on the other side. Right. It wasn’t funny when it was happening.

Sara Webb: [00:09:11] So, we knew that we were going to do on-site custom printing. We had partnered with a company to help us to have the screen printer run the machine and support us from that avenue. Supply chain, all the crazy things, all those scary words that we’ve all heard. 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, I got a text saying this isn’t going to happen. And I had purchased 2,000 t-shirts.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:34] Yeah. As one would.

Sara Webb: [00:09:36] Every one of my shirts is tagged with our brand. We had the logo. Whole half of my booth was shirts that I wasn’t going to give away not imprinted. And so, to your point, as an entrepreneur, you just make it happen.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:50] Make it happen.

Sara Webb: [00:09:51] So, literally, I bought the equipment. I found an individual that has saved my soul, that I will make sure it’s very well taken care of. And they’re on site. We’re doing it. And that’s what it takes.

Sara Webb: [00:10:08] I actually just posted this on my Instagram, I read this quote where it said, “All of this that you’re going through is the universe trying to test you to see if this is what you really want.” And I’m like, “Yes. I still want this.” You know, we’re nine years in as a company and organization. This is my 22nd year of being in this industry. And every day it’s a new challenge, but being able to, you know, leverage and learn and continue to grow and just keep making it happen.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:37] Well, one of my favorite books is called The Obstacle Is The Way. And if you reframe it to the obstacle isn’t there to be in my way, it’s just part of the journey. And part of the journey means I have to climb over this big rock that’s in the middle of the road, or I have to go around it, or I have to go under it, or I have to go through it. That’s just part of the journey. It’s not there to sabotage me. It’s there for me.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:00] So, that’s one of my favorite books. You should check it out. Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is The Way. It really reframed how I thought of these type of challenges when they come up. It’s nothing personal. It’s just part of the journey.

Sara Webb: [00:11:10] And I think to your point, it’s creating those new connection points that I’m not sure that I would have had if the obstacle hadn’t been there.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:17] Right. Exactly. And I’m going to use that moving forward.

Sara Webb: [00:11:20] Yeah. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:21] Well, if somebody wants to learn more, where should they go, Sara?

Sara Webb: [00:11:24] Check us out at intandempromotions.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:27] All right. Thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Sara Webb: [00:11:31] Thank you. Thank you for having me as always.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:33] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC’s booth.

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Fran Biderman-Gross, Advantages

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth, Booth 1812, if you want to come by and see us. I’m so excited to have our guest, Fran from Advantages. I just followed your lead, Fran, so don’t give me a hard time. Don’t start second guessing not telling me your last name.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:00:37] Fran Biderman-Gross.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:38] You could do that. That’s on you.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:00:40] I’m just Fran. I’m good.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:41] You said Frantastic.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:00:43] I did.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:43] You gave me a lot of options, so don’t blame me.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:00:45] I’ve been called a lot of things.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:48] So, tell us about Advantages. How are you serving folks?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:00:50] Sure. We drive profit with purpose through marketing performance. So, we are a purpose-based, values-based organization that helps purpose-driven leaders.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:03] Other purpose-based organizations.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:01:04] Yeah. Exactly. Get their message out from the branding and marketing perspective.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] So, what’s your backstory? How’d you get into this line of work?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:01:09] Oh, my gosh. You ask the fun questions. So, my late husband and I started a mere kind of printing company, and we just kind of kept –

Lee Kantor: [00:01:19] A printing company?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:01:20] Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:20] For authors? Or printing, like, brochures.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:01:25] No. No. Brochures. Authors. No. The book came much later. So, we were helping companies get noticed. We’ve really been very true to that message for the last, literally, October is going to be 30 years. Today is actually his an anniversary. I lost him 21 years ago, just before 9/11, after a two year battle. But long live the dream of visionary in Visionary Land of helping purpose-based individuals or very intentional leaders do the really great things that they do. So, we did start in printing.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:57] So, the heart of it was always around that purpose-based, values- based?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:02:00] I was going to say, you know, good people want to want to work with good people. That’s really the bottom line. And we really love working with good people. And we want to attract good people to them. And we want to help them lead great cultures that are really intentional. And we want to help them with the clarity of their message, hence the brand component to what we do.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:22] But was that a strategic choice or was this something that, “Hey, this is just how we are, why don’t we just hang out with other folks like us?” Like, how did this come about? Like, did you start out that that is the mission?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:02:35] Definitely not. We wanted to really help other companies get noticed. We wanted them to stand out from their competition. But when we started to really build the relationships, and good people just tend to stick with good people, good people doing good things. Look, we buy stuff from people we like, right?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:02:54] So, we tend to do business with people that are similar to us, and what we believe in, and realizing that there is a communication strategy called purpose. And really diving into that got us going from goods to services, and really helping build the internal side of how I’ve dissected a brand which is into your three keys, which is really how you lead your culture from an internal perspective. And the agency just does it on the external side.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:24] So, the heart of it was you noticed some characteristics and you’re like, “Hey, instead of just hoping the next client has some of these characteristics, let’s just hone in on people who believe what we believe.”

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:03:41] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:41] “Who think like we think and let’s serve them.”

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:03:44] Exactly. So, when you think about it, why do you exist? Why do I exist? I know this can get into a very interesting conversation. But we think about, Why am I here? Why is this business here? What am I willing to fight for? What am I willing to stand for?

Lee Kantor: [00:04:03] And what am I willing to say no to? Well, that’s part of it, too, right?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:04:06] A hundred percent. When you think about the theory of purpose in general or why, you want to actually repel the wrong people as much as you want to attract. So, to me, it’s a two for one. Because you don’t want a ton of people in the funnel. You don’t want to attract a thousand people. I actually want a hundred people in the funnel because they’re more likely to be more like me. So, I don’t want to attract the mass. I want to attract the people that believe the things that I believe, we have a much better shot of building a really great emotional connection.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:38] And building a business that matters about the things that matter to me.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:04:43] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:43] And that’s really at the heart of it. And especially with these professional services and the service-based businesses, they don’t need a million customers that they burn and churn through. That isn’t a good model for them. It’s not efficient. It’s not effective. It doesn’t make them feel good at the end of the day. These folks need a handful of new clients. That’s it. They don’t need a million.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:05:01] A hundred percent. I mean, you walk away from a conference this big, if you walk away with just a couple of really good connections, it could completely be life changing. So, it’s not about let’s pound the pavement, stop at every booth, figure out who every supplier is, and who’s the decision maker. Yes, you need a strategy to come here. But you need to leave with the strategy at the same time, because otherwise you’re just putting a lot of stuff in the funnel.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:25] And that’s going to take up time, distract you, and maybe get you even off course.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:05:29] Exactly. I like to say, we flip the funnel and make a megaphone. Amplify your one message so that you can attract and repel at the rate. And then, you can just spend a lot more of your time talking to people who most likely believe you’ll find the alignment somewhere, whether you’re a perfect fit or they need my service right now, it just doesn’t matter. You’re building the world.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:52] So, when you were doing this and you were starting out doing, you know, brochures or whatever you were doing at the beginning, when did you start feeling, “Hey, you know what? This attraction and getting the right people, this is a better fit.” Like, when did you start kind of getting the hint that maybe we’re onto something here?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:06:08] You know, that’s a great question. So, for ten plus years, I was the printing princess, getting noticed, carrying a wand, all these things, and I have a pretty outgoing personality, so people would remember me. And it was just too many people.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:06:22] And then, I met Simon Sinek long before his TEDx Talk at an event. And this might sound really bad, but it was an event at the Entrepreneurs Organization and it was, like, bring your marketing and bring your best piece. So, I did. And we have award winning graphic design and award winning blah, blah, blah. And I brought my best piece and then he just ripped it apart. And I’m like, “Do you not know me?” I was insulted beyond control, thinking in my chair.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:52] I’m a princess.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:06:52] I know. I was like, “Just, whatever, bleep,” all over me. But I was curious about, like, what does this magnetic connection really mean? And we began a phenomenal friendship of exploration. And we worked together for a long time just exploring, you know, how does this start with why things work? Oh, there’s a whole communication theory of purpose. And that really put me on a ten year trajectory of breaking it down and saying, “Oh. There’s a place in Y, and there’s three keys, and there’s what’s your purpose? Okay. Well, that’s your cause, purpose and belief.” But inside of that is your mission and your vision, your cause and your impact.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:07:32] Like, we could get all business-y and everything, but the bottom line is, human beings are here for a reason. And just because you’re making money at something as a result of what you’re doing for your company, you are making the world a better place in some way, shape, or form by connecting people for the right reasons. And as long as you get really, really clear at what that is, it makes it easier to do it better and faster with more people you like. And that started me on that trajectory.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:00] Now, when you’re talking to folks and they maybe aren’t thinking as deep as that, and they are more superficially looking at their business and the nuts and bolts of business, because we wanted all the time here in our business, sometimes they focus on metrics and they use the word metric like it’s some magic thing. It’s a number, so then it’s real. And so, it’s real, it must be important. And if it’s important, I better track it. But they don’t know how to discern the metrics that matter versus the metrics that can be counted. So, just because something that can be counted doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth counting.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:08:37] First of all, you are a great interviewer because that is a fantastic question. Counting things that really matter is really important. And most of the times, actually unconventional things that you need to really look at, which really make the difference. So, when we think about metrics that matter, it’s like, What’s going to help me move the needle? What’s going to help me go further, faster? What’s actually going to be aligned?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:09:02] We talk about qualifications and why are we even talking to this type of person if it’s not really going to suit what we’re doing, and keeping everybody on track. Like we start working with companies all the time and like, “Great. Who’s your ideal?” And they start listing them. And then, we go – we call it – hand-to-hand combat, when we’re actually providing that lead gen to sales, I’m like, “Okay. Wait a minute. You told me he had to look like this, or she had to look like, or they had to look like this, this.” But when it came down to it, that wasn’t really right.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:09:40] So, what are we actually measuring? So, let’s redo the qualifications. Let’s really look at the data. Well, all these people took six months to convert, and da, da, da, da, da. What do we learn from that? So, you have to really look at things with a different lens very often to get the juice of what is really going to get to connect you. So, metrics are great. Vanity metrics are a whole other discussion.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:03] Well, we call them cost-metrics.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:10:05] Cost-metrics. I love that. That’s awesome. But you’re right, it’s hard to cut to the chase of which metrics really matter. And it’s really important to actually dissect the unconventional things. Dissecting that is really key.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:20] That might take work. And a lot of times they don’t want to do that. They want to look at a dashboard and say, “Oh, there’s 14 greens, so we’re having a good month while I don’t have money in the bank. But I have 14 greens.”

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:10:31] You know, you can’t skip doing the work.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:34] I know.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:10:35] You can’t skip doing the work. I mean, like if I had a magic wand –

Lee Kantor: [00:10:38] That’s why we’re doing this, it’s for the work. Believe it or not, the work is what matters.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:10:42] Every step of the work matters. Making the decision, like marketing, our job is to fail things faster. But enough time that it’s fast enough. I still need to gather data. So, don’t say, “Oh, two weeks of gathering data is enough.” No, it’s not. You can’t get a critical mass of anything. I can’t get to a baseline. Everybody wants to get to the steady state without doing the testing, and you can’t do that.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:06] But the calendar I built two months ago said it would be done by today.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:11:10] Uh-huh. That’s nice. And how many things did you not account for that we ran into that we actually had to adjust for? But it is about testing and taking the period of time that it needs. I like to say it’s four to six months in one channel when you actually create a hypothesis that you need to prove. But, honestly, that’s the right way. You can’t get to a steady state unless I can prove something in one channel. I couldn’t scale it unless I can prove it somewhere.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:38] Right. So, talk about your book. What was the impetus of writing it all down? Because that’s fun. That’s a job by itself.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:11:47] It was a very long job. It was a really, really hard job. If you told me how much – nevermind. I wrote the book as a gift because I really believe that entrepreneurs, whether you’re in professional services or not, you really deserve to understand the anatomy of your own brand. And when you can harness the clear communications, it really unlocks a lot of things.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:12:16] And when you think about the most successful people in the world, we can talk about Oprah. She sits down in a meeting and asks for clarity, what’s the intention of the meeting, which always is trying to get to clarity. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to get to clarity. It’s our responsibility to lead with clarity. So, marketing strategist, it’s a leadership book as a gift for CEOs going, You can be profitable in every aspect of your business if you have clarity. So, how do you get to clarity? And I give you the baseline. I mean, the appendix is actually the process we take people through. I gave it away.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:49] Don’t tell anybody that.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:12:50] No. Go by the book. But if you want to help, reach out, and all that’s great. But everybody’s always happier when there’s more clarity. People understand where they’re going. Why do they matter? Everybody deserves to be safe at work, to feel valued for their contribution. And it’s the leader’s responsibility to do that.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:13] Right. To help them be seen and heard.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:13:15] Absolutely. And valued. And valued. And given the opportunity to grow and given the opportunity to advance the company.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:24] Right. Have bigger expectations and bigger dreams.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:13:27] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:28] So, if somebody wants to learn more, get a hold of the book, what’s the coordinates?

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:13:32] You can Google Fran Biderman-Gross on Amazon.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:36] You can spell it.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:13:38] B-I-D- no. You can go to 3keysbook.com and, really, you’ll link everything from there, from the podcast that I do to – I don’t know, – just learn more about it.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:49] All your good stuff there.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:13:51] Yeah. Well, that’s a good video.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:52] Thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Fran Biderman-Gross: [00:13:56] My pleasure. Thank you so much for being such a great host with incredible questions. It was super engaging. Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:02] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at the 2022 WBENC National Conference.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Michelle Murdock, Core Green Technologies

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center, inside the GWBC Booth, Booth 1812, if you want to come by and see us. I’m so excited to be interviewing Michelle Murdock with Core Air Solutions. Welcome, Michelle.

Michelle Murdock: [00:00:35] Hi. Thanks for having us.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] Well, tell us a little bit about Core Air Solutions. How are you serving folks?

Michelle Murdock: [00:00:40] Okay. So, we actually offer a holistic way of cleaning the air, it’s called Ionization Technology. And we have wearable technology that you can take with you anywhere you go. And it cleans the air in a three foot radius using ionization technology, which is what you get outside at the beach, you get lots of negative ions. So, negative ions also improve your mood, increase your cognizant ability, and improves your energy levels. So, it’s actually a really good technology and it also repels dust, dander, and pollen. So, it kind of helps protect you when you’re out and about. And, also, it’s great for people with allergies, which is me.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:16] And me. And how about the show? How has the show been working for you? Are you exhibiting or are you here wandering around?

Michelle Murdock: [00:01:23] We’re exhibiting. And it’s very amazing. Honestly, it’s so much to learn and do. So, this is really fascinating for us.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:30] So, now, you decide to do it because the event is here in Atlanta, you’re in Atlanta, so you said, “Hey. There’s a bunch of women-owned businesses. Let me -”

Michelle Murdock: [00:01:39] Right. It’s like learning from other women. It’s amazing. So, there’s so many people, and not just the women, but the corporate people here are telling you so much that you just don’t know. So, this is something new for us. We’ve never really done a product. And I found this technology a couple of years ago and it’s amazing. Two years, not a single sinus infection, or a single antibiotic, or a single puff of an inhaler. And so, I just want to take that technology to everybody, because if I can feel good, anybody can feel good.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:07] So, now, when you’re working a show like this, you’re in your booth, you have a booth, how are you kind of letting the corporates know about the booth and getting them to kind of learn more about the product?

Michelle Murdock: [00:02:18] We have tutus on.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:21] Tutus. You’re the only people with tutus, I believe, here.

Michelle Murdock: [00:02:24] Yes. We are always the only people with our costumes on and they’re just way of life for us. You know, we like to be different. We understand there’s a billion people here, so you have to do something that sets yourself apart a little bit. And what more fun than tutus.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:42] That’s part of the brand?

Michelle Murdock: [00:02:43] Well, it’s just our fun way of, you know –

Lee Kantor: [00:02:46] Well, the quirkiness and fun is part of the brand, right? That’s the culture of the company.

Michelle Murdock: [00:02:49] Yes. Our culture is very, very hands-on, fun. And, you know, we’re a green company, green technology. And then, our other side is a service organization that actually does green, we refurbish signage. So, we’re superheroes and it kind of bleeds over into our green technology side, where we’re also saving lives by saving them air. Breathing clean air is the first step to being healthy.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:14] Now, with the organization, did you get certified right away? Like, how did the certification come about?

Michelle Murdock: [00:03:21] So, we certified a little over a year ago – no. Oh, my gosh – almost two years ago, so right before or right after COVID, I think. I can’t remember. So, yeah, we got certified. We’re certified WSP as well. Really, this is awesome. I’ve done a lot of trade shows in my 26 years of being in commercial, and I’ve never had one that was just this kind of neat and different and, you know, full of women supporting other women, and even the guys supporting the women. So, it’s really neat to see.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:53] And it’s something that you can really feel it, right? It’s a different vibe inside here. I, too, have been to lots of trade show and this one feels different. You can feel the level of collaboration and people rooting for each other and wanting everybody to succeed.

Michelle Murdock: [00:04:08] Yes. I mean, I just had one of the guys from Target who’s amazing. I, you know, was not expecting, he was helping me understand how to really kind of put the product out there. And it was amazing because I’ve talked to quite a few people in the past before the show and it was just really hard to kind of understand what you needed to do and he was amazing. So, everybody has been, though. Everybody we talked to has just been very encouraging.

Michelle Murdock: [00:04:35] We do have a technology that’s really more of a science. And it’s interesting but it’s a health benefit, and nobody’s really heard of it, which is sad, because it’s actually a really good way to help yourself be healthy.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:49] And so, education has to be part of the product, right? Because you have to explain it. It’s not kind of intuitive. They see it and they’re like, “Oh, I want one of those.”

Michelle Murdock: [00:04:57] They’re like, “That’s so pretty. It lights up. What does that do?” And I’m like, “Oh, my God. It cleans the air.” Actually, also, yes, it does like the bacteria and viruses and mold, but also repels dust, dander, and pollen, which is what caused most of us to have our asthma attacks or allergies and sinus infections. And a lady just walked up because she doesn’t have a voice because she said her hotel is full of dust, and so she woke up without a voice this morning. I was like, “Oh. This is helpful.”

Lee Kantor: [00:05:22] Right. There’s a technology that might be able to help you.

Michelle Murdock: [00:05:26] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:28] So, here at the show, have you been doing any of the panels? Have you been doing any of the education? Or you’re just trying to stay above water with all the people that are probably flooding to your booth trying to check out one of those?

Michelle Murdock: [00:05:41] Well, we’re in a weird position because we’re not really in our category because we have two companies that are kind of both green. So, they kind of put us in the sustainability, which is awesome. But, you know, we’re a little different, so we’ve been really busy. Every time I try to leave the booth, somebody walks up. And, really, this is my passion, so I just really need to help people understand it.

Michelle Murdock: [00:06:08] So, it’s been great. I haven’t been able to go to the meetings or to sit down. But I’ve had so many people who are doing those that I’ve gotten to talk to that are, like, telling me things and helping because they see that I can’t even leave the booth most of time.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:21] Well, we appreciate you coming here. If somebody wants to learn more, is there a website to get more information?

Michelle Murdock: [00:06:26] Yes, coreairpurification.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:30] And coreair.green and core.green.

Michelle Murdock: [00:06:34] Yes. There’s lots of ways to find us.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:35] There’s lots of ways to get a hold of you. And Core Air is kind of the heart of the brand, right?

Michelle Murdock: [00:06:39] Yes. So, our green technology kind of pivoted back during COVID based on my senior living communities actually having a really big need, and so, I covered this technology. We were originally doing EV charging stations and things like that, and LED retrofits and things. But this, I mean, it changed my life. So, if it changed my life, it can change other people’s lives.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:02] Right. You got to get the word out to more people.

Michelle Murdock: [00:07:03] I got to get the word out. Yeah, that’s what we’re trying to do.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:05] Well, Michelle, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Michelle Murdock: [00:07:09] Thank you for having us.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:11] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at the WBENC National Conference 2022.

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Catherine Veal, Paradigm

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference inside the Georgia World Congress, and are inside GWBC’s booth, Booth 1812. So, come on by and check us out. I’m so excited to be interviewing Catherine Veal with Paradigm. Welcome, Catherine.

Catherine Veal: [00:00:35] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] So, tell us about Paradigm. How are you serving folks?

Catherine Veal: [00:00:39] We are a clinical toxicology lab down in South Georgia, on the coast in Saint Simons Island. And we do testing for physicians, for providers, for their patients to make sure that they are being compliant with their medication plans that the providers have put them on, they’re taking their medications, they aren’t taking anything that the physicians aren’t aware of, or anything that’s too fun.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:09] Some extra help.

Catherine Veal: [00:01:10] Yeah. So, that’s what we do. So, we’ve got a national client base. We service providers out as far as Arizona, as north as Maryland, and then south as Florida, and everywhere in between.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:24] So, how’d you get into this line of work?

Catherine Veal: [00:01:27] I was in the pain management world with a provider and ran a couple of his practices and a couple of surgery centers. And we were using these services that we provide from a few of our competitors now. And there are just some holes in their offerings.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:46] You saw some ways it could be improved.

Catherine Veal: [00:01:48] Yeah. So, we ended up using about three or four of them, and took the pros of all of those, and added some of our own, and opened the first lab back in 2009. And then, I opened Paradigm in 2014.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:05] And then, it’s been an overnight success.

Catherine Veal: [00:02:08] It’s been great. It’s been hard work.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:10] Seven years.

Catherine Veal: [00:02:10] Yeah. It’s been hard work, but it’s been great. We have about 140 employees and over 90 percent of them are women. So, it’s kind of cool.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:20] Wow. Is that by design or by accident?

Catherine Veal: [00:02:23] You know, it wasn’t intentional at all.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:26] You just looked one day and you’re like, “There’s a lot of women here.”

Catherine Veal: [00:02:28] Yeah. Yeah. Well, we’re like, wow. But, yeah, it just happened that way. But we’ve just got a lot of diversity within our employee group, our team members. So, it really benefits us because we’re able to connect with the providers and the patient bases that they have because they are all so diverse being in treatment, substance abuse management, and behavioral medicine. And the areas that we’re in, it’s kind of nice to have our team be so diverse because we can relate really well.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:04] Now, did you get certified right away or was this something that you said, “You know, we’ve been doing this and why don’t I get certified?” Like, how did that come about?

Catherine Veal: [00:03:11] Just recently, so we’re newbies. We’re three weeks now.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:18] So, certification newbie to be –

Catherine Veal: [00:03:18] Yeah. We just started hearing more and more about supplier diversity and what some of the other vendors are trying to do with their spins in that regard. And we didn’t really understand a lot about it. But we’re like, “Wait. We may drop into that bucket.”

Lee Kantor: [00:03:35] “Why are they doing this? Why are they doing this?”

Catherine Veal: [00:03:35] Yeah. We’re like, we probably qualify being owned by a woman. So, we just started researching it. And then, we started this process kind of at the tail end of COVID. And it just took a while because of COVID.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:48] To end, it takes a while. It’s not something you do in an afternoon.

Catherine Veal: [00:03:49] Yeah. Yeah. No. We didn’t realize how in-depth the process was.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:56] Well, it’s important to have a certification standard that is thorough.

Catherine Veal: [00:04:00] Yeah. Exactly. That’s what we said once we got it this month. We were like, “Well, they’re not handing these out left and right.” So, this is great that we –

Lee Kantor: [00:04:09] Let’s not check three boxes and you’re good.

Catherine Veal: [00:04:11] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:12] So, now, that you’re here, do you have a booth here or you’re just here kind of wandering around?

Catherine Veal: [00:04:17] We’re just wandering around. We’re in health care, obviously, and there are some payors here, Cigna and Centene, that we either do have contracts with and we’re just trying to add. So, it’s been nice. I mean, we got here today and it’s been very productive and we’re coming back for some of the roundtable meet and greets in the morning.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:40] It’s overwhelming, you walk in and it’s like wall-to-wall.

Catherine Veal: [00:04:44] It’s a lot. We didn’t know what to expect. And the gal that took us to committee to get certified did a little orientation last week to kind of orient us –

Lee Kantor: [00:04:58] To prep you.

Catherine Veal: [00:04:58] … to prep us, and we missed it. My youngest daughter graduated from high school that day and so I missed the orientation. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s been a pleasant surprise. It’s a lot of vendors, a lot of booths.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:11] It’s neat to see all the women business owners together also in one place.

Catherine Veal: [00:05:16] Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. And just like trying to figure out what everyone’s purpose and goal is in attending. So, we’ve just stopped at booths that we really probably don’t have any –

Lee Kantor: [00:05:27] Are just curious about.

Catherine Veal: [00:05:27] Yeah. I’m just like, “Tell me what your goals are in attending.”

Lee Kantor: [00:05:32] “What do you do?”

Catherine Veal: [00:05:32] So, we’ve learned a lot just by, you know, networking and talking to people.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:37] Yeah. This is going to be a good association for you. I’m sure you’re going to get a lot out of this over the years that you’re going to be here.

Catherine Veal: [00:05:43] I think so. I was very excited to see some of the staffing companies and logistics companies because we ship all of our samples from all of those areas I said, and we use FedEx, UPS, and we have some great pricing with them. But it was just nice to see some other options that we could maybe partner with.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:03] Right. There might be some partners and collaborators here that you don’t know yet in this room.

Catherine Veal: [00:06:08] Exactly. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:08] So, if somebody wants to learn more about Paradigm, what’s the best way to do that?

Catherine Veal: [00:06:14] We have a website, that’s www.paradigm.healthcare. And that’s the easiest way to learn more about us. And, also, there’s a Contact Us tab that you can reach out, as far as being a team member and joining us or using our services, there’s information there for whichever way you want to go.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:35] Well, thank you for being part of GWBC and getting certified. And we wish you the best of luck.

Catherine Veal: [00:06:42] Thank you so much.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:44] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll be back in a few at the WBENC National Conference.

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Louise Lascik, Travel Leaders

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside GWBC’s booth. I’m so excited, we have Louise Lascik with Travel Leaders. Welcome, Louise.

Louise Lascik: [00:00:29] Hi. How are you?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:30] Get in there close, Louise.

Louise Lascik: [00:00:31] Okay. I’m in.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] All right. So, tell us about Travel Leaders. How are you serving folks?

Louise Lascik: [00:00:35] We are a corporate travel management company and we work with companies trying to reduce their travel spend. And that encompasses quite a bit of different things, beginning with centrally purchasing all of your air card and hotel reservations. And then, we do contracts with all their top vendors. And then, all of that would integrate into their expense report. So, we focus on larger pieces of business because it’s very detail oriented. There’s a lot of reporting as well. And we also partner with various expense reporting tools. So, that’s kind of what corporate travel management is all about.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:10] But it’s important, though, to have a partner like you in travel. Even though a lot of people try to do this themselves, it’s just impossible at the level you’re talking about for those kind of people to keep track of everything accurately, to have the reports you need, and to kind of get the expenses where they need to go when they need them.

Louise Lascik: [00:01:27] Yeah. That’s correct. I mean, if you’re a larger piece of business and you’re doing anywhere over 300,000 in travel, you need to have some kind of manage program. People tend to buy what’s best for them, not always what’s best for the company. So, you need to have that transparency. So, we kind of showed the whole picture of what was purchased to what actually ends up on the expense report.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:49] Right. And sometimes that’s eye-opening for the company.

Louise Lascik: [00:01:52] Yes, very much so.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:53] Right. Now, what’s a story you can share, maybe don’t name the company, but where they thought one thing and then something else was really happening in real life?

Louise Lascik: [00:02:00] Well, a lot of times, let’s say, you have a per diem, a hotel you can book whatever you like within, let’s say, it has to be under $125 a night. But in the meantime, by the time it hits the expense report, it’s $150. And you don’t have that information and you have no way of knowing. But by using a managed program, those are the things that we will expose and show you. Because people aren’t always buying what you want them to buy. So, we control that. We also will expose and support whatever the company’s travel policy is. And if somebody is booking out of policy, we will stop them from doing that.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:34] Right. And do you give them a portal or some sort of place where they can go online and book the travel and that goes through your system?

Louise Lascik: [00:02:43] Yes. We partner with a lot of different expense reporting tools, and with that is an online booking tool. So, they would book on the online booking tool, or if it was a more complex booking, they’d probably want to call in and have an agent, or if they’re going to Europe or something like that. And then, once that’s all done, it’s sent to somebody to approve or disapprove. So, make sure that everything’s within policy. And then, it all ends up on the expense report. So, it’s a whole streamlined process.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:11] So, now, you’re exhibiting here at the WBENC Conference, how has that been for you?

Louise Lascik: [00:03:16] Very good. We’re very excited. This is our first time. We were certified two years ago as a woman-owned travel management company. And we have made quite a few contacts. I’m very excited because I was just at a conference two weeks ago. And I think this one’s been excellent.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:32] Now, what’s it been like to be around all these women business owners? That must be exciting.

Louise Lascik: [00:03:36] Oh, I like it. I like the whole thing. I like the energy. It’s been good.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:40] And did you see on the row on the other side, there’s chocolate? Have you been over there?

Louise Lascik: [00:03:44] I’ve been over there. I’ve got some samples because we give our larger corporations gifts.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:49] Gifts? Well, that’s a perfect gift. So, now, at Travel Leaders, you said you just got certified recently.

Louise Lascik: [00:03:56] Two years ago.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:57] Was that something that it came to your attention that there might be some benefit? How did you even kind of become aware of it?

Louise Lascik: [00:04:02] Well, we’re always trying different marketing things, and we’re part of Travel Leaders, so there’s quite a few different marketing things that we go to. But I’ve gone to conferences, gosh, for the last ten years, and I would pay to participate, have our booth and things like that. And decided to try something new, and I like this niche. And before the conference, I’ve been reaching out to different –

Lee Kantor: [00:04:26] You’ve been strategic. It hasn’t been just showing up.

Louise Lascik: [00:04:28] No. I’ve been working it. And making appointments, I’ve had three luncheons. And as I said, we go for larger pieces of business because of what we do.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:36] It’s a better fit for the larger one.

Louise Lascik: [00:04:38] Yes. Yes. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:40] So, a company, I would imagine, are they going to you after they work with somebody else or is this sometimes their first time working with a kind of corporate partner to help them with their travel?

Louise Lascik: [00:04:53] Well, bigger pieces of business. We recently signed a very large Fortune 500 company. And, yes, most large companies have a managed program.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:02] So, they had had somebody else then switched to you?

Louise Lascik: [00:05:05] Well, this company, we call it very fragmented.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:09] So, maybe a division.

Louise Lascik: [00:05:10] We had one division and we recently consolidated 35 other locations across the country. And it’s a very large piece of business.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:18] So, what’s kind of a pain that they’re having where your company is a good solution for it? Is it something that they’re noticing on the expense? Or something’s out of whack? Or the budget all of sudden is through the roof and they didn’t expect it?

Louise Lascik: [00:05:28] Well, firstly, I think people booking out a policy and booking on their own –

Lee Kantor: [00:05:35] That’s more common than you think, because, look, I’m on Hilton, so I’m staying at a Hilton, and I don’t care –

Louise Lascik: [00:05:40] And we would correct that.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:42] It’s like, “Well, if you’re going to stay there, then you’re paying for it. Do you still want to stay there?” You’re like, “No. I don’t want to stay there.”

Louise Lascik: [00:05:46] Yeah. We would correct that behavior. Like, this large company, they had what we call leakage, and we would expose that leakage.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:53] It becomes obvious when you show them the report, right?

Louise Lascik: [00:05:55] Yeah. If somebody’s information is not there, why isn’t it there? That’s not being captured. They’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:01] So, if somebody wants to learn more about your work, what’s the website?

Louise Lascik: [00:06:06] www.fscorporatetravel.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:11] fscorporatetravel.com.

Louise Lascik: [00:06:13] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:13] Well, Louise, thank you so much for sharing your story. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Louise Lascik: [00:06:17] Thank you so much.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:18] All right. This is Lee Kantor broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference. We’ll be back in a few.

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Zoe Oli, Beautiful Curly Me

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the 2022 WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth, booth 1812, so come by and see us. So excited. Been waiting all day for this interview. Zoe Olie.

Zoe Olie: [00:00:18] Olie.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:33] Olie. Close, close. 50/50 chance. Sorry, I screwed it up. Zoe Olie with Beautiful Curly Me. Welcome, Zoe.

Zoe Olie: [00:00:42] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] So excited. For our listeners who can’t see, Zoe is a little younger than some of the folks we have had here and I haven’t asked anybody their age, but I’m going to ask you yours. How old are you, Zoe?

Zoe Olie: [00:00:54] I am 10.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:56] Ten years old, and you are a certified women-owned business.

Zoe Olie: [00:01:00] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:01] Congratulations on that.

Zoe Olie: [00:01:02] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:03] What made you get certified?

Zoe Olie: [00:01:07] Because I own—I am the CEO and co-founder with my mom, Ivana, of Beautiful Curly Me, which is my company. And Beautiful Curly Me is a brand on a mission to instill and inspire confidence in young Black and Brown girls through toys and empowering content. And we are also a social impact brand, so for every dollar that’s bought on our website, beautifulcurlyme.com, we give one to a young girl in need.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:36] Very nice. So, now, what was—how did the idea come about?

Zoe Olie: [00:01:40] So, when I was six years old, I did not-

Lee Kantor: [00:01:42] Way back then.

Zoe Olie: [00:01:43] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:43] That was four years ago. That was forever.

Zoe Olie: [00:01:47] So, when I was six, I did not like my hair and I wished it was straight, like my classmates. And so, my mom did everything she could to help me, including getting me a Black doll. And I really like that doll, but she did not have hair that looked like mine, and I still did not feel good about myself because of that. And so, when my mom went back to the stores and came up short, I decided I wanted to start my own business and do something about this.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:12] And the business is dolls with curly hair?

Zoe Olie: [00:02:15] Yes. So, we have a line of dolls, Layla and Mika, with curls and braids, and we also sell the books that I have written, as well as puzzles and haircare accessories.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:26] So, having an idea, and then having a doll are two different things. So, what did that first doll—how did you kind of create that first doll?

Zoe Olie: [00:02:36] Well, we did a lot of research, because my mom did not know anything about the doll or toy manufacturing.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:41] What about you? You’re the doll person. Your mom probably doesn’t have a lot of dolls, I would guess.

Zoe Olie: [00:02:47] No, not really.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:48] I bet you have more.

Zoe Olie: [00:02:50] Yes, I did.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:50] I want to know about your dolls. How did you say I want the doll to look like this, I want it to have this kind of dress, I want it to have this kind of a face? How did that happen?

Zoe Olie: [00:03:01] Well, I knew that I wanted a doll with curly and relatable hair, so we first decided the texture of hair we wanted. We decided the skin color as well. And then, we decided about the outfit, which we were all about affirmations and being proud of who you are. So, we chose curly and confident as like our kind of statement.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:25] That’s your catchphrase?

Zoe Olie: [00:03:25] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:26] Curly and confident.

Zoe Olie: [00:03:27] And so, that’s actually on the doll’s t-shirt.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:29] Do you have t-shirts that I can buy that say curly and confident? My hair gets very curly. It doesn’t look curly now, but it will get curly.

Zoe Olie: [00:03:38] We actually do have women’s t-shirts on sale on our website, beautifulcurlyme.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:44] Alright. Beautifulcurlyme.com. We’ll get a shirt hopefully in my size at some point. So, when you’re doing this kind of work, and you think about, oh, I’d like to have a doll, and you design the doll, did you look at—how did you tell the person to make it? Like did your mom make the first doll or did you make it? Did you sew a doll like or do you go and get—where do you go to get dolls?

Zoe Olie: [00:04:10] Well, we looked online for a supplier in China who currently helps us make and manufacture the dolls to us. And then, we also found someone to get our boxes, as well as all the other things that the doll comes with.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:26] But isn’t that the fun part, saying, picking, I like that, I don’t like this? Did you have fun doing that?

Zoe Olie: [00:04:31] Yes, I actually did have fun. We had a lot of trial and error.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:35] Did you have your friends help? Did you all get together, and go, okay, do you like this? I don’t know, I like this one better.

Zoe Olie: [00:04:41] Well, it was mostly me and my mom. We had a lot of conversations of what we liked about the dolls, and we continued to have a lot of strategy.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:50] Yeah, your way or did she get her way?

Zoe Olie: [00:04:54] I think we both compromised, and we also—our customers send us a lot of feedback, so we use that as well to continue to grow our business.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:05] So, what’s your favorite part?

Zoe Olie: [00:05:07] My favorite part is probably the reviews that we get and the customers saying they love our products.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:12] Not the money?

Zoe Olie: [00:05:15] Well, most of the money we get goes back into the business, but I do enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor and all the revenue that we receive.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:24] You don’t have to be embarrassed about it. There’s nothing wrong with, when that money comes in, you’re like, oh, I can buy more dolls, I can help more people, right?

Zoe Olie: [00:05:33] Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:33] The more money that comes in, the more people you can help and get more dolls to more folks.

Zoe Olie: [00:05:37] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:38] So, what was it like when you gave that first doll to a child in need? How did you feel?

Zoe Olie: [00:05:45] I felt very empowered and I just like to see all that other little kids look up to me who want to start a business, and looking at this doll, really, a mark of confidence to them is just really empowering.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:03] So, has some kid come up to you, and saw you like a celebrity, asked for your autograph? Does that happen?

Zoe Olie: [00:06:09] Actually, no.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:10] Not yet?

Zoe Olie: [00:06:11] Not yet.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:12] So, I’ll be the first person to ask for your autograph?

Zoe Olie: [00:06:14] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:15] Okay. Good to know. So, now, what advice would you give other kids that are going to start a business? And they have dreams, a lot of kids have dreams, oh, I wish I had this, I wish this could happen, wishing and doing are different things.

Zoe Olie: [00:06:29] I would say, number 1, don’t be afraid to fail up. And again, there are always people that are there to help you along the way, your parents, teachers, counselors, and there are always people that are willing to help you and support you along your journey. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:48] So, with the right team, you could do anything, right?

Zoe Olie: [00:06:51] Exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:52] And you feel like you got a good team?

Zoe Olie: [00:06:54] Yes. And one more thing, always don’t be afraid to get started. I like to say don’t wait for the perfect wave, just swim. So, don’t be afraid, if you’re waiting for the perfect time, just get started.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:09] So, is that coming on a t-shirt soon?

Zoe Olie: [00:07:12] Maybe.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:12] Maybe.

Zoe Olie: [00:07:13] I’ll keep you posted.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:14] Keep me posted. And the website one more time?

Zoe Olie: [00:07:17] Beautifulcurlyme.com. And we also have Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter @beautifulcurlyme.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:26] Alright. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today, Zoe.

Zoe Olie: [00:07:29] Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:30] Alright. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Zoe Olie: [00:07:33] Yes. Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:34] Alright. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you in a few at the WBENC National Conference 2022 inside the boot of GWBC.

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Charday Oldacre, Nue Way Studios

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, it’s time for GWBC Radio’s Open for Business. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here broadcasting live from the WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth. I’m so excited, we have Charday Oldacre with NueWay Studios. Welcome.

Charday Oldacre: [00:00:29] Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:31] I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about NueWay. How are you serving folks?

Charday Oldacre: [00:00:35] Absolutely. So, we’re a full-service brand development and video content marketing company. So, we do everything from helping you with your brand strategy, helping you figure out the best way to position it with, let’s say, your website or your messaging. But we also can help you amplify your story by creating a video for you, and then putting that in front of the right audience by advertising. So, we can put that video in front of, let’s say, Hulu audiences, other type of streaming audiences as well. And so, everything from help you figure out who you are as a business to helping you amplify your vision and getting it out there is what we do.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:09] So, are you exhibiting here or you’re wandering around? How are you [inaudible]?

Charday Oldacre: [00:01:11] So, I’m not exhibiting this year. However, we have been able to just kind of get on the ground and talk to people face to face, and that’s been amazing.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:21] So, now, how did you get into this line of work? What’s your backstory?

Charday Oldacre: [00:01:24] So, this really kind of found me, I would say. Originally, this was birth because my mom is an entrepreneur, and so as a kid, always seeing her grow up and wanting to really build her business, but didn’t have the team or the knowledge to really go out there to build it from a creative standpoint, and also be able to market it with some of these larger corporations, some of these bigger people out here. And so, that was what initially started me to kind of get down this road.

Charday Oldacre: [00:01:53] And then, as I really started getting into it, it kind of grew into me saying, “Well, if I can do this for business like my mom, there’s also a need for other corporations and larger businesses who are wanting to kind of innovate.” They may have been in the industry for years and they may have been doing it serving their audience for decades, but they may need a new creative idea to kind of refresh –

Lee Kantor: [00:02:19] Like a crash, right.

Charday Oldacre: [00:02:20] … absolutely – to do something that really allows them to stay at the forefront in their market. And so, that’s how we’ve been able to really stay on the cutting edge for helping some of our clients.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:31] So, now, what spurred you to get certified? Why was it important to be part of GWBC community and really become a certified woman in business?

Charday Oldacre: [00:02:41] It’s the networking. GWBC allows me and people like me the opportunity to speak with these face to face corporations. It also allows us to get in the door to have those conversations. No, it’s not the thing that will help you win the business. But it is the thing that allows these other corporations to know that you are serious about your business. And that has been one of the game changers for us.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:08] And then, have you been able to leverage the relationship to get that opportunity?

Charday Oldacre: [00:03:12] Absolutely. Absolutely. So, you know, our business has grown significantly because GWBC has certified our business. And so, literally, our very first time of coming to a WBENC Conference right after we got certified, we landed UPS as a client. It doesn’t happen all the time. And I do know that’s a very unique situation, but it happened. And those opportunities can actually happen. And then, from there, we landed The Federal Reserve Bank, The Board of Governors. And so, we started doing more federal contracts and more corporations. And it’s because they said, “Oh, you’re woman certified and you have great services and products. Let’s do business together.”

Lee Kantor: [00:03:53] See, how easy business is. People make it seem like it’s so hard.

Charday Oldacre: [00:03:58] Yeah. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:00] Show up, shake a few hands.

Charday Oldacre: [00:04:02] Yeah. You know, that’s it.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:04] That’s it. So, how’s your mom’s business?

Charday Oldacre: [00:04:06] She has several businesses. She’s a serial entrepreneur. However, I can just kind of help her. She does it. And so, she says she doesn’t want to do that anymore. Like, she’s on the age of retirement now. So, she’s like, “I’m 62. I got to sell the business.”

Lee Kantor: [00:04:26] Saturday is my 401K, right?

Charday Oldacre: [00:04:29] Exactly. So, real quick funny story. So, I told my mom about this proposal that I’m going after. I said, “Mom, I think we got it. It’s a really big proposal.” And my mom said, “Oh, my God. We are so good.” And I was like, “We?” And she’s like, “We’re going to celebrate. We’re taking care of it.” So, she’s like, “My retirement plan is in the bag.” So, she’s good.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:52] She feels good now. So, if somebody wants to learn more about NueWay and get on your calendar, what’s the best way?

Charday Oldacre: [00:04:58] Absolutely. The best way is to go to our website, nuewaystudios.com, and that’s N-U-E-W-A-Y-S-T-U-D-I-O-S.com. And then, there’s a contact form, there’s several contact forms. You can just fill one out and then one of my sales people will get in contact with you, and we’ll go from there.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:17] All right. Well, Charday, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Charday Oldacre: [00:05:20] Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:20] You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Charday Oldacre: [00:05:22] Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate the opportunity.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:24] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We will see you in a few at the WBENC National Conference inside the GWBC booth.

DOWNLOAD HERE

About WBENC

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive.

We believe diversity promotes innovation, opens doors, and creates partnerships that fuel the economy. That’s why we not only provide the most relied upon certification standard for women-owned businesses, but we also offer the tools to help them succeed.

About GWBC

The Greater Women’s Business Council (GWBC®) is at the forefront of redefining women business enterprises (WBEs). An increasing focus on supplier diversity means major corporations are viewing our WBEs as innovative, flexible and competitive solutions. The number of women-owned businesses is rising to reflect an increasingly diverse consumer base of women making a majority of buying decision for herself, her family and her business.

GWBC^® has partnered with dozens of major companies who are committed to providing a sustainable foundation through our guiding principles to bring education, training and the standardization of national certification to women businesses in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

LIVE from RISKWORLD 2022: Michael Zalle, YellowBird

June 13, 2022 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Studio

LIVE from RISKWORLD 2022: Michael Zalle, YellowBird

00:00 /

LIVE from RISKWORLD 2022: Michael Zalle, YellowBird

YellowBird fills a unique role in connecting companies with pros in risk & environmental, health, and safety. Founder and CEO Michael Zalle joined the show to discuss how it works, his thoughts on the valuable expertise of professionals, his experience at RISKWORLD 2022, and much more.

Workplace MVP is underwritten and presented by R3 Continuum and produced by the Minneapolis-St.Paul Studio of Business RadioX®.

This show was originally broadcast from the RIMS 2022 RISKWORLD Conference held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

YellowBird

Get matched with the best Risk & Environmental, Health, and Safety Pros on-demand! YellowBird connects Companies with Professionals in hours, not days or weeks.

Companies & Professionals register on YellowBird, Pros list their skills, certifications and experience, then complete The 4-step onboarding process. Companies post jobs on-demand! YellowBird handles everything else, including accounting and insurance.YellowBird matches the right Pro to the Job, then manages the process to completion.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Michael Zalle, Founder and CEO, YellowBird

Michael Zalle is the Founder and CEO of YellowBird. He is responsible for creating, building, and launching new concepts and companies, resulting in multiple successful exits over a 25-year tech career. He has built a career through a unique balance of commercializing novel business models, operationalizing innovative technologies and platforms, rapidly scaling operations, and building market-shaping ecosystems. Michael’s companies and purpose are ever focused on serving others. Whether it be satellite systems for First Responders, environmental products for flood and spill response, or time and economic support for difference-making organizations, Michael believes in “doing well while doing good.”

Michael’s college journey began at San Francisco State University and completed at Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School while working full-time and traveling at age 19. As a lifelong member and mentor for the Amputee Coalition of America, he enjoys the time he’s able to invest in mentoring kids with physical challenges.

Married 20 years with two children, Michael spends most of his free time at lacrosse or soccer games chasing balls, applying band-aids, and handing out snacks. He enjoys traveling and engages in a variety of sports including golf and tennis; he ranks himself an incredibly average golfer and perhaps even worse tennis player.

About Workplace MVP

Every day, around the world, organizations of all sizes face disruptive events and situations. Within those workplaces are everyday heroes in human resources, risk management, security, business continuity, and the C-suite. They don’t call themselves heroes though. On the contrary, they simply show up every day, laboring for the well-being of employees in their care, readying the workplace for and planning responses to disruption. This show, Workplace MVP, confers on these heroes the designation they deserve, Workplace MVP (Most Valuable Professionals), and gives them the forum to tell their story. As you hear their experiences, you will learn first-hand, real-life approaches to readying the workplace, responses to crisis situations, and overcoming challenges of disruption. Visit our show archive here.

Workplace MVP Host Jamie Gassmann

**Jamie Gassmann, Host, “Workplace MVP”**

In addition to serving as the host to the Workplace MVP podcast, Jamie Gassmann is the Director of Marketing at R3 Continuum (R3c). Collectively, she has more than fourteen years of marketing experience. Across her tenure, she has experience working in and with various industries including banking, real estate, retail, crisis management, insurance, business continuity, and more. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications with special interest in Advertising and Public Relations and a Master of Business Administration from Paseka School of Business, Minnesota State University.

R3 Continuum

R3 Continuum is a global leader in workplace behavioral health and security solutions. R3c helps ensure the psychological and physical safety of organizations and their people in today’s ever-changing and often unpredictable world. Through their continuum of tailored solutions, including evaluations, crisis response, executive optimization, protective services, and more, they help organizations maintain and cultivate a workplace of wellbeing so that their people can thrive. Learn more about R3c at www.r3c.com.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:03] Broadcasting live from Riskworld 2022 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, it’s time for Workplace MVP. Brought to you by R3 Continuum, a global leader in helping workplaces thrive during disruptive times. Now, here’s your host.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:23] Hey, everyone. Jamie Gassmann, your host of workplace MVP, here again at Riskworld 2022 with my guest, Michael Zalle.

Michael Zalle: [00:00:32] Hello. Good morning.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:33] Yes. And I’m going to rhyme with your name, my new pal.

Michael Zalle: [00:00:38] Good trick. Good trick.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:40] Yeah. You actually told me that’s what it rhymed with so I had to leverage that in the interview. So, you are with YellowBird.

Michael Zalle: [00:00:46] I am.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:00:47] So, tell me a little bit about what YellowBird is, your role at YellowBird, and just kind of give us a background on you.

Michael Zalle: [00:00:53] All right. Wow. I’m the founder. So, I started the company about three years ago. We are an on-demand people business and we focus on matching professionals in environmental, health, safety, and risk. And so, what that means is we have a platform for loss control and safety organizations to bring in the right people with the right skills on demand, and we do all the work, essentially.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:01:22] Interesting. So, give me a little kind of like scenario of how your platform would work.

Michael Zalle: [00:01:29] Okay. I was actually just talking to a group over here who’s a consultant firm. And so, everybody goes, “Oh, you’re competing with the consulting firms.” We’re really not. So if you have a big consulting practice or you have a large organization and you’re running your own loss control practices and you have 30 sites you need to do an environmental assessment on, and 25 of those sites are perfect for your staff and five of those sites you don’t know what the heck you’re going to do, so you say, okay, who do we know in these five states? And the answer is, well, we probably have people who could fly around and get there. And so, this went from a profitable deal to an unprofitable deal in those locations.

Michael Zalle: [00:02:10] We can help basically facilitate that type of work. Or in the case of loss control, like in an insurance organization, they’re constantly doing assessments. And so, we can help them bring the loss control process down to mid-market where realistically they go deeper dive when you get upmarket because they can afford to do it so they can send people out rather than just doing self-assessments.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:37] Yeah. So like for those in a sense, it’s almost like you’re tapping into the pool of people you have within your platform and finding an expert in that location that can help support that need, correct?

Michael Zalle: [00:02:48] Yeah. Absolutely.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:02:49] Awesome.

Michael Zalle: [00:02:50] And, what we try to do is we go well beyond their certs. So for us, the certifications are important but the background and experience and history. So I’ll give you an example. You have a client that’s at a chemical organization and they need somebody to come in and do a chemical assessment. And you have somebody on the platform that was 30 years at DuPont who’s retired who says, “I want to stay in the game.” Well, I can send that person out and they would be able to, assuming legally they’re allowed and all the other things. But assuming that they’re allowed and they’re not under a non-circumvention or non-compete or anything like that, they could go out and they could do the assessment. So, you could get somebody with 30 years of DuPont experience going to a regional chemical place where otherwise they wouldn’t have access to that world of knowledge.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:37] Interesting. So, you’re here at RIMS.

Michael Zalle: [00:03:42] Yes.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:42] Are you an exhibitor this year or are you just kind of moseying around and kind of looking at it for future? You know what – yeah.

Michael Zalle: [00:03:47] So, well, we’re throwing a big party, so I’m excited about that.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:03:52] Yeah.

Michael Zalle: [00:03:52] I am not an exhibitor this year and we chose not to be for a couple of reasons. One, we’re a small organization. We have 27 people now on staff. We’re raising venture capital a couple of years back and we are growing rapidly, but we can’t do as many shows as I want to do. So, I always try to walk through and see, you know, what’s it all about. This is a great show. This is a great event. So, we will be exhibiting in the future. I was hopeful that I was going to be speaking this year and I was not selected to speak this year because it was just such a tight sketch.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:26] Absolutely. Yeah.

Michael Zalle: [00:04:27] But hopefully, I will speak next year because I’m somewhat of a subject matter expert on the changing nature of work in general, which is a big hot button in today’s world.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:04:37] Yeah.

Michael Zalle: [00:04:38] So that’s my hope. But, yeah, I’m just exhibiting and eating and drinking and being Michael.

Michael Zalle: [00:04:44] Social. Yeah. I was going to ask if you had been presenting, what would your topic be that you would present on?

Michael Zalle: [00:04:51] The complexities of running a consulting practice. Because I think most people, most professionals have this mindset of when I stop working, I want to consult and they should. That is a natural inclination. And, I’ve got all this work. There’s an old quote, and I don’t know where it comes from and I should know because I use it a fair amount, that when an elder dies it’s like burning a library. And I look at it like when a knowledge holder retires, it’s like burning a library, where there’s only so many times that you can go back to these people and there’s only so much information that you would’ve been able to glean from them. And so, you will either consult and be one-client consultation or you will start your own consulting practice and then you have to hustle. And most knowledge workers are not hustlers. They’re, you know, they haven’t had to be.

Michael Zalle: [00:05:44] And so, the most the biggest challenges with starting your own consulting practice are obviously getting the insurance and getting the business set up. And then, of course, it’s billing and receiving and then it’s customer service, all the things that as a risk and safety executive you don’t want to do.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:02] Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

Michael Zalle: [00:06:03] It’s the worst part of anybody’s business, but we do it for them. And so, I wouldn’t really focus it on YellowBird per se. But really, the inclination and the wishes of becoming a consultant combined with the, is it really worth my effort?

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:19] Yeah.

Michael Zalle: [00:06:19] And so, we try to make it worth their effort to keep them in the game.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:22] Yeah, I love that. It’s almost like it’s okay to ask for help, right?

Michael Zalle: [00:06:26] Totally.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:26] And sometimes, you know, when you’re an expert, you don’t think about that. But it is, you know, as a leader, I’ve heard more and more about that. It’s okay to ask for that help. So, that’s fantastic.

Michael Zalle: [00:06:36] Oh, absolutely. Well, thank you.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:06:38] If our listeners wanted to get a hold of you, how would they go about doing that?

Michael Zalle: [00:06:41] So, our website is goyellowbird.com. Just like it sounds, G-O, yellowbird.com. We’re on all the socials, @goyellowbird. And if you are in San Francisco, you can come to one of our parties because we’re having a party on Tuesday night. So, hopefully, actually, this is not going to be heard before then, so. Too bad you missed our party on Tuesday night. It was fantastic.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:05] Yeah. You just showed off your ping pong skills, I hear.

Michael Zalle: [00:07:08] Yes. We’re going to a ping pong bar.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:11] I love that idea. Yes. Well, it has been an absolute pleasure.

Michael Zalle: [00:07:15] Thank you.

Jamie Gassmann: [00:07:15] And, it was so great to meet you and talk with you on our episode here. So, thank you for joining me.

Michael Zalle: [00:07:19] My pleasure. I’m glad you’re here.

Outro: [00:07:26] Thank you for joining us on Workplace MVP. R3 Continuum is a proud sponsor of this show and is delighted to celebrate most valuable professionals who work diligently to secure safe workplaces where employees can thrive.

Decision Vision Episode 172: Should I Align My Company with a Political Position? – An Interview with Peter Baron, Carabiner Communications

June 9, 2022 by John Ray

Decision Vision

Decision Vision Episode 172: Should I Align My Company with a Political Position? - An Interview with Peter Baron, Carabiner Communications

00:00 /

Decision Vision Episode 172: Should I Align My Company with a Political Position? – An Interview with Peter Baron, Carabiner Communications

If a company chooses to align with a political position, how does it impact revenue? Do consumers care more about their products than their politics? Peter Baron, CEO of Carabiner Communications, and host Mike Blake come to some interesting thoughts on this topic while considering examples of companies that have taken strong political positions such as Nike, Disney, and others. They discuss the kinds of influence companies engage in, what might factor into a board’s decision to take a position, the role of diversity on a board, the impact of “easy outrage,” and much more.

Decision Vision is presented by Brady Ware & Company and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Carabiner Communications

Carabiner Communications is a leading full-spectrum marketing and public relations firm. Founded in 2004, Carabiner Communications has a proven history of helping companies tell their most engaging stories and navigate a path to success. As their name implies, the agency helps B2B tech and healthcare organizations get connected to their targeted audiences and the influencers who have their ear.

The Carabiner team is comprised of experienced professionals whose services include messaging and branding, content development and marketing, public relations, lead generation, and more. They are known for being strategic, cost-effective, and always ready to partner with great companies to drive sales.

Company website | LinkedIn |Twitter

Peter Baron, CEO, Carabiner Communications

Although Peter began his career with a large PR agency in NYC, he ultimately found his way to the warm and sunny South and made it home. True to our agency name, he is one connected guy—some folks think he knows pretty much everyone in the Atlanta tech community. Peter is typically the Carabiner you’ll run into at conferences and networking events, where he’s friendly, open, and loves to talk about the latest technology trends or his large family.

While Peter drives agency direction and business development for Carabiner, he also consults frequently on accounts and offers high-level campaign strategy. He loves to brainstorm! Peter enjoys the great outdoors, including hiking, kayaking, and camping.

Fun fact: You may not realize it since he dropped the accent years ago, but Peter is from “across the pond”— he’s an expatriate of the U.K.

Mike Blake, Brady Ware & Company

**Mike Blake, Host of the “Decision Vision” podcast serie**s

Michael Blake is the host of the Decision Vision podcast series and a Director of Brady Ware & Company. Mike specializes in the valuation of intellectual property-driven firms, such as software firms, aerospace firms, and professional services firms, most frequently in the capacity as a transaction advisor, helping clients obtain great outcomes from complex transaction opportunities. He is also a specialist in the appraisal of intellectual properties as stand-alone assets, such as software, trade secrets, and patents.

Mike has been a full-time business appraiser for 13 years with public accounting firms, boutique business appraisal firms, and an owner of his own firm. Prior to that, he spent 8 years in venture capital and investment banking, including transactions in the U.S., Israel, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Brady Ware & Company

Brady Ware & Company is a regional full-service accounting and advisory firm which helps businesses and entrepreneurs make visions a reality. Brady Ware services clients nationally from its offices in Alpharetta, GA; Columbus and Dayton, OH; and Richmond, IN. The firm is growth-minded, committed to the regions in which they operate, and most importantly, they make significant investments in their people and service offerings to meet the changing financial needs of those they are privileged to serve. The firm is dedicated to providing results that make a difference for its clients.

Decision Vision Podcast Series

Decision Vision is a podcast covering topics and issues facing small business owners and connecting them with solutions from leading experts. This series is presented by Brady Ware & Company. If you are a decision-maker for a small business, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at decisionvision@bradyware.com and make sure to listen to every Thursday to the Decision Vision podcast.

Past episodes of Decision Vision can be found at decisionvisionpodcast.com. Decision Vision is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Connect with Brady Ware & Company:

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:01] Welcome to Decision Vision, a podcast series focusing on critical business decisions. Brought to you by Brady Ware & Company. Brady Ware is a regional, full-service accounting and advisory firm that helps businesses and entrepreneurs make visions a reality.

Mike Blake: [00:00:22] Welcome to Decision Vision, a podcast giving you, the listener, clear vision to make great decisions. In each episode, we discuss the process of decision making in a different topic from the business owners’ or executives’ perspective. We aren’t necessarily telling you what to do, but we can put you in a position to make an informed decision on your own and understand when you might need help along the way.

Mike Blake: [00:00:44] My name is Mike Blake and I’m your host for today’s program. I am the managing partner of Brady Ware Arpeggio, a data-driven management consultancy which brings clarity to owners and managers of unique businesses facing unique strategic decisions. Our parent, Brady Ware & Company, is sponsoring this podcast. Brady Ware is a public accounting firm with offices in Dayton, Ohio; Alpharetta, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; and Richmond, Indiana.

Mike Blake: [00:01:08] If you’d like to engage with me on social media with my Chart of the Day and other content, I’m on LinkedIn as myself and @unblakeable on Facebook, Twitter, Clubhouse, and Instagram. I also host a LinkedIn Group called Unblakeable’s Group That Doesn’t Suck, so please join that as well if you would like to engage.

Mike Blake: [00:01:26] Today’s topic feels extremely timely, and I wish I could tell you that on May 31st I had the foresight that the topic was going to be so timely as it is, but I can’t. Sometimes just things work out. I don’t want to use the word luck, because given where we are, that’s not a term I’m very comfortable with.

Mike Blake: [00:01:51] But the topic today is, Should I align my company with a political position? And whether you find yourself on the left or the right of the political spectrum, I think few people would argue that we are in an unusually fractured political environment, which is spilling over into the social environment. And as a result, competing ideologies are now competing for whatever power, influence, resources they can muster in order to ensure the outcome of a society that they deem ideal, or at least as close to ideal as is humanly possible.

Mike Blake: [00:02:43] And I’m old enough to remember apartheid in the movement against American companies, or rather the social movement that were protesting companies that would continue to do business with South Africa, because people felt that in doing so, you are propping up the apartheid government there. And, of course, in the late ’80s, early ’90s, the apartheid government went away. South Africa is now what it is today. But that’s an early example of social activism, at least in my memory. Social activism, putting pressure on companies to take a specific position.

Mike Blake: [00:03:24] And, now, in recent history and, frankly, as current events, we see quite a bit of that. There was a fairly extraordinary step of Nike deciding to go all in with Colin Kaepernick. A move that I thought was risky. I still think it was risky. But it did work out for them. It turns out the 100 people or so that burned Nike shoes on YouTube were probably about the only 100 customers they lost. And their stock price has gone through the roof ever since. And one of the object lessons there is you have to be careful just because you see somebody on the media saying something or doing something, that doesn’t mean that there’s a critical mass of support behind it.

Mike Blake: [00:04:11] And more recently, we have seen the fight between the government of the State of Georgia and Disney. And, now, and we’ve seen it with companies lining up on two sides of the Russia-Ukraine war. Most now, I think companies, some of them somewhat belatedly, and even perhaps begrudgingly, are choosing to withdraw from Russia as a show of support for the Ukrainians in that particular war.

Mike Blake: [00:04:43] And now that we find ourselves in the wake of the Texas school shootings and the Buffalo hate crime shootings, the next battleground clearly is going to be gun control. And then, later this year, it’s a drop dead certainty that abortion is going to be a position that consumers are, frankly, just going to demand that companies take a position on.

Mike Blake: [00:05:11] I remember in college, Peter Elich, a practicing Catholic, was very supportive of anti-abortion causes. And that did hurt for a long time Domino’s position in the college market, which tend to skew more liberal.

Mike Blake: [00:05:31] But the point is that, to my mind anyway, this notion of companies that are going to be asked to take a public political position, and not only take a public position, but actually act on it, possibly to the short term apparent detriment to their businesses, I think, is something that is likely here to stay, at least for the medium term. And that means that as business owners, as business decision makers, and advisors, we’re going to be in a position of making that decision, like it or not, and helping other people make that decision.

Mike Blake: [00:06:04] And so, joining us today to help us understand at least his perspective on this, and I think his perspective is quite valuable and learned, is Peter Baron, who is CEO of Carabiner Communications, which is a leading full-spectrum marketing and public relations firm.

Mike Blake: [00:06:19] Founded in 2004, they have a proven history of helping companies tell their most engaging stories and navigate a path to success. As their name implies, the agency helps B2B tech and health care organizations get connected to their targeted audiences and the influencers who have their ear. The Carabiner team is comprised of experienced professionals, whose services include messaging and branding, content development and marketing, public relations, lead generation and more. They are known for being strategic, cost effective and always ready to partner with great companies to drive sales.

Mike Blake: [00:06:50] Although Peter began his career with a large public relations agency in New York City, he ultimately found his way to the warm and sunny South and made it home. True to the agency name, he is one connected guy. Some folks think – and I’m one of them – he knows pretty much everyone in the Atlanta tech community. And as an aside, they like him. A lot of people like that, they don’t necessarily like them. That’s an important distinction. Peter is typically the Carabiner you run into at conferences and networking events where he’s friendly, open, and loves to talk about the latest technology trends or his large family.

Mike Blake: [00:07:24] While Peter drives agency direction and business development for Carabiner, he also consults frequently on accounts and offers high level campaign strategy. He loves to brainstorm – and I can attest to that. He also enjoys the great outdoors, including hiking, kayaking, and camping, great places for brainstorming. And fun fact, he may not realize it, since he dropped the accent years ago, but Peter is from across the pond and he’s an expatriate of the United Kingdom. Your Majesty, Peter Baron, welcome to the Decision Vision podcast – or Your Excellency.

Peter Baron: [00:07:54] Thank you. Thank you. It’s so good to be here. Thanks, Mike.

Mike Blake: [00:07:58] So, great to see you again. And thanks for coming on to talk about, frankly, what I think is a very difficult topic. And I imagine if you’re not getting questions about it now, you’re going to quite a bit. Businesses seem to be more willing to align themselves with political causes, I think, than they have in the past. Do you agree with that observation? If so, why do you think that is?

Peter Baron: [00:08:25] I think so. It’s certainly more visible than it has. But I think the thing to realize is not necessarily because of PR guys like me. And I’ve been doing this since 1985, so it’s been a few years. And I think back to my education and the things that we were taught. It led to sort of a discipline in the boardroom or at least in the corporate communications team where these kinds of things have been discussed and thrashed around for a long time because what, ultimately, I think you’re trying to do as a business is either try to control your business environment or operate well within an environment.

Peter Baron: [00:09:08] So, the fact that this topic has come up and the companies might be feeling more pressure is interesting. But over the arc of time, I think you see that companies have tried to stay ahead of this curve and you know that they’re working pretty hard right now to figure out what they want to do. And so, when the pressure comes publicly, it’s not unanticipated would be my thought.

Mike Blake: [00:09:37] So, one question I have is, just because we observe something doesn’t necessarily make it true. But are companies in actuality becoming more active in the political discourse in our country? Or have they been all along realistically and it’s simply becoming more visible than it has been?

Peter Baron: [00:10:00] I think they’ve probably been involved all along. I made a couple of notes in preparing for the show, and it’s interesting to quantify some things. But if you think about being aligned or involved with political causes, there are a number of ways to do that. One is publicly through your messaging and how you get involved. Another is what you do behind the scenes with your dollars.

Peter Baron: [00:10:24] So, lobbying, for instance. And when you look at lobbying, I wanted to see what was going on in terms of increasing dollars. So, in 2021, the total lobbying spending in the United States amounted to $3.73 billion. And this was an increase from the three-and-a-half billion the year before.

Peter Baron: [00:10:49] And the leaders in terms of spending were the National Association of Realtors, which is fascinating. I mean, this is kind of an interesting time to buy and sell homes. The next group was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The next is the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. And then, the last one was the American Hospital Association.

Peter Baron: [00:11:14] So, you know, spending a good bit of money. Pfizer spent 10.9 million on lobbying in 2020. I mean, you could argue at a time when companies that were producing a COVID vaccine didn’t really need to spend a lot of money. They were making a lot of money. But, yeah, they’re still applying their dollars in the halls of Congress or, perhaps, even on a state level. So, that’s, to me, evidence of how businesses really play in the political spectrum.

Peter Baron: [00:11:48] But I know our show is probably more about what we’re seeing in the news right now. So, the public pressure to play, I think, realistically they’re being pretty sophisticated players.

Mike Blake: [00:12:01] Well, you know, I do think those two things are linked. I agree with you, they’ve been playing all along through lobbying. And lobbying, to me, is kind of interesting. Nobody likes lobbyists unless they’re lobbying for something that you care about and agree with. And lobbying is also quite opaque. I’m sure it’s happened, I just can’t remember, but I can remember the last time a specific company – a trade association, yes, like the NRA, sure – has been taken to task over their lobbying activity. I don’t think, for whatever reason, it’s not considered a part of the brand or maybe it’s just simply on some level expected once your company achieves a certain critical mass.

Mike Blake: [00:12:53] But beyond that now, what are you seeing companies considering as actions they might take to go beyond simple lobbying? And I’ll put campaign donations in sort of the same bucket because they’re not quite as visible. What steps are they considering taking now?

Peter Baron: [00:13:11] Lobbying and donations, of course, are the first two things that you see. But activism and encouraging their workforce to do something. This is not a particularly charged example, but you’ve got a lot of companies that like to steer their employees into doing things. Like Habitat for Humanity, Home Depot, doing these crews where they go out and help build homes. I think that’s more of a grassroots effort. There are lots of companies doing that.

Peter Baron: [00:13:48] Many of them are forced into doing things with compliance. So, you look at environmental, social, and governmental ESG, compliance requirements in the construction space. And I’m not an expert there, but I read a little bit about it recently. But there were a lot of requirements for LEED buildings. These are buildings that are built using standards that indicate that the materials are sourced reasonably locally and that sustainable methods are being used. A lot of those things have been now encoded into regulation on the state level, county level, but also on the federal level too.

Peter Baron: [00:14:27] So, in terms of actions that companies are taking, some of them are not voluntary, they’re compliance oriented. And I guess if a company doesn’t like the requirements, then you have to circle back to the lobbying and say, “Well, what you’re asking for me to do here on a lawsuit is an opportunity.” And there are certainly a lot of actions taken into the legal sphere.

Peter Baron: [00:14:55] Boards, you do find board members being involved. It used to be that the board members were encouraged to be on the symphony board just to get some public exposure or to be good citizens in their communities. But, now, board members are bringing their influence to bear, and other organizations too. I’m not sure they’re on political campaign committees.

Peter Baron: [00:15:19] But I guess it was in 2010, the Supreme Court said the companies could make direct investments in presidential elections. When a company takes a decision like that, that’s going to be an interesting discussion in the boardroom, who do you decide to pick? And maybe there’s a majority owner, but can you imagine it as sort of a diversely held public corporation if one of those is going to endorse a political candidate or not. That’ll be a fascinating discussion.

Mike Blake: [00:15:55] Yeah. And I want to come back to that, because I do think that’s an interesting part of the discussion. But before I do, you used a word, which I think is critically important, I want to kind of go back to and drill down on, which is influence. I speculate, but I don’t know – I don’t have the data to support this. I don’t know the data exists – that at least some of these politically oriented activities are intended to simply gain influence in government rather than embrace, or espouse, or promote a particular political position.

Mike Blake: [00:16:31] Indeed, I think I’ve seen a number of instances where the same company has made campaign donations to the two opposing candidates in the same election. In some respect, that tells me that they don’t really care who wins. They just want to make sure that whoever wins is going to take their phone call.

Peter Baron: [00:16:51] Yeah. It’s kind of a funny fact now that Trump has come and gone. But prior to Trump running for president, 50 percent of his donations went to the Democrat Party and the other 52 Republican. I mean, that kind of underlines your point in kind of a highly public funny way. I do think that, yes, maintaining a business environment is one of the sort of top responsibilities for any of these big businesses.

Peter Baron: [00:17:24] But as you were reading the introduction to the show, you talked about unique businesses. And I think a lot of our discussion so far has involved big businesses, highly public. But when you talked about unique businesses, I thought, well, if I’m driving along the road going somewhere, I’m usually in traffic with vans that belong to plumbers, and electricians, and dry cleaners, and legitimate businesses that are beholden to their customers. And they wake up every day trying to find parts so they can fix things, or source products so they can sell them and install them, and trying to do good work and try to hire people. And, you know, we never know or ask what causes they’re supporting.

Peter Baron: [00:18:12] So, part of the discussion that’s interesting is, what part of our economy, which is mostly small businesses, even care about this and what level does it become? Do you have the luxury, for instance, of trying to be somebody that’s being a leader in this space?

Mike Blake: [00:18:30] Now, that circles back nicely, I think, to the question about the boardroom is that, how do you suppose – maybe you’ve been in those discussions. I have not – those discussions go? Is it a CEO, or is it a board member, or a member of the executive team and says, “Hey, our company has an obligation to take this particular stance.”

Mike Blake: [00:18:57] And it seems to me there are really two questions to be answered. Number one is, do we want to take and spend shareholder capital on any stance at all? And then, B, you’re going to pick a side. How do you do that? What are the implications? How do you even broach that? I mean, just that conversation internally, unless you’re really sure that everybody is just aligned, that has the capacity to destroy a management team in about a-half-an-hour, doesn’t it?

Peter Baron: [00:19:28] That does. And you should have a board that has diverse opinions where they can speak openly and debate with one another but, hopefully, reach a consensus at some point. One thing that I’ve observed over time is that, large corporations spend a good bit of time and money on risk evaluation. And this information is regularly discussed in board meetings. And so, this sort of climate – unless you’re brand new to a board – if you’ve been on a board for a number of years, every meeting, you’ve got this sort of evaluation of risk and the climate that they’re involved in. And so, their comments are always going to be made inside of that sort of soup mixture.

Peter Baron: [00:20:18] So, the question I would have is, given that you understand what the primary risk factors are for your business – let’s say you’re Georgia-Pacific and you’re still generating electricity from coal fired plants, or you’re Home Depot and you’re sourcing wood from places like the Amazon – all of these sort of hot button issues, you’re aware of these things from a risk standpoint, and you probably persist in doing them. So, the energy companies that are still getting oil out of fracking operations even though they’re highly unpopular.

Peter Baron: [00:20:55] So, it seems like the business’s persist in doing things the way that they’re currently set up until the point becomes not as big of a risk for them to make a change. Does that sound cynical? I think that’s part of the evaluation that the board is almost required to make, is, when is the right time for us to leave this sort of maybe older, dirtier way of doing things or a way that’s marginalizing a group of people? Is now the right time for us to do that without breaking the company? And there might be some people out there that say, “I don’t care if it breaks the company. Let’s go ahead and do it anyway.”

Mike Blake: [00:21:37] So, you mentioned something else in passing, I think is quite interesting, I want to come back to that. And you talked about wanting boards to be diverse and bring diverse opinions to the table. And I hadn’t thought of this angle before, but now I’m thinking about it. And that is that, I wonder if companies that are willing to take strong political positions – I’m going to use Disney for a moment because Disney is an example where they’re just flat out entering into open conflict with the Florida government. And they’ve basically said, “We’ll go toe to toe. We can match you dollar for dollar in court. And probably can out market you.”

Mike Blake: [00:22:24] I wonder if that suggests that Disney’s board may not be all that diverse. If they are able to take such a strong position that they’re willing to openly confront and, in some respects, I guess, really defy the wishes of the government of their host state, it seems implausible to me that it’s possible to get a truly independent and diverse board in full alignment over such a strong, risky position.

Peter Baron: [00:22:58] That’s interesting. As you were speaking, I wondered that it would be interesting to look at the composition of the Disney board. You can argue – and this is sort of coming from my perspective as an immigrant somewhat. I’ve lived in the United States for a long time. I lived in the West. I lived in the South – I wonder how many people on the Disney board are actually from the South? Do any of them have ties to Florida other than perhaps living there fairly recently?

Peter Baron: [00:23:32] But this is a complete guess on my part, but as a sort of leading entity in the entertainment business, that there are probably more folks from the West Coast generalities – so forgive me if I’m way off here – where positions that they have seen, and growing up with, and become accustomed to, and things that this is natural, everybody should think and feel this way, are not the thoughts and feelings in the positions of a board in Kissimmee, Florida.

Peter Baron: [00:24:12] You get up to that sort of northern part, I mean, Orlando is a big city, but it’s a long way from Miami. I don’t know how far it is from Tallahassee, but Florida is an interesting state as they’re finding out. So, I wonder from a diversity standpoint if the board isn’t more reflective of a non-Florida State mentality – that’s maybe an obvious thing, right? They’re obviously not.

Mike Blake: [00:24:43] I bet you a lot of them come from California. You know, a typical entertainment company.

Peter Baron: [00:24:48] Yeah. That’s kind of what I was implying there. And California does look at the world differently, but California is invading the rest of the country.

Mike Blake: [00:25:00] Well, that’s certainly one position, right? That some are interpreting that California’s, in fact, either they’re invading or they’re using their economic power to promulgate certain viewpoints, I guess. But the fact that they’ve taken the extraordinary step of openly defying a strong Florida Government that, right now, may very well be currently led by somebody who may be the Republican nominee in 2024. And I’m not advocating one way or the other. This isn’t the forum for it. But I do have a curiosity of what the process was and how hard it was to achieve the kind of consensus at the upper levels of that company required to take a combative stand out to that extent.

Peter Baron: [00:25:58] Like you said, I think that’s probably right. There probably was a unanimity – is that the right way to say that? – in terms of thought and philosophy with regards to wanting to take this on like they did.

Mike Blake: [00:26:13] So, I’m going to ask you a very unfair question, because you’re not a sociologist but I know this is something you think about. In your mind, do you have a view as to the social implications of corporations aligning themselves politically like this? Is it in your mind something that can be distorting to society, something that can be helpful, or maybe you haven’t even sorted it through yet. But what do you think are the implications?

Peter Baron: [00:26:44] Yeah. I do have a thought or two. They tend not to be political but social. So, like, I don’t have any TOMS shoes, but I like the fact that TOMS gives a pair of shoes away when somebody buys a pair of shoes. And I think that’s really cool. And there are others that do it with socks or other materials as well. And when you look and you read about some of these companies – I know Zappos is involved with social causes, too – you realize that they’re coming from places where the leadership of the company has genuine concerns and they tend to be apolitical, but wanting to address a broad need, sometimes overseas, sometimes domestically.

Peter Baron: [00:27:34] When you look at a political stance that a company has taken and does that have a social impact? I’ve done a little bit of reading and I’m sort of trying to remember myself, I can’t see that it’s had a sort of overly negative impact.

Peter Baron: [00:27:55] You look at companies, again, not political, but you look at somebody like Chick-fil-A who is probably making decisions from a religious philosophy. Opening their store six days a week instead of seven. They’re the number five fast food company rising in sales all the time. And yet there have been periods through the last few years where there have been boycotts because of the thoughts and beliefs and opinions, or perceived thoughts and opinions, of their leadership. It hasn’t seemed to have affected their growth.

Peter Baron: [00:28:37] There might be people that won’t eat there and never will. But to your point in the opening with Colin Kaepernick and Nike, maybe the 100 people that burned their shoes were the only people that stopped doing business with them. So, I wouldn’t imagine that companies taking political stances in terms of helping or entering their business tends not to be that dramatic.

Peter Baron: [00:29:05] And if you’ve got a second, I found a quote here, this is from a McKinsey report. It’s talking about this is a professor at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management noted that in 2019, taking a political stance can be good for business. However, to be successful, the key is for companies to know who they are, and who their core shareholders are, and what those stakeholders believe in. The article goes on to note that we live in an era of easy outrage. But King said that when consumers threaten to boycott a brand, the company’s reputation will generally be affected more than its finances. In that light, it also seems to evolve into an era of great forgiveness.

Peter Baron: [00:29:53] That’s the quote I was trying to find. It’s not only the quote, but it does seem interesting that when people are making decisions about where to spend their money, it doesn’t really seem to make that big of a difference.

Mike Blake: [00:30:03] Yeah. I’ve seen similar data. The Economist had a good article, I’m going to say about three years ago, that basically showed that, for the most part, boycotts don’t work. And the reason they don’t work – I’ll get into the finance geek part of this – it actually boils down to game theory. Because as someone who says they’re going to participate in a boycott, you gain the social approval as if you were actually behaving that way. But because there’s no way to actually check upon your actual behavior, you can still do as you did, but would you still achieve the same sort of social approval or social capital?

Mike Blake: [00:30:47] So, at that point, what is the cost of cheating? What is the likelihood of being caught and basically outed? And so, effectively, there isn’t really no evidence that boycotts impact a company one way or the other.

Mike Blake: [00:31:07] And I suspect, also, to the extent that people are so extreme, that they’ll modify their purchasing decisions. Let’s take Disney. Lots of people have gotten on T.V. and said, “Well, I’ll never go to Disney World again. I’m never going to watch Snow White,” everything else, “we’re boycotting.” But I think our political spectrum is a bell curve. For everybody who says they’re no longer going to do that again, there’s another person on the other side who says, “I’m going to make it a point to make sure that Disney gets all my money at every single opportunity to reward them for the position that they took.”

Mike Blake: [00:31:41] And then, there’s the 99.5 percent of the rest of the population that may express an opinion. But at the end of the day, as economists say, they express their reveal preferences, don’t believe what people say, believe what they spend their money on.

Peter Baron: [00:31:56] Right. Yeah. Those are great points. I mean, you made the Nike analogy earlier. I found a number, Nike’s overall brand value increased by $6 billion after its decision to feature Colin Kaepernick. And that’s an old number. So, businesses are in business to make money. And so, this climate that we’re in with this – what was the quote I used? – easy outrage. What’s making the easy outrage possible? People always had the same temperament or similar temperament to what we have now. But I think we’re in kind of a middle of a movement, almost, where we realize that things can be done for good.

Peter Baron: [00:32:45] Obviously, with the social changes that came in the early days of the pandemic with racial issues, movements were formed and noise made and good changes made. And I think people were encouraged by that. And sort of we’re told, you can’t be seen as being thoughtful about this. You have to be seen as making statements.

Mike Blake: [00:33:14] And the ones that were like, “Well, hold on a minute. I really need to think this through. I need to know how I feel about this.” Like, “Well, you’re part of the problem.” You really need to hurry and make up your mind. And if you’re not making up your mind, actually they tell you which side you’re on. That’s a little bit of the problem we have with this.

Mike Blake: [00:33:37] I really love that term easy outrage. I agree with you, it’s something that social media has enabled because, now, if you’re outraged about something, it used to be kind of hard to find somebody that was just as outraged about it as you are even more. Where, now, 1,000 people having the same outrage, and maybe the only 1,000 people that are truly outraged about it, are only a click away. And they’re an amplification chamber, basically.

Peter Baron: [00:34:08] I think in the climate we’re in, though, it’s going to have a season. Because I think being considerate and thoughtful is valued more highly. And because we’re on a timeline as things go forward and as you look back, you know, you try to learn the lessons of history. And it’s hard to be running at ten all the time.

Mike Blake: [00:34:39] Yeah. I mean, that’s not the topic of the conversation, but I’m going to interject it anyway. I know people that appear to have an endless capacity for outrage. I have the capacity to be outraged for about three things in any one given point in time. And one of those is usually being frustrated with one of my sports teams screwing something up. And it takes a lot of energy.

Mike Blake: [00:35:08] But, now, coming back to the actual topic, I do wonder – and maybe this is too cynical, but there’s data to back this up – if outrage sells.

Peter Baron: [00:35:20] Good question.

Mike Blake: [00:35:20] And my support for that is that The Economist, again – every time I mention that I should be getting some kind of royalty, but anyway – they published a great article about two years ago that outlined the case that the more outrage a media outlet generates, the more profitable they are. And they’re more profitable because people who are outraged are going to spend more time in the place that feeds their outrage, because, in fact, it’s a dopamine manipulation when somebody sort of satisfying your outrage, there’s a hormonal reaction.

Mike Blake: [00:36:01] And, second, when those people self-identify – this gets into your neck of the woods, Peter – is, what a great way to identify your customer avatar. They’re screaming at you all the time saying this is the one thing that I care about. As opposed to the olden days where 50 percent of advertising was wasted. In an outrage environment now, in the right kind of medium, you’re getting 90 percent efficiency in your advertising dollars now.

Peter Baron: [00:36:34] Yeah. I totally agree. I mean, if you look at some of the billionaires that make investments politically, several of them are from this industry that really makes a lot of money from fanning the outrage. So, you’ve got Rupert Murdoch with the Fox Group and you’ve got Michael Bloomberg. There’s a number that directly benefit from people tuning in and persisting to tune in.

Mike Blake: [00:37:14] Elon Musk is another.

Peter Baron: [00:37:17] Yeah. Yeah. The whole Twitter thing. I mean, it’s a platform for people to listen to thoughts and opinions all the time. And a confession, a number of years ago, probably – probably 20 years ago – I would be driving around a lot in the car to meetings and would listen to AM radio. And I found it very stimulating and interesting, but also enraging. And then, I realized that it was sort of coloring my thoughts and opinions of people. So, I couldn’t almost enter a room without trying to figure out who was what.

Peter Baron: [00:37:54] And I decided that that’s not the way I want to be. I like people and I want to sort of treat them for who they really are. And I stopped listening to it. And then, I realized, “Boy, my life is so much happier now.” Plus, I’m not listening to as many commercials. And then, I thought, “Okay. Yeah. That’s the whole deal, right?” They want to keep me on the line to have me listening to commercials. And so, that’s the moneymaker for all of this. Let me engage these people so that they’ll keep coming and I can keep putting commercials in front of them and making money.

Peter Baron: [00:38:32] But having said that, I think, for instance, if you look at the right hand side of the spectrum on the left, both of those, I think, have kind of shot all their bullets and they’re declining audiences. People are just sick of it. Especially when the war in Ukraine started, people wanted to find other sources for information. And I did. I’d be looking to the German, the French, the British streaming broadcasts. I even was looking at Al-Jazeera just to try and figure out where’s the real information here. Completely didn’t even consider the sort of two main U.S. sources of information. And I think a lot of people are either getting to that point or have gotten to that point.

Peter Baron: [00:39:23] What does that say for audience loss, losing customers? That too much of the same thing all the time, milking it, milking it until you’ve lost the trust of your customers. To me, that’s not doing your business a favor.

Mike Blake: [00:39:39] So, in your mind, when companies are choosing to align with some political position, do you think that that’s being led top down that the company executives are in effect thinking, “Because we have this resource, because we have this audience, and because we have this money, we have an obligation to do something.” Or do you think that it’s more being led, “Our customers who align with us expect us to do something and, therefore, we have to take a position where our customers will start to be confused with our why.”

Peter Baron: [00:40:20] I’ve got two answers. One of them is Koch Industries, and the other is a quote from Unilever. So, Koch Industries – that’s not Coca Cola – K-O-C-H, they own Georgia-Pacific and several others. I know they’re at least $15 billion, maybe be a lot more. Their political involvement is really driven by the ideology of the two brothers that own this immensely huge private company. I know there’s probably a lot of people that work at Georgia-Pacific that don’t side with the views of their owners.

Mike Blake: [00:41:05] I know someone who quit Georgia-Pacific over it.

Peter Baron: [00:41:07] Yeah. Yeah. And, actually, we were doing work for them when Koch bought them. And there were a lot of people that were not happy with sort of leanings of the Koch brothers and others that were. So, some corporations make their decisions based on the very top level. This is kind of their ideology and they’re going to use their resource pool to take care of it.

Peter Baron: [00:41:29] But then, you look at the other side of the coin, there’s a quote from Paul Polman, the CEO of Unilever. He said, “I go on a lot of home visits or I go around with shoppers, and I seldom met a consumer who buys our wonderful Knorr products, or Lipton, or OMO, or Skippy because they like our strategy. And so, our business is a very simple one of getting the right products to the right place and of the right quality and the right price all the time.” I thought it was fascinating given that this guy is kind of well-known for making comments about social causes that, really, what they’re about as a company. And he’s going on home visits. How many CEOs actually go to see somebody that buys Skippy Peanut Butter?

Mike Blake: [00:42:21] Well, I would argue that’s probably why they’ve enjoyed success. But, you know, that says a really interesting thing. And that at the end of the day, consumers have a problem they’ve got to solve. And if the company is solving that problem well and better than a readily available alternative, then perhaps a lot of customers will just sort of turn a blind eye or, frankly, just will override it, saying, “Yeah. I don’t love the fact that the Koch brothers presumably are contributing heavily to Republican candidates.”

Mike Blake: [00:43:03] But on the other hand, “They have the best flying at the best price, they can have it on my jobsite in two days. I have a business to run.” And I wonder if what we’re discovering here is that when businesses take a political position, they are expressing a high level of confidence in their market power that they aren’t going to alienate customers. Because it is hard for them to switch. It would be more painful for them to switch than it would be to continue to pay money that they know may ultimately be directed at a cause to which they are opposed.

Peter Baron: [00:43:43] I think that’s a good summation. In fact, if you were to try and look for an example of a company that really suffered because of taking the political position, it might be hard to find more.

Mike Blake: [00:43:55] And I was going to ask about that. I know that there are small companies that might have. There is a restaurant in town, I’m sure that you know it, over there near 285 and 75, and I’m not going to call them out by name, but they’re very well known in the business community. We’ve all had breakfast there.

Peter Baron: [00:44:18] Oh, okay.

Mike Blake: [00:44:19] And then, shortly before the 2020 election, they decided they were going to go all in for Donald Trump. And a lot of people, some people you and I both know that have been longtime patrons, long time cheerleaders just said – I’m going to assume for the moment they actually did what they said they did – “I’m never going back there again.” Again, did it hurt or did it also encourage people who were supporters of Donald Trump to say, “Okay. We got to rally around this restaurant and reward them for taking this position because it’s costing them business.”

Mike Blake: [00:44:55] And absent a very expensive survey, there’s really no practical way to know that. But I do know they’re still operating. And when you go there, there’s still a lot of people in the restaurant.

Peter Baron: [00:45:05] Okay. I was going to ask, are they still in business?

Mike Blake: [00:45:07] They are. They are in a state that voted blue last election.

Peter Baron: [00:45:15] Well, and hanging on through COVID, too, is pretty remarkable achievement.

Mike Blake: [00:45:20] Yep, very much so.

Peter Baron: [00:45:22] And especially a test when you’re taking a political statement like that.

Mike Blake: [00:45:26] Yep. Yeah.

Peter Baron: [00:45:27] So, the examples may be visible with smaller companies. But with bigger ones, take your Disney example, a global brand, nobody in France or England or Germany or Japan is going to even know about the stance that they’re taking with Florida. They’re just going to want to tune in and continue to enjoy the content. And they’re going to continue to pump out that’s why they have a relationship with Disney.

Mike Blake: [00:45:57] Well, you know, maybe something to this would be fun to research to see if anybody has done a paper on this. But I think Disney has a certain amount of monopoly power. You know, they’re the preeminent brand in amusement parks, with all due respect to Six Flags. I think the Disney brand has a greater mystique to it. And the fact that they own so many entertainment properties from Mickey Mouse to Star Wars. And I think they own Marvel. I think they do.

Peter Baron: [00:46:29] They do. Good for them, because Marvel has been a gold mine.

Mike Blake: [00:46:33] Yeah. Yeah. So, I do think that they own Marvel. And, of course, they own ESPN, which means they own a lot of the sports franchises. I wonder if part of that conversation – and this can be painful for some people here – Disney says, “You know what? They’re going to be mad. They’re going to go away for a while. But, eventually, their kids are going to say, ‘I want to watch Star Wars. I want to watch Marvel.'” And as a parent, there’s a limit to how long you’re willing to sort of allow that to go on for some people. I know I wouldn’t be that committed. I’m like, “Okay. Here’s Luke Skywalker. Go.”

Peter Baron: [00:47:16] Yeah. I totally agree. And when you watch that content, it doesn’t come with a warning. By the way, this is the stand that they took in 2022 in Florida. It’s just not going to linger. So, taking the long view is really important. I think some people wonder why, sort of jumping on the bandwagon too late on some issues.

Peter Baron: [00:47:47] When you think about Walmart – and this may date the show – but the last week or so, Walmart apologized because they were going to be selling merchandise around Juneteenth. And so, they took the merchandise away and apologized that they’d done this. And then, there’s a variety of comments that are made after the fact. Some of them saying, “Well, they should have kept it in there, because there’s probably a lot of people in the United States that don’t even know what Juneteenth is.” And they’re bringing visibility to this. And others saying, “Well, they’re kind of exploiting this opportunity to respectfully celebrate this day by commercializing it.”

Peter Baron: [00:48:32] So, they sort of damned if they did and if they didn’t. But, nonetheless, here’s this global corporation that felt like they made a misstep and had to pull back and apologize. It’s fascinating.

Mike Blake: [00:48:45] I’m glad you mentioned that, because I do wonder if in some cases, at least some cases, many companies, like it or not, are taking a political position. Even through an action, you’re taking a political position. And Walmart probably caused that problem. But you’re the PR expert. I’m not. If they never broached the topic at all, they probably would have been better off than had they done what they did, which is have a false start. Because nobody would have had the conversation. But now that they did, their position, either way they go, they’re going to be viewed as heroes by somebody and bad people by somebody else.

Peter Baron: [00:49:35] Right. And this is a company that probably worked really hard. And this probably wasn’t a board level decision. The apology was. But getting the items designed and manufactured, that was done at sort of product management level. They probably have a pretty reasonably diverse board now. And that discussion to pull the products and apologize went through that forum, I would think. And you can second guess it now, but they made the decision. It probably made clear sense.

Peter Baron: [00:50:11] And I think to err on the side – and probably this is where they went risk management – of being respectful and not seen as leveraging something, there are a lot of sensitivities about is probably the right place to be. The comments about, “Well, most people don’t know what it is. Thanks for helping us with publicizing this.” They could have hoped for that, but probably wouldn’t have gotten enough of that to make it worth it.

Mike Blake: [00:50:39] I’m talking with Peter Baron. And the topic is, Should I align my company with a political position? And by the way, Walmart, I’m sure if you want Peter’s help to resolve those issues in the future, he’d be glad to take your call or email. So, give him a shout if you’re listening out there in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Mike Blake: [00:50:59] You mentioned something in passing. I want to make sure that I didn’t skip over because I do think it’s important. And that is, in your view, is the timing of taking a political position an important factor in the decision? Being an early adopter, if you will, versus a latecomer. One’s a riskier position, the other possibly perceived as being a bandwagon jumper. What’s your view on that? If a client is asking you, “Hey, should we take this position early or late?” What do you think would be more likely to advise?

Peter Baron: [00:51:34] Yeah. I like that question. I think it’s really, really a tough one. So, through the lens of history, you know, people are buying Mercedes-Benz despite decisions they made during World War II. Same with Mitsubishi and other Japanese brands, we love them now, right?

Peter Baron: [00:51:55] So, you can make political decisions and throw your support in certain directions, and probably regret it, but do okay in the end if you can survive as a business. And I think what we’ve decided through our conversations are, many political decisions that are made that are existential for corporations, they may affect profit. But if you’re taking the long view, then it’s a different discussion.

Peter Baron: [00:52:29] I think that’s my advice is, take a long view. Have a hard look at your customers. Drive like the Unilever guy over to the customers and find out how they’re enjoying the Skippy Peanut Butter and what’s their life like. And realize your position with them. You’re a supplier of a vessel that you screw the top off of and they put a knife into and spread it on bread. That’s who you are. Don’t get ahead of yourself.

Peter Baron: [00:53:02] And, you know, don’t feel like you’ve got this right to change the world. So, you certainly have clout and the ability to do some things. But be careful about how you view yourself in the world. It’s a timeline that you should really be considering getting into early, getting into late. I have done enough research to know if that really hurts or helps. Publicity-wise, yeah, getting in early is obviously better for publicity.

Mike Blake: [00:53:38] Peter, this has been a great conversation. I have a bunch of questions that I could have asked, but we’ve had such a thoughtful conversation, we just don’t have the time. So, I’m sure there are questions that either our listeners wish we would have covered or wish we would have covered more than we did. If somebody wants to contact you for advice on this question, can they do so? And if so, what’s the best way for them to contact you?

Peter Baron: [00:53:59] Yeah. The best way is probably email, which is pbaron, B-A-R-O-N, @carabinercomms, which is C-A-R-A-B-I-N-E-R-C-O-M-M-S, .com.

Mike Blake: [00:54:14] That’s going to wrap it up for today’s program. I’d like to thank Peter Baron so much for sharing his expertise with us.

Mike Blake: [00:54:20] We will be exploring a new topic each week, so please tune in so that when you’re faced with your next business decision, you have clear vision when making it. If you enjoy these podcasts, please consider leaving a review with your favorite podcast aggregator. It helps people find us that we can help them.

Mike Blake: [00:54:37] If you would like to engage with me on social media with my Chart of the Day and other content, I’m on LinkedIn as myself and @unblakeable on Facebook, Twitter, Clubhouse, and Instagram. Also, check out my LinkedIn Group called Unblakeable’s Group That Doesn’t Suck. Once again, this is Mike Blake. Our sponsor is Brady Ware & Company. And this has been the Decision Vision podcast.

Ohio Women’s Coalition with Rachel Winder

June 7, 2022 by John Ray

Rachel-Winder-Ohio-Womens-Coalition-Inspiring-Women

Inspiring Women PodCast with Betty Collins

Ohio Women's Coalition with Rachel Winder

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Ohio Women’s Coalition with Rachel Winder (Inspiring Women, Episode 47)

On this edition of Inspiring Women, host Betty Collins interviews Executive Director Rachel Winder on the advocacy work the Ohio Women’s Coalition performs on behalf of women throughout the state.

The host of Inspiring Women is Betty Collins and the show is presented by Brady Ware & Company.

Betty’s Show Notes

My guest is Rachel Winder, Executive Director at the Ohio Women’s Coalition.

What is the Ohio Women’s Coalition?

“The Ohio Women’s Coalition is a diverse, non-partisan alliance of women in business, women leaders, women business owners, and men that support the mission across Ohio who are coming together to improve the economic position for all women in our state. The OWC was created to amplify the voice of women in Ohio and to help draw attention to the unique challenges that women encounter, especially underserved women of color and women who live in underserved areas of the state, to gain access to economic opportunities in order to achieve financial stability and prosperity.”

In a very short time, the OWC continues to increase the awareness of women small business owners, and help them find funding and support that is usually elusive to them. Rachel goes in-depth about the exciting initiatives the OWC has accomplished, and what is on the horizon.

Here’s an overview of what we talk about…

Accomplishments on behalf of Women-Owned Businesses in Ohio
• Created a statutory definition of “microbusiness” in the Ohio Revised Code (2016)
• Created a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) program in the State of Ohio (2020)
• Successfully advocated for $10 million in state-backed women-owned business loans at 3% interest rate (2021)
• Successfully advocated for $10 million in state-backed women and minority owned business microloans at 0% interest rate (2021)

Results
• As of May 2022, $2,297,012 in Women’s Business Enterprise Loans have been approved for 11 companies, and $1,490,511 Ohio Micro-Loans have been approved for 39 companies. Nearly $3 million remains available in both loan programs with an additional $5 million available next fiscal year for each program.
• There are nearly as many WBE’s certified in Ohio as MBE’s, which is a program that was established more than 40 years ago. The OWC is committed to equality and lifting everybody up!
• The State of Ohio is literally making room for Ohio women-owned businesses. Recently, members of the Minority Development Financing Advisory Board voluntarily stepped away in recognition of the lack of women-owned businesses represented. Because of our advocacy, the work of this Board has been mostly focused on women-owned business loans, and they recognized women-owned businesses were not represented equally on the Board.
• For the first time in Ohio history, in 2022, each state agency is being asked to predict how many contracts will be going to women-owned businesses during the next fiscal year.

Also, don’t miss your chance to attend this year’s Women’s Leadership Conference.

WHEN: June 24, 2022, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel

Gain insights and connections with your Columbus professionals during this full-day event featuring:

Networking opportunities to make friends, business contacts, and
build relationships to grow your career and business!

More than 300 professionals in attendance

Customize your day with choices from 15 breakout speakers

A powerful breakfast speaker

A luncheon keynote

More than 30 exhibitors

This is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social, and political achievement. Hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and Director at Brady Ware and Company. Betty also serves as the Committee Chair for Empowering Women, and Director of the Brady Ware Women Initiative. Each episode is presented by Brady Ware and Company, committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home.

For more information, go to the Resources page at Brady Ware and Company.

Remember to follow this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. And forward our podcast along to other Inspiring Women in your life.

TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Betty Collins
So today is a is a great topic and it’s a topic that I really wanted to have a great conversation with a great woman who I’ve known for some years. And it’s all on advocacy. And it’s it’s not politics. It’s advocacy, although that includes politicians. Right. So I’m really fortunate because in central Ohio is where the government is for a higher rate. And so you have a little bit more access, a little bit more easier. And so there’s a lot more lobbyists here. There’s people who you can connect yourself with. But I really didn’t know much about advocacy until I was in the National Association of Women Business Owners Columbus chapter, and they are known for advocacy. It’s kind of they’re different characteristics compared to other groups in town. And so I started seeing that, hey, we’re going to go talk to this senator or we’re going to try to get to the governor’s office, or we’re going to do these things because we want to tell our story or we want to communicate what’s important to us. And I really didn’t really think much about it until in 2019 I started I was going to become the president of the that Columbus chapter in July of 19. So I went to an annual neighbor’s annual training in D.C. but it’s also really their advocacy day. So the presidents and the incoming presidents and the past presidents all meet for a day about NAWBO and training. And then we have a day or so on advocacy. And we actually in the year that I went in 19, we actually get to get in these big black SUVs. They went in a parade over to the White House grounds. And if you know the White House, you’re not walking in the front door, but there’s other buildings on that ground.

[00:01:46] Betty Collins
So we went to the Eisenhower building and we met with at that time the Trump administration officials all all morning long. But it was the coolest experience. And it was invigorating because I saw everyday people who wanted to serve their country, not what you see on the news that want to make noise. These were everyday people that wanted to hear from you. And then from there we got back in the cars and we got to go over to the hill and we met with our different various senators on both sides of the aisle. We met with the National Chamber of Commerce and heard where they were. And it was all geared to women, women owned businesses, women’s capital access, you name it. The topic was there, and the more I was there that day, the more I said, These are some everyday people who want to make a difference and they’re the influencers. And it dawned on me, advocacy is where I want to hang my hat and the rest of my career as I. I’m a CPA first, but I really am involved with women groups in town. So today I want to talk about a very, very amazing organization called the Ohio Women’s Coalition and the executive director. It’s the first executive director she’s going to tell the story of of this. But it’s Rachel Winder and she has an amazing story. I’m going to let her talk first about what she does for she’s like me. She has an everyday living and then she really advocates for women. So Rachel welcomed today. And just give us, you know, tell us a little bit about you, the law firm you work with and and what you you know, what your passion is.

[00:03:23] Rachel Winder
Yeah. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. Great to be here. So as Betty said, I’m Rachel Winder. I am. I’m a lobbyist by trade. It’s not a dirty word. We do a lot of important work.

[00:03:36] Betty Collins
It’s a good thing.

[00:03:36] Rachel Winder
It is a good thing. And I’ve spent the last 30 years working in and around the state house for various entities, and I came to Benesch Law, which is where I am now in 2013, and I started my own practice inside. It’s it’s not a legal practice. It’s a government relations practice. And I was so lucky to have been introduced to the National Association of Women Business Owners early, early on in my trajectory at Benesch, maybe in 2014, 13 and 13, 14, and I was fortunate enough to become their public policy advisor. So and their first first public policy advisor. And they, you know, including Betty, they are filled with really passionate women that understood that they needed a bigger voice.

Right.

[00:04:28] Rachel Winder
And I learned a lot through that experience. I’m not even sure like we knew and maybe we still don’t even know exactly what we need, but we knew we needed more.

[00:04:37] Betty Collins
Right? Right.

[00:04:39] Rachel Winder
Whatever that was. And so we just started picking away at things that were lacking when it came when it came to women owned businesses and public policy. And it sort of has become my passion to examine and figure out the intersection of public policy and women owned businesses.

[00:04:58] Betty Collins
Correct.

[00:04:59] Rachel Winder
So. And above Columbus. We they accomplished a lot. We did a lot with with the issues that they wanted to tackle. And one was they we created a definite Mary McCarthy brought it to us and she said we need a definition of a micro-business because a small business is defined as anywhere to 400 to 500 employees.

[00:05:21] Betty Collins
And that’s a very small number of companies in the country have that many employees. This is not that’s not a representation.

[00:05:30] Rachel Winder
It’s not a true representation. And especially for women owned businesses, a lot of our the members of NAWBO and others or were solopreneur. Right. Right. So we created a definition of a micro-business in the Ohio revised code. And it means know a company that has fewer than 20 employees, which is just close to the majority of businesses in the city.

[00:05:48] Betty Collins
See it all the time.

[00:05:49] Rachel Winder
97% of all businesses have are micro-businesses. And so now we have that definition in the revised code and we can steer programs that way that are there to benefit micro-businesses, large sized businesses.

[00:06:01] Betty Collins
Right.

[00:06:02] Rachel Winder
And then we created this amazing program, the Women’s Business Enterprise Certification Program in Ohio. And the goal of that program really is just to increase contracts to women owned businesses, not just government contracts, but private businesses. And so we created this this certification program, and it was brought to us by some great NAWBO employees, you know, Mary Korn and Sean Skinner and Jeannie Goetsch and all the names that I know, you know. And they’re so passionate and they were experiencing an issue because they wanted to compete for contracts in other states. Right. So Indiana is an example. They went to Indiana. They have a really robust woman business enterprise certification program, which means they steer contracts specifically to WBS. And our our friends Sean and Jeanie and Mary and others wanted to be certified by that program so they can compete fairly with other women on businesses that were certified. And they were told, you can’t be certified in Indiana, you have to be certified in your home state. Well, Ohio doesn’t have a certification program, so there’s absolutely no way that we can compete fairly with these other women owned businesses in those states without a program. So we put one in place, right? Nobody said we could.

[00:07:17] Betty Collins
But we.

[00:07:17] Rachel Winder
Did. It’s one of our priorities, you know. Yes, it is one of our proudest accomplishments. And now we have this WB program in Ohio. And I’ll talk a little bit more about sort of what that’s meant for Ohio. But so through my experience with NAWBO, I just learned that women needed so much more, right?

You know, and hopefully you and the audience will will think, well, I’m not certified. Well, I’m not I don’t want to get certified. I don’t need to be certified or this doesn’t apply to me. If you understand two things from this today is that there’s a lot of issues that still need advocated for women and women owned businesses. We focus mostly in the business area, but access to capital is is one of the crucial things. And so you would be surprised. So don’t don’t shut your mind down. But knowing who your representation is and especially the environment we’re in right now is crucial. And so I’ve watched and worked along this side of Rachel, and I wanted to talk about something really that I’m totally passionate about, which is this Ohio Women’s Coalition. So one day I get a call from Rachel and she said, you know, we have this thing going on called COVID and it’s March of 2020. And guess what? I’m going to let her go into it a little bit more. But tell us a little bit about the Ohio Women’s Coalition, because it’s the it is the hottest thing in Ohio women. So if you’re not a member or you’re not, you don’t know what it is. We want to make sure you do today. So tell us about it.

[00:08:52] Speaker2
Oh, I’d love to. So the Ohio Women’s Coalition started out very organically back in March of 2020, in the middle of COVID had just started. And and those of you who are in Ohio, it was it was right during the time when Governor DeWine and Amy Acton were Dr. Acton from the Department of Health were coming on our televisions every day at 2:00 and talking about everything that was happening and with COVID. And after they shut the economy down and they created this this advisory council or a panel of businesses, they they called the Economic Recovery Advisory Council, which was businesses from across the state. Well, we got I was the public policy advisor for Nabil at the time, and we got a call from some other amazing women business or women or women’s organizations around Columbus and around the state. And they were concerned that this advisory organization did not have enough representation of women, did not have enough representation of minorities, and did not have a single micro-business on on the panel. And these are the people that are making decisions on how. We’re going to open back up the economy in Ohio.

[00:10:02] Speaker1
Because it was just going to be a couple of weeks. It was just going to.

[00:10:06] Speaker2
That’s right. They’re getting ready to open it up back in April, early April of 2020. And so they all these women’s organizations across Ohio were going to join together and write a letter either to the governor or to the media or to the editor, just expressing their concern about why this organization, why this advisory committee was not representative. And they came to nab Columbus and they said, will you sign on to this? And leadership at NAB Columbus was that you were were you?

[00:10:35] Speaker1
That was myself and Michele Kasper.

[00:10:37] Speaker2
At that time. Yes. So you and others brought it to me and said, is this something that we should sign on to? And I read and I looked at it and I you know, I know the governor, you know, and I know he’s doing the best that he can do. And I know that he’s focused on trying to put this back together. And I said, let’s just see if we can get a seat at the table. Maybe we can find a spot for us, or maybe we can talk with his office and make sure that they are considering our thoughts. And so I suggested that, you know, give me an opportunity to reach out to the governor’s office and see if we can get somebody to talk with us.

[00:11:10] Speaker1
Right.

[00:11:11] Speaker2
Lo and behold. Zoom, I had never I think I had maybe been on one zoom call in my life.

[00:11:16] Speaker1
All of us had only been on one zoom call. So we get it.

[00:11:20] Speaker2
So we were able to get the governor’s advisor to the Economic Advisory Committee and all of these women’s organizations, which, in my my mind was the coolest part of this. Forget the governor’s office. This was so cool that we had all of these women’s organizations. We’re talking NABA, Columbus, NABA, Cleveland, the Women’s Fund, Weld.

[00:11:40] Speaker1
The SBA, the.

[00:11:42] Speaker2
Sba, the Dress for Success, the Asian Pacific score of Thrive. I mean, all of these people on this call and and the governor’s office, you know, he was great. He listened to us. He you know, he maybe got off after 30 minutes or so. And the rest of us stayed on. And we just talked about the issues that we’re dealing with and what we’re, you know, like. And it was just really inspiring. And so we all agreed, let’s do it again. Let’s do it again next week.

[00:12:09] Speaker1
Yep.

And so I was like, okay, well, let’s bring let’s invite somebody else. You know, let’s, let’s have a guest, but also continue talking amongst ourselves. So I, we called and I think the next week we had a woman who was sitting on that advisory committee up in the Cleveland area, and we got her to join our call and talk with her about what her experience is like and if she could help make sure that our voices are being heard. And and then the fall. And then we had another great conversation. Right then the following week, I invited a staffer from the Department of Development and they instead bumped it up to the director and they said the director would want to be on this call. And instead we got, you know, so I always joke like I usually get bumped down.

[00:12:50] Speaker1
Right, right. You got bumped up to the top.

[00:12:52] Speaker2
I got bumped up to the top because this is an audience that they want to talk with. Right. So it sort of work both ways. So long story short, we incorporated and we became the Ohio Women’s Coalition. And Betty, as you know, didn’t hesitate to jump on our board.

[00:13:07] Speaker1
Oh, absolutely. By the way, I’m the treasurer. Imagine that she’s the chair.

[00:13:11] Speaker2
Poor thing. So we got great financial advice and but.

[00:13:16] Speaker1
What the audience needs to hear of what she just talked about was. She saw something geared to women, women, business owners. It triggered something within her that said and even though she knows the governor, not all of us do. Obviously, something triggered her to go. We have to do something. We’re in that environment a lot today, but you got to do something in a way that works, right? You got to have a voice that people can hear so that then they can listen. And that was the lesson I learned in the early days. We were nothing more than every Friday at 11:00. You know, and there were some times there might have been 75 to 100 women. Hopefully I’m not inflating that. But it was like, this is what I’m going through. This is what we need. And and the traction of this group took to new levels. So then we’re like, okay, it’s not over. It’s not going to be over. It’s lasting much longer than we all thought. Right. And we said, what do we want to do? Which is that. And and I was the one who said, well, we’re just a coalition of voices, you know. And then we started thinking, how do we do that? But why did it become Ohio? You know, let’s go that it’s not just the Columbus area. Why did we go Ohio?

[00:14:33] Speaker2
Well, yeah. So I mean, we had had a lot of success with Nabil Columbus and you had said it’s a local chapter, right. But we created a statewide program, the WB, that’s for the entire state of Ohio. But what I was learning when I was talking to legislators and we were having legislative events and we were at advocating and lobbying, legislators are asking, do you have my constituents in your organization? You know, are my constituents going to be at your legislative event? And I was like, only if you’re in Columbus because we’re the Columbus chapter and those are our members. Right? But the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House are both from Lima, Ohio. They want to hear from their constituents. So so where are the women businesses in Lima? And the chairman of the Finance Committee in the Senate is from Cleveland, Ohio, and the chairman of the House Finance Committee is from Akron. And they need to hear from their constituents. And I knew we needed a statewide voice. And this just became an opportunity to be able to have the voices from every corner of the state.

[00:15:36] Speaker1
And and that’s what also, again, when you’re thinking about, I don’t know, my senator, I don’t know my rep. And yet we have people in Cleveland who are in powerful positions or in what you said in Lima. It’s not just Columbus. So. So making sure that you’re at these table with influencers and is crucial, it’s just important. And that’s why I’m all in with Ohio, the Women’s Coalition, because it is we’re just everyday people trying to get little things done. Because one thing we saw during Coban, I don’t want this to be a covered topic, but everybody had access to PPE. If you were an employer and you had employees, there was no how long have you been in business? You know, we need all your tax returns for three years and we need this and we need this and we need it was how can we help you and how can we empower you? And so we wanted to take that concept. Absolutely. Along with the Ohio Women’s Coalition. So when you look at this, you’re looking at this, you’re trying to have an intersection of policy and then the success of women business and pulling that all together. What have you helped accomplish for women business owners in Ohio so far? The coalition? What have we.

[00:16:51] Speaker2
Done? Yeah, so. Oh, my gosh, we’ve had we’ve had a lot of success. We have we’ve more to do. But, you know, I mentioned the micro-business definition. I mentioned the WB, which we created. But what, what was so crazy is the MWC. We started informally having these calls every Friday and one of our calls we invited the governor’s chief of staff. And, you know, and I ask our members and everyone on the calls, what do you need? What do you want? Access to capital. Access to capital. Access to capital. We don’t need a lot. We need 5000. It would change our businesses, you know, but we can’t get it because we don’t have we haven’t been in business long enough. And they only really all these different reasons why it’s just so hard to obtain. So we talked to the governor’s office and she invited the director of development back on our call again. And the two of them just listen to us. Two wonderful women, by the way.

[00:17:43] Speaker1
Right.

That’s Governor DeWine. They happened. Yes, he does. He’s got a great cabinet full of women. So they listened. They understood. They heard us. And out of the the budget of the state of Ohio, you know, it’s 40 plus billion dollars was introduced maybe January, February of 2021, and it included two $10 Million loan funds, one just for women owned businesses and one for minority and women.

[00:18:12] Speaker1
Microloans, right.

[00:18:13] Speaker2
$20 million. It’s crazy, you know, that that is was part of the statute we immediately went to. Work. We started, we testified in committee. We had the most pieces of written testimony of any issue in the committee that day. I testified in person and we fought to keep those dollars in the budget and they stayed. And we have these loan programs now in the state of Ohio first, first ever.

[00:18:40] Speaker1
Write.

[00:18:41] Speaker2
In the history of the state of Ohio what were women owned? Businesses were even mentioned in the Ohio revised code.

[00:18:46] Speaker1
Right. I mean, I hope you heard that first ever mentioned. I mean, that’s amazing to me. But as when we got and I honestly, I thought we’ll never get 10 million over two years or we’ll know. And it was like, wow. And you know what the really the key was? We asked. Yeah. And not only did we ask, we were ready to ask and we and you were you’ve got enough people around you again, the influencers, that’s who you needed to ask. And we did it. And so if you’re a women owned business and you’re not asking and you’re not pushing with data and with all of the things that, you know, you’re probably not going to get anything if you don’t. Right? So so when we got the 20 million or I should say really, Rachel and the Ohio High Women Coalition, there was a lot of people that were involved with that. They just all did the part that they could. We then said, we’ve got 20 million reasons to tell our story, you know?
And so we became but we’re known in Ohio, especially in the I mean, it’s a known no maybe not to the general public as much, but it certainly is within the influencer groups. So what other things, though? I know you have a minority financing advisory board. Let’s go through some of those things that has really been impactful.

[00:19:59] Speaker2
So, you know, we mentioned the WB that was created and we’re seeing we’re starting to see these ancillary impacts from the work that we’re doing that is like it literally these these kinds of things give me chills, you know.

[00:20:11] Speaker1
Right.

[00:20:12] Speaker2
But there is because this loan program is becoming so popular and women businesses are are stepping up to the table and they’re asking and they’re getting these loans they’ve given away here somewhere. They’ve been away almost three, almost 5 million so far. And we’ve got another 15 million to go. So get your loans, you know, get your loan applications in.

[00:20:35] Speaker1
Yes.

[00:20:36] Speaker2
But part of the process with the loans is the very last thing that you do is you go before this this organization called the Minority Minority Financing Advisory Board, and it has members appointed, I believe, by just the Department of Development, director of Department of Development. They might have some governor appointments, but they all have to give a thumbs up and sign off to the money that’s being.

[00:20:56] Speaker1
Which is good. That’s good accountability.

[00:20:58] Speaker2
That’s good. Right? You like that?

[00:21:00] Speaker1
Yes.

And I started attending these meetings because I want to see what’s happening with these dollars that we have advocated for. I want to know what they’re doing with them. And I look around the table and it’s it’s all men, which is fine. I mean, it’s fine. And they’re all very diverse. Right. But they’re giving away they’re interviewing these women and these women owned businesses. Where are the women? Right. And so what’s happened is they’ve recognized it that they need to be more diverse. Obviously, they need women businesses on this. You know, they do. And so they they have a gentleman who’s stepping aside to make room very good. So they’re literally making room at the table for women owned businesses, like like we talk about and, you know, sort of a imagine way. And here it is like happening, right? And there’s another open seat that they’re making sure is filled by, you know, so they’re making room for us. So that’s just been amazing. The other thing that we learned recently is the WB program is only a year old. They had we passed the bill maybe at the end of 2020 and then they had to write the rules and they had to go in and it went into effect and it’s not even been around for that long. There are nearly as many women owned businesses or women certified as women business enterprises, as minority business enterprises, which is so interesting to me because the MBA program has been around for 40 years.

[00:22:22] Speaker1
Wow.

[00:22:23] Speaker2
We’re 100 businesses off from having the same number as they do, which is just incredible to me. Like, why have we not had a voice before?

[00:22:32] Speaker1
Right.

[00:22:33] Speaker2
So that’s crazy to me. And again, like, we want to lift everybody up, you know, we’re not competing with anybody. We just want equality and everything that that is happening at the state level, public policy and everywhere else.

[00:22:45] Speaker1
Absolutely. And you know, when I look at what my mom, you know, and she my mom was a very she was interesting because she she was your typical I got married when I was not 1819 and we had kids and my dad was the patriarch he was till they were 85 until he died when he was 83. And and she will she sat my sister and I down when we were a teenager saying, you’re not going to do this now. Today, she’s like, This has just gone too far. But in her mind, she got her daughters to be educated and self independent. I’m still going. We still have things because you can’t believe that men and men aren’t bad, are making decisions on women. Right. But they’re making decisions on women owned businesses. And it’s like, where is the. So we just still have things to advocate for. That’s my point. We still have to push these things. But if you don’t ask, it won’t get done. And if you don’t say, I want to be at that table, you will never be there. You just.

[00:23:44] Speaker2
Won’t. I just want to mention one other thing that adds to my chills. You know, so we just learned from the Department of Development that they have asked every agency in the state to predict how many contracts will be going to women owned businesses for the first time in the history of Ohio. So now every single state agency that contracts for anything, and you’d be surprised how many things they contract with the prisons, contract with yoga instructors. You know, there’s there’s a lot of opportunity out there for folks that don’t think they might want to look into being certified or work with contracts. But so they, at every single state agency now has to make a deliberate choice of writing down the number of contracts that they expect to go to women businesses. So it’s no longer an afterthought. It’s a deliberate idea of where these contracts should go.

[00:24:32] Speaker1
And that’s the success of Indiana. So when you look at a state like Indiana, they have benchmarking, which everyone always kind of hates benchmarking and maybe affirmative action type things. But it’s like if you don’t start there, it’s all just really good rhetoric, you know? So there has to be some accountability to it, you know, that, hey, this is is this is something that we have to achieve. So that’s, in my mind, is a great start.

[00:24:57] Speaker2
Start. It’s a great.

[00:24:58] Speaker1
Start. Hey, we’re asking the question, are we making sure we’re doing that? And that’s that’s that is chilling. I mean, that really is that definitely is. So and what’s interesting about how women’s coalition I do want to make this clear. It’s very bipartisan because I don’t really I’m kind of a conservative by nature in many respects. So I’m kind of the sometimes the outlier in the room. But I don’t care if I’m with an independent or a liberal or a moderate Democrat or a right winger or whatever you want to call everybody, if they understand the passion behind the women’s coalition, we’re going we want them to hear us. You know, we want to have our voice with them because you just never know who’s going to be the one that you that that influence is going to go. I might be over here. I might be over here, but I can I get it? I get what you’re saying. And so we’re very bipartisan. I want to make sure people understand that. But you’ve accomplished a lot. I mean, it’s really amazing what you, the board and how our members are growing. Our sponsors are stepping up. But what’s next? What’s next for the IWC? What do we got coming.

Oh goodness.

[00:26:05] Speaker1
So because you can’t top that year I think, but I shouldn’t.

[00:26:08] Speaker2
Say I don’t know. Well, well so we have to protect our our 20 million. We have a, we have a budget every two years. We got to make sure that and maybe it should be more.

[00:26:16] Speaker1
Well, I want to put this out there. The Ohio Women’s Coalition is in its infancy stage and has accomplished this much. It’s in a very embassy stage for a non profit. So to go and say, yeah, we influenced and got $20 million in the budget for a state in like year one, maybe a little bit. I mean, you’re like, wow, so what’s but what’s next? Yeah.

[00:26:38] Speaker2
By the way, because we’re in our infancy, we’re growing. We need members. We need board members. So if you’re listening to this and you want to be a part of it, you can be you can help us figure this out because we’re still young, very, very young.

[00:26:52] Speaker1
We’re any treasures out there, any CPAs out there? I’ll move over to something else.

[00:26:56] Speaker2
Yeah. Yeah, well, we have a great treasure. So what’s next? So you talked about metrics in Indiana, right? So they’re sometimes referred to as like set asides or goals, right? So they set aside a certain percentage of contracts and those set asides go to whatever preference program, whether it’s minorities or women or and then there’s goals, right? Which is they don’t it’s not a mandatory, but agencies need to aspire. Right, to hit a number of those many contracts going into women businesses. And in Ohio, we have four different preference programs. We have a minority business enterprise program that has a 15% set aside. So 15% of contracts go to minority certified companies. We have an EDGE certification, which is economically disadvantaged companies. If you get certified there, there’s a 5% goal. So agencies are try to aspire to give 5% of their contracts and it can be a subcontract to you can be a sub on a prime contract. So 5% goal, veteran business enterprise certification, certified companies have an extra point. So when they put a bid in their score, they get one extra point if they’re a certified veteran and then the WB, the women’s business, they have nothing. So we don’t we don’t have a goal. We don’t have a set aside. We don’t have a and.

[00:28:11] Speaker1
All these other things.

[00:28:11] Speaker2
Do all these other things do. Right. So we do know that there’s the whole system needs to maybe be revamped and looked at. So that’s certainly something that we’re. Advocating. We’re talking to the powers that be about that. That doesn’t really work. Maybe we need to take a step back, have an umbrella type program where everybody fits under it or something that makes sense. But before you even know what it should look like, you need to understand the data. And so and you need something in place called a disparity study. And that has to be a statewide state sponsored study that courts can use if these programs ever get challenged. So if you’re a minority or a woman business and you win a contract and somebody who lost the contract is upset about it, files a lawsuit over this, these programs. You need that disparity to defend yourself. And there hasn’t been the state of Ohio does and there hasn’t been one done. I couldn’t find one, actually. I did research. It’s at least 20, I think more like 30 or 40 years that one has been done, if it’s ever been done. So we are advocating for the state to fund a statewide disparity study.

[00:29:14] Speaker1
And what would be in that for anyone who maybe they don’t know what I mean? I never understood that the power of data until I have been involved with it. So what would be in a disparity study?

[00:29:25] Speaker2
So, you know, I don’t know if you were I’m sure you recall we met with Governor DeWine. A bunch of us sat around the table. We met with Governor DeWine. And we said to him at the time, hey, we need goals for women and businesses. We need we need to require your agencies to give us contracts. And he goes, How do I know that you have the capacity in the state to respond to? I’m going to put an arbitrary number on my agencies and tell them that they have to hire these. But I don’t even know if we have these specific businesses that are owned by women. Women. So how do we.

[00:29:53] Speaker1
Right.

[00:29:54] Speaker2
And so that’s what you’ll find out. Like you’ll find out not only what how is the state been doing in the way that they contract? Are they contracting fairly equally or is there a disparity, a proven disparity with using data? The city of Columbus just did one. They found that there were disparities. They found that there were underutilized companies and they found in some instances there were not disparities. So that’s what we hope to learn. But on a statewide basis and then also the capacity of the of the companies in the state. Right. And then they they will have recommendations on how to even out whatever they find. And maybe, you know, maybe we’re doing great. I doubt it. But maybe.

But we don’t know.

[00:30:31] Speaker2
What we don’t know. Right. And so even even legislators that are by nature do not support these preference programs. And I understand it, it’s certainly not they’re terrible. I mean, to get certified as a burden, you know, so that’s something else we’re doing is trying to ease that certification process so it’s more streamlined. Right. But we just want to we just want to see what’s out there. And we want recommendations put in place by you utilizing the data so we can just change the way that things are done in Ohio for the better.

[00:31:00] Speaker1
And studies make so much sense. I mean, like with Nabil, there’s a person she owns Measurement Resources, Sheri Chaney Jones, and she’s great because she can come up with not just women. It’s not fair. It’s like, by the way, here are how many women owned businesses owners we have. Here’s how many are under this revenue. So here’s how here’s how women are paid versus because she’s gone out and she’s gotten real data. Yeah. And again, when you put that in front of your influencer, it’s it’s huge. So a disparity study would be great. What other things do you feel like you’re going to what’s next? What’s on the agenda?

[00:31:37] Speaker2
Oh, well, I mean, so so we’re starting to we talk about government contracts a lot, but the private industry, the private sector, also, these especially the larger businesses they contract all the time to and and supplier diversity is the buzzword of the day. Right. And these companies, a lot of times don’t know where to find the where are these diverse suppliers. Right. So we’ve recognized that the Ohio Women’s Coalition is an opportunity for suppliers to get in front of hundreds of women businesses who want to work for these companies, hundreds of hubs in the state. So as an example, we have a we have a guest coming at the end of June. I don’t know when this is going to be heard the end of June, June 17th or so. If it’s already passed, you call us, we’ll tell you about it. But the national supplier diversity director from Intel is going to be joining the Ohio Women’s Coalition, and they have $500 million set aside for women owned businesses. So we’re going to talk with the the head of that that initiative. Right. And we’re going to she’s going to tell if she wants. She was excited to get in front of us. So we’ll learn about that. And we also have some interest from Ohio Health. We have some interest from Wright State. And so we’re trying to connect, be a connector for these women and the supplier diversity folks. And then I mentioned, you know, we got to replenish the loan program and we got to streamline the WB certification process and all the certification processes. So those are a few things.

[00:33:09] Speaker1
People do get really wrapped up in the certification, all the paperwork, and I got to hire a consultant to get it because I can’t keep getting denied or they keep sending it back. And so that streamlining. Would be huge, but we got to keep the budget now going. But that’s exciting about meeting with Intel again. We just you know, Rachel was really triggered by a committee that she saw that was not representing the business community, which is a lot of women owned business are are the ones who keep starting them. And so now here we are. We’re going to be in front of this large, large change to the region called Intel. And we’re going to be at the table.
Yeah, you know, just started out with we got to make a difference. And but you also have to make a difference. You’ve got to be prepared. Nothing is easy, but you can make it easier. I mean, that’s, you know, so in the certification process, you know, for me, I am a shareholder at Brady where but I’m not I don’t have enough. I mean, there’s 21 of us. So it doesn’t really apply to me, right? I mean, it can in some ways. But but for you that are in the audience going, that’s not me and we’re not advocate. There’s so many women’s issues we could be advocating for, by the way, that we said we’re going to narrow this and keep it focused, but maybe one day you’ll have a staff of 20 and we’ll get to do all this.

[00:34:21] Speaker2
Right. Well, just real quick, you just reminded me that the WB these loan these loan programs they put in place, they put the parameters around what you have to do in order to be eligible for the loans and they’re requiring in the micro loan program that you are WB or MHB certified right so even if you don’t do government contracting, you can get access to these 3% loans. And then the WB loan program, which is a larger loan program, they’re not requiring that you’re certified. And so if you’re not certified, you’re and you do win a loan or you know was the.

[00:34:56] Speaker1
Yeah, well yeah. You’ve won the lottery. Yeah. No you get the loan.

[00:34:59] Speaker2
If you get the loan you’re eligible for the loan. It’s a, it’s a 3% interest rate but if you are WB certified, it’s a 1.5% interest rate and I said 3% on the NBB it’s not I’m sorry it’s 0% in the micro loans. So these are the loans that we’ve created is that we’re going to replenish in this next budget. Right.

[00:35:19] Speaker1
So what I would tell you is get educated about what these things mean instead of making an assumption this doesn’t apply to me. I mean, really dive in. And as women in this audience, in key women in management or players in organizations or you own your own business, this is the moment to grab, right? Oh, and the RWC. So tell us your five and ten year plan and hey, you’re going to retire as the executive director of the Women’s Coalition, right?

Oh, my gosh. I mean, I don’t you know, when I think ahead five or ten years, I honestly I mean, I just I think there’s just no stopping us. I don’t know. I just we just need to grow. Where are we going to be in 5 to 10 years? I look at us like I want to be the like an Ohio Chamber or like a NFIB, which is the National Federation of Independent Businesses. I want to be big and powerful, and I want people to continue to listen to us. And I want people so what? We just need support. We need members, we need sponsors. We need people who are passionate about what we’re doing. It’s really cheap to be a member. You know, we try to make it affordable.
It’s 100 bucks, $135. I think for the year we really tried to make it affordable, but we want lots of lots of people to come join with us.

[00:36:33] Speaker1
You know, one of the things that why the coalition took off so much was those Friday calls had, you know, 50, 70, 100 people on them. And you’re your influence, your senators, you’re representing your directors in the government, the governor’s office. They saw the power and number. They’re like, this is like a lot of people. So, okay, so so that’s a reason to really join. And you also are supporting other women business owners, you know, and it’s again, it’s we’re not going to get you with all these fees and all we’re going to be really reasonable and how we’re going to get you involved. So so why though beyond hey the influencers and and we’re making change and we had a we had an I mean, amazing basically about 18 months, two years and made so much progress. I can see 5 to 10 years you’re accomplishing this. Right, but what are the reasons would you support or join the WC beyond that? I mean, I love the camaraderie of it all, I can tell you.

[00:37:35] Speaker2
Yeah, well, I mean, it is great. You know, we just we some of my favorite moments were when our special guest and we’ve had the lieutenant governor, we’ve had the secretary of state twice. We’ve had director of development a couple of times. You know, we our legislators, you know, we’ve had the editor of The Dispatch joined us. I mean, yes, we’re bringing these amazing people to the table. So you get sort of a firsthand view of of of these folks and what they do. And you sort of have a front row seat. I mean, and we do zoom it just to make it convenient. We’ve done a couple of in-person events. We have a great event coming up.

[00:38:09] Speaker1
Let’s talk a little about that. Just why you joined. Because this is this is real stuff.

[00:38:13] Speaker2
So, you know, Betty is passionate about advocacy. Right. And that’s what we’re trying to do. We are an advocacy organization. And that’s why we exist. We’re not necessarily a networking organization, but you need to network with your legislators. You need to network with the influencers and the people, and you need to know them. So when you when you need to ask for something, you already know them. So the upcoming Women’s Leadership Conference, which Brady Wares is helping to sponsor along with the SBA. And I think the better.

[00:38:41] Speaker1
Business, the Better Business Bureau. Yes. Yeah, we started this conference already. We we started this conference in 2014. And so this is our ninth year. And what I wanted to do this year was include a lot more advocacy with it, because last year we were virtual, which was not my preference, but we still had 164 people registered and we had 102 to 110 people were there on it all day. But at noon, Governor DeWine came in and zoomed in. And people, you don’t have to like him. You can love him. But it was the governor of Ohio was there. And so we’re going to have some really cool stuff throughout the day at this conference on June 24th. You really definitely want to check it out. It’s on Brady Wares website, but it’s the Women’s Leadership Conference. And so tell us about what your firm is a sponsor. Yes. And we’re going to have some fun with I know we can’t tell who’s going to be there yet because a lot of times they can’t commit till it gets out. But tell us a little bit about how advocacy in your firm is going to play a role in it?

[00:39:40] Speaker2
Oh, well, we definitely so we have some invitations out to some high level folks. We did get confirmation that the director of the Department of Development, Lydia Mihalic, is going to be speaking to us at lunch, which is amazing. And she is the person she just inherited all of these preference programs. So she’s trying to learn about them and she’s in a position to change them, you know, and and so she’s really passionate about what we’re doing. She also controls the loans. I mean, it’s her agency that’s giving up. So so she is. And she’s the one who’s asking other agencies, how many contracts are you going to give to women businesses? So she is just a huge supporter. You know, when I sent her an email, when I saw these these dollars in the budget and I said, oh, my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you. And she responded to me with one sentence. We heard you. I mean, I like it’s crazy. It’s like, wow, you know, advocacy really does matter. So Lydia’s going to be there. And then at the end of the day, we’re going to have a really fun, relaxing reception right in the hotel, the same area. And we’re inviting policymakers and public officials and candidates. And you’re going to be in the room mingling with folks that are going to be making decisions about things that impact you on a daily basis, not just in your business, but your personal life, wherever. And and so we’re really excited about that. It’s important. And that’s going to be, I think, what, 330 or 4:00?

[00:40:59] Speaker1
Yeah. So the conference is is an all day conference. But if you just can only come to advocacy, you can come. The only downside is you have to pay for your own drinks and the cocktails. If you attend the conference, you actually we have five women who have stepped up right now to pay for the cocktails for that for that hour and a half, it’ll go 330 to 5. But we’re going to have players in the room. So why wouldn’t you want to be there, right? Why wouldn’t you want to come to it? But last year, Rachel was so supportive in her company, Benesch was so supportive in sponsoring this. And they’re doing it again this year. And then this year we’re going to bring a lot more players and we have some other surprises, maybe hopefully for that, but that will be there that day. But it was really, really it’s going to be impactful. So you want to be there.

Let me just tell you that Mary McCarthy and Betty Collins know how to put on a conference. They know how to put it’s it’ll you will leave inspired you will be interested throughout the entire day. There’s actually too much on the agenda I want to do more than right. The time even allows for us to do right, but they’re always great.

[00:42:00] Speaker1
Because we’ll kick off with a really great breakfast speaker. She’s she just wrote a book. It’s on it’s doing really well on Amazon. And and then we’ll have a national speaker, Cindy Solomon, at lunch. We’ll have 15 breakout sessions. So you can choose through the day. There’s exhibitor tables if you even want to do that. And in in 2019, we had probably I’m going to say 250 people there all day, and we had another 70, probably 50 to 70 for lunch. I mean, it’s well attended to have to have 2020 where I had to just cancel it. It wasn’t appropriate with health and everything and the uncertainty of that time. And then for 21 to still have that many people because we just had great speakers. So at the end of this podcast we’ll get you actually where you can register and be a part of it. So make no mistake about Benesch law. Rachel Winder we’re going to have really good influencers in the room throughout the day. And you you don’t want to miss that part of it. But I really appreciate you coming on today. And if you want to know more about the Ohio Women’s Coalition and yourself, where can the audience find you?

[00:43:06] Speaker2
So definitely check out our website. It’s WW Ohio Women’s Coalition. All one word dot org org and I actually bet you’ll be proud of me. I’ve upgraded the website I’ve been. I figured out how to do that. We’re still in our infancy. We also need some website design. If you do website design, check us.

[00:43:27] Speaker1
Out. Yep.

[00:43:28] Speaker2
But w w w dot Ohio Women’s Coalition dot org. Please join us if you can. And all my contact information is on there, including my cell phone. Call me.

[00:43:37] Speaker1
Yep.

[00:43:38] Speaker2
I’d love to talk with you. Join us if.

[00:43:39] Speaker1
You want to talk more about some of these topics, whether it be certification or how do I get involved with these loans or those I mean, the WC is going to be able to give you that. They’re going to get the information. So today we didn’t talk about politics and we we try not to talk about CO but as little as possible. But we did talk about the importance of influencing and Ohio’s women coalition is doing that and we as women whether we’re in business or not or we’re key players or just we just want to help women. We want to help further things along and empowerment, make sure you’re in the right room with the right people. O How? W w is what we call the High Women’s Coalition can get you there, but I appreciate you listening today and I appreciate that I have this opportunity to hopefully inspire you in some manner. And this is Betty Collins. Have a great day.

Automated transcription by Sonix www.sonix.ai

Chelle Hartzer, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting, and Olivia Garza, Acton Academy Alpharetta

June 7, 2022 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Chelle Hartzer, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting, and Olivia Garza, Acton Academy Alpharetta

00:00 /

Chelle Hartzer, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting, and Olivia Garza, Acton Academy Alpharetta (Family Business Radio, Episode 32)

Host Anthony Chen welcomed two outstanding guests, Chelle Hartzer and Oliva Garza, to this episode of Family Business Radio. Chelle, a self-described “bug geek,” is an entomologist with her own consulting practice, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting. Chelle discussed how she works with small to medium-sized pest control companies as a fractional trainer and consultant, her work with museums, zoos, and other organizations with special bug-related issues, why successful pest control is more preventative than treated related and much more.

Olivia Garza, Owner of Acton Academy Alpharetta, discussed the unique, learner-driven model of the school, why she started Acton Academy, what makes the school unique, the focus on subject mastery, and much more.

In Anthony’s closing comments, he spoke on why planning for the passions of your children is such a vital aspect of financial planning.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting

360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting works with companies to solve their pest problems faster. As an independent assessment of the issues, their programs, and their services, 360 PFSC can get to the root of the issues, improve pest control programs, and put preventative measures in place to avoid pest problems in the future.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Chelle Hartzer, Owner/Entomologist, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting

Chelle Hartzer is the consulting entomologist at 360PFSC and has been working with the pest management industry for over a decade. She helps small and mid-sized pest control companies by providing them with expert troubleshooting, the most up-to-date technical information, quality training, and much more.

By solving pest problems faster and more effectively, companies reduce call-backs and increase customer and employee retention.

Chelle holds a BS in Entomology with a wildlife conservation concentration from the University of Delaware and an MS in Entomology from Kansas State University as well as being a Board Certified Entomologist in Urban and Structural Entomology.

She is also a Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Acton Academy Alpharetta

Acton Academy Alpharetta is an affiliate of the Acton network founded in Austin, TX 12 years ago by Jeff and Laura Sandefer.

Acton Academy is dedicated to inspiring each child to see life as a Hero’s Journey, where someone with curiosity and character can find a ‘calling’, using his or her most precious gifts, in a way that brings great joy, to solve a deep burning need in the world.

At Acton, they believe each child who enters Acton Academy will find a calling that changes the world. Their Heroes are independent learners who find great joy in learning, in a tight-knit community that upholds the highest standards of excellence.

Website | Facebook

Olivia Garza, Owner, Acton Academy Alpharetta

Olivia Garza, the founder of Acton Academy Alpharetta, is a mom on a mission to bring a new wave of educational reform to the community.

As a mom of two kids, balancing homeschooling and long-term corporate roles in I.T. and digital marketing, she wanted more than just the traditional educational model and curriculum for her children and decided to open an Acton Academy serving the Alpharetta/Milton/Cumming area in 2020.

Currently, there are around 300 Acton Academies across the world.

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

**Anthony Chen, Lighthouse Financial, and Host of “Family Business Radio”**

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (RAA), member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of RAA. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd. Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090 ext 5075 or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long-term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance. Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

The complete show archive of “Family Business Radio” can be found at familybusinessradioshow.com.

Perla Tamez Casasnovas With The Latina Empire

About Our Sponsor

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Lori Devaney, Shelly Farrar, And Christa Skinnell on Women in Business

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About WBENC

About GWBC

LIVE from RISKWORLD 2022: Michael Zalle, YellowBird

LIVE from RISKWORLD 2022: Michael Zalle, YellowBird

YellowBird

Michael Zalle, Founder and CEO, YellowBird

About Workplace MVP

Workplace MVP Host Jamie Gassmann

R3 Continuum

Decision Vision Episode 172: Should I Align My Company with a Political Position? – An Interview with Peter Baron, Carabiner Communications

Decision Vision Episode 172: Should I Align My Company with a Political Position? – An Interview with Peter Baron, Carabiner Communications

Carabiner Communications

Peter Baron, CEO, Carabiner Communications

Mike Blake, Brady Ware & Company

Brady Ware & Company

Decision Vision Podcast Series

Connect with Brady Ware & Company:

Ohio Women’s Coalition with Rachel Winder

Ohio Women’s Coalition with Rachel Winder (Inspiring Women, Episode 47)

Betty’s Show Notes

WHEN: June 24, 2022, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel

Chelle Hartzer, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting, and Olivia Garza, Acton Academy Alpharetta

Chelle Hartzer, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting, and Olivia Garza, Acton Academy Alpharetta (Family Business Radio, Episode 32)

360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting

Chelle Hartzer, Owner/Entomologist, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting

Acton Academy Alpharetta

Olivia Garza, Owner, Acton Academy Alpharetta

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

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Workplace MVP Host Jamie Gassmann

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Betty’s Show Notes

WHEN: June 24, 2022, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel

Chelle Hartzer, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting, and Olivia Garza, Acton Academy Alpharetta (Family Business Radio, Episode 32)

360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting

Chelle Hartzer, Owner/Entomologist, 360 Pest and Food Safety Consulting

Acton Academy Alpharetta

Olivia Garza, Owner, Acton Academy Alpharetta

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Our Mission

Sponsor a Show

Partner With Us

Connect with us

WHEN: June 24, 2022, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel