Search Results for: marketing matters

Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm, and Dr. Remmya Nair, Our Family Doc

December 14, 2023 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm, and Dr. Remmya Nair, Our Family Doc

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Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm, and Dr. Remmya Nair, Our Family Doc (Family Business Radio, Episode 51)

On this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen welcomed professional services firm owners, attorney Elizabeth Ji, and primary care physician Dr. Remmya Nair. Elizabeth shared her journey into law, the challenges and opportunities of being a corporate immigration attorney, and the importance of understanding the myriad roles within this field. Dr. Nair discussed her inspiration to enter medicine, the concept of direct primary care, and the flexibility provided by this healthcare model. Both guests highlighted their dedication to their clients and patients, as well as the personal fulfillment gained from their individual entrepreneurial journeys.

Host Anthony Chen closed the show with thoughts on thinking outside the box when it comes to planning retirement.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

Elizabeth Ji is the founding attorney of The Ji Law Firm, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The focus of the firm is corporate and family immigration. Elizabeth earned her Juris Doctorate from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School while working full-time at a US subsidiary of a foreign company.

Elizabeth has extensive experience and knowledge in the field of immigration law and has been recognized as a 2023 Georgia Super Lawyer, Rising Star. Prior to practicing law, Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Arts with dual majors in Political Science and International Studies from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Because of her tenacity, commitment to excellence, and hard work, she was the recipient of several prestigious academic scholarships.

Her passion is focused on providing corporations, individuals, and families with well-planned and well-executed immigration plans because they deserve it. Having navigated the immigration system by designing hundreds of immigration strategies, Elizabeth understands how to approach each case with a keen eye for the most direct route to the client’s desired outcome. The team at The Ji Law Firm serves clients across the United States with professionalism and compassion.

The Ji Law Firm specializes in business immigration law because they believe that employers deserve access to the highest quality talent, and sometimes that talent is outside of the US. Business immigration law is their business.

Their team is passionate about helping business owners, investors, entrepreneurs, human resources professionals, individuals, and families with immigration law matters. They serve clients in the United States and beyond.

Access the world’s highest-quality talent. With their professional guidance and support, companies can draw from a global pool of skilled professionals to create a vibrant workforce that transcends boundaries. No matter where they come from, individuals with remarkable skill sets are empowered to take their talents into virtually any business environment, thanks in part to The Ji Law Firm’s immigration services.

Unlock your business’s potential for success by discovering how you, too, can benefit from hiring talented workers across borders—and maybe even oceans—with their experienced business immigration team.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Dr. Remmya Nair, Founder, Our Family Doc

Dr. Remmya Nair is a board-certified family physician who has been practicing since 2015.

Throughout my years in private practice and in large hospital systems, it became evident that patients, just like physicians, felt frustrated with the crippled healthcare system and the arduous management of insurance companies. Personalized care took a backseat, and patients began to feel like numbers instead of individuals. Additionally, Dr. Nair was discouraged that she was not able to spend enough time with my patients and that she was being required to complete countless administrative tasks in an effort to keep the insurance companies happy rather than my patients.

Her disappointment led her to explore alternative options to provide better care. The obstacles her patients had to face, along with her drive as to why she became a physician in the first place, motivated her to open Our Family Doc.

By offering a membership model, she can devote more time to her patients and their families, gaining a greater understanding of them as individuals. This means she is no longer forced to fit patients into limited time slots, and surprise billings and insurance paperwork is no longer an issue. Think of it as bringing back old-fashioned medicine with a modern touch.

As a physician, she values the relationship she develops with her patients and the time they spend together. Dr. Nair believes a strong relationship with the patient is fundamental to providing exceptional care.

Dr. Nair’s philosophy of taking care of her patients has always been the same as the way she would want to be taken care of for herself and her family. She looks forward to building a practice that puts her patients and their health as top priority. With everyday life getting more stressful and busy, taking care of our health should be stress free.

Our Family Doc

Our Family Doc’s goal is to provide compassionate, personalized care that has been a hallmark of general practice since the beginning of time, while integrating the newest medical technology available today.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

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 are 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 of 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.

Kat Marran With Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta

December 11, 2023 by Jacob Lapera

GWBC Radio

Kat Marran With Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta

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Kat Marran is currently the Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta.

She started her new role officially on July 12 and brings a wealth of corporate experience from a successful 29-year career at United Parcel Service (UPS.)

She recently retired from her UPS role as Vice President of Marketing where she led large marketing and supply chain programs, budgets, projects and teams both across the US and Internationally.

She has a positive reputation for bringing forth the best in her teams through competent and energetic leadership and creativity.

Connect with Kat on LinkedIn.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

About Kat’s experience as a board member
Leadership moments
Her vision for GWBC’s future and what’s next for her

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: [00:00:19] Lee Kantor here. Another episode of GWBC Open For Business, and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show, we have Kat Marran. She is the Interim CEO with Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and is rolling off the board at GWBC. Welcome, Kat.

Kat Marran: [00:00:35] Hi, how are you?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:36] I am doing well. Well, before we get too far into things, let’s talk about the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. How did that opportunity kind of bubble up for you? That seems like an exciting adventure.

Kat Marran: [00:00:48] It has been an exciting few months. It’s relatively new, but yet old for me. I’ve been on the board of Girl Scouts for about five years. And in June of this year, as things happened to have the tendency to happen, I was actually leaving UPS, which was my 30 year long career, to go do something else. And Girl Scouts popped onto the radar and I stepped in to fill a position as interim here since July.

Kat Marran: [00:01:15] And it’s been an amazing transition from a for-profit to a nonprofit. Lots of learnings here. Lots of things I get to put to use from my old career. But it’s a different dynamic and it’s definitely a different color. I’ve switched from lots of brown in my wardrobe at UPS to lots of green and blue at Girl Scouts, so it’s kind of fun in many ways.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:34] But you are attracted to those earthy colors, so it’s kind of on brand.

Kat Marran: [00:01:39] I am. I am. I’m a fall colored analysis, those who got to do that in the 80s and 90s, that’s for sure.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:45] Now, your background at UPS was in marketing, is that a big change from going to the C-suite from kind of a marketing lens?

Kat Marran: [00:01:54] It’s an interesting swing. But even at UPS and marketing, there’s so many different capacities that I got a chance to be a part of for 30 years. And it all comes down at the end of the day, I think, to leadership in the first place. So, I’m still leading a large team here at Girl Scouts like I did at UPS. It’s about the dynamics of how you see the bigger pictures. The best part about it, though, is I get to make more of the decisions directly.

Kat Marran: [00:02:18] When you’re in a big bureaucracy, as good as it is, there’s still a bigger boss. When you’re the the CEO or the acting CEO in an organization, you get both the fun and the responsibility of those decisions. So, that’s been the biggest difference. But marketing had created an environment at UPS for me to learn a lot about how the world works and how it plays out in different ways at UPS and around the globe and through operations, et cetera, that holds true here at Girl Scouts as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:45] Now, you mentioned you were there for 30 years at UPS, a large enterprise. In your career, at what point did you go, “You know what? I have to start getting involved with organizations like GWBC, like Girl Scouts. I have to take leadership roles”? At what point did that kind of click and say, “Okay. I have to kind of lean into this if I want to achieve my goals of moving up this kind of corporate ladder”?

Kat Marran: [00:03:12] It’s a really good question, Lee. And I thought about if I could do something differently, what would I do or how do I tell people. I will tell you, though, at UPS we always had a foundation of volunteerism and philanthropy. So, even from early days in my careers at UPS, I was always a volunteer. And within that context, I kind of always would build over time.

Kat Marran: [00:03:31] But specifically, it was probably in my back end of the year, so probably about seven years before I left UPS, seven to maybe eight years, I really thought about taking greater leadership positions out in the community. And I was encouraged by both bosses at the time, as well as colleagues who had been involved in some of these type of organizations, inviting me in to learn some of those things. And at that point, I enjoyed it so much that I maybe overindulged here and there by saying yes to too many, but that was a good thing because I get to learn where my line was. but it also made me reflect on why I didn’t do it earlier.

Kat Marran: [00:04:09] And so, that’s my message out to a lot of my mentees, or to a lot of younger people or women is even in those middle stages of your career, when you feel exhausted because you’ve got everything going on, you got family, you’ve got work, you’ve got everything, you got your head down doing everything, don’t forget about the areas around you and the communities who, number one, can use your expertise at whatever levels, and two, that you could develop faster when you put those things to use with those groups too. There’s lots of learnings out there.

Kat Marran: [00:04:37] So, had I to do it over again, I would have done it earlier. But seven years or so gave me enough experience and connections and networking to create my next journey as it stands right now with Girl Scouts as a matter of fact.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:50] Now, how did you kind of choose which organizations to lean into? Like, I’m sure somebody in your role at that organization could have chosen any organization, and they’d be happy to have you. How did you, yourself, kind of narrow down the list in order to choose the ones you did?

Kat Marran: [00:05:12] Lee, another good question. To me, it came down to a few things. One, the practical side of me looked at it and said, are there organizations out there that – this sounds maybe strange – I will not feel guilty about taking time away from work to go do them? And what I mean by that is I needed to see for myself that there was some overlap of activity to the day job as well as this volunteer piece or to this other leadership capacity.

Kat Marran: [00:05:40] So, a lot of times I fell into spaces like GWBC, quite honestly, because I was working at that time in a part of UPS where we were developing our marketing programs for diverse customer groups. And in that, there was a lot of intensity and a lot of time spent on women-owned businesses, et cetera. And so, my day job was that, and I intersected in some capacity outside of that with women organizations. It became a natural fit to me to see efficiencies, if you will, as well as a passion and a learning possibility.

Kat Marran: [00:06:16] So, my first decision on when and where was around practicality with a little passion. As I got into some of these and got more coming through, it became how do these other areas make me happy as well to be a part of? And can I make a big enough impact on it? So, that’s when the Girl Scouts came in. That’s when I got involved in a women’s angel venture group called Golden Seeds as well, because I started to think about how my expertise could push those even forward, and at the same time I could get something out of them that wasn’t in my day job in that sense.

Kat Marran: [00:06:55] So, financial learnings from the investment organization, working with girls, which was not my foray nor my experience. I don’t happen to have children, so this was another way to think about giving to the community, but giving to myself at the same time. That’s how it expanded over time.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:11] Now, when you first joined your first board, can you talk about how that went? What was your onboarding like? How were you kind of going to make your mark? Did you go in there kind of just, “Hey, let me just listen first and just kind of get the lay of the land” or did you come in saying, “Okay. These are the things I think we can do. There’s opportunity here.” Like, how did you kind of ramp up?

Kat Marran: [00:07:38] Oh, it’s funny, if you ask people who sat with me on that first board meeting, they would definitely not say I was quiet. But I will say that my first onboarding of the first board happened because I had a specific area of marketing, as a matter of fact, that was seen as valuable to that board, whereas the rest of the board came from different other experiences and different backgrounds. So, they were really seeking somebody with my background.

Kat Marran: [00:08:03] So, I didn’t go in immediately quiet. I did listen for sure. I tried to read as much as I could about the organization and get better affiliated with it and the other members of the board before the first board meeting. But I did feel like I was thrown into the deep end a little bit, but I’m okay, I can swim. And I knew that they had wanted me there to be vocal, to be questioning the traditional, because I was going to come from a different experience.

Kat Marran: [00:08:28] So, I think the onboarding could differ for each person depending on what the board chair and what the CEO talk to you about as well as to your purpose on there. Why you? What do they hope you bring to it? And then, if you know what that is, then you’re onboarding kind of comes in the right context and you’re not just floundering in that deep water, if you will.

Kat Marran: [00:08:52] And then, I think having a good board mentor assigned to a new mentee, if you will, of a new board member is really helpful to help, one, get that new person involved pretty quickly. But two, it actually keeps the efficiency of the board meetings running because, oftentimes, new people, by no fault of their own, they’re just trying to ask the logical questions that are coming up in their head, but they’re almost too basic sometimes. So, if you have a mentor who can really help them get through some of those pieces to the details of how the organization works, then you can really get to the governance factors that you need to do on a board meeting and be efficient about it, rather than getting into places that everybody else knows the answers to, but the new person doesn’t. So, it’s a fine line when you come on and you onboard a person. But I’ve learned a lot each time that I’ve gone on to a board as to how to get better at it.

Kat Marran: [00:09:42] There’s also third party organizations out there. I have not necessarily had lots of interactions with them, but there’s organizations like on board and some other women board associations who will help train women and people how to be on boards effectively and be most useful as quickly as possible. So, there’s different things to learn. My experience was kind of grassroots.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:03] And let’s talk specifically about GWBC, is there any memory or any thing that you did or the board did or the organization did that kind of left a mark that’s impactful or rewarding?

Kat Marran: [00:10:19] Many. I think the camaraderie of the boards that I worked on with GWBC was really unique in that it was a combination of corporate people as well as WBEs or women enterprises, women-owned businesses. And it was nice to see the interaction and the learnings from both sides, because we all come at things with our own expectations and history and experiences. But to be able to professionally think about it from another angle, I always value that in sitting in those board meetings or having those other side meetings or the committee involvements.

Kat Marran: [00:10:53] I will say the fun part was always our galas. We also are people who love to dance and get out there and have a good time. And that’s kind of nice to let your hair down. So, I always enjoy GWBC for bringing the fun out as well. I think Roz takes that very seriously. She’s got a good team that does that.

Kat Marran: [00:11:10] But I’d say the final piece, one of my favorite takeaways, is meeting with so many of the members of GWBC and the women-owned businesses themselves, and finding the spark that makes them excited and makes me excited. So, there were several of them that I’m still actually friends with today, and still helping in some ways for them to continue their business journey and where I can be of advantage for them. It’s kind of nice to kind of be that consultant when they need it.

Kat Marran: [00:11:40] But it comes back the other way, so some of them are now becoming more and more successful. And I’ve got one company that I’ve worked with for several years that came through GWBC, I helped them get settled in what they needed to do, and now they’re reciprocating. They’ve got some good things happening, so they’re offering some help to me at Girl Scouts. So, it created a continuous community, and that, I will value for a long time.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:03] Now at GWBC, I think one of the main benefits for the members are that kind of bridge to enterprise organizations. Is there any advice you would give maybe on both sides of the table there? Any advice for the enterprise level executives and companies to be partners with GWBC and also the WBEs to kind of make themselves attractive to those enterprise level organizations. Can you share maybe some advice on both sides of the table?

Kat Marran: [00:12:37] Oh, that’s good. From the partners perspective, again having come from a large organization but not necessarily being in the procurement side, I will say I’ve watched in the last six or seven years since I’ve been a part of GWBC a great advance on the corporate side, on the partner side, to really push their own organizations to be open to these diverse companies in all different kinds of ways, and to shake things up not just for cost reasons, but for quality reasons, and not just solely to fill a diversification checkmark. And that’s been great. The companies have been advancing and seeing that, and they’re able to play it back to themselves and to their constituents or their stakeholders.

Kat Marran: [00:13:19] With ESG being such a bigger and bigger conversation these days, I think it matters to corporates in a deeper way than it did 20 years ago. Supplier diversity is not just checking the box anymore. So, number one, I hope that all companies are thinking about that. And even if we start with that concept of a big company, now play it to the mediums, and even to the WBEs at some point, everybody should be thinking about their part to play and lifting the rest of the boats. And you’re never too small to have that ESG in your DNA.

Kat Marran: [00:13:52] So, I think I would position that most partners out there, regardless of size, should be thinking about how do they make sure that their procurement is fair, equitable, which may not necessarily mean that everybody gets the same shot, some people might need a little bit more help. Mentoring is a good way that a lot of the corporates do that. I know UPS has been doing that for a while as well. So, I love to see the partners become more than just a platform for application that they really actually reach out and help the WBEs to figure out what’s going to make a difference in their organization.

Kat Marran: [00:14:28] For the WBEs, outside of what I already said, which is they, too, can be a part to play in their own ESG component. I think the greatest thing that I saw really start to get off the ground is when WBEs are helping each other. The corporate timeline for procurement is almost so long and can be really grueling, and a lot of the smaller businesses put so much weight on them, they spend so much time and they end up either being disappointed after all that investment of time and energy and/or they get the deal and that’s scary in its own right. They get the deal and then they don’t get paid really quickly sometimes. So, all of that is a real burden on them until they get enough magnitude.

Kat Marran: [00:15:11] What’s the low hanging fruit is working amongst the WBEs directly. And so, my best suggestion to the WBEs is don’t miss the trees in front of you by looking for the big huge forest out there. Sometimes it’s better to take off the small trees and figure out how you’re going to work your way to that forest by working with other people who get you and to understand what you’re going through.

Kat Marran: [00:15:34] And I think that’s one of the most powerful observations I’ve started to see of late, that the WBEs actually are recognizing their network in mass can be stronger to some degree than that one big deal they might get from a big organization. And that they spend a lot of time working on it. So, it’s a balancing act, of course. Those would be the two key things I think I would bring forward.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:55] Now, any advice for a person out there that maybe was in your shoes seven years ago when you’re deciding, “Okay. I’m going to join a board,” why should they pick GWBC? What would be the best fit for somebody? Is it that they have, like you mentioned, the alignment of goals for the corporate and the alignment of goals personally. So, how would you kind of pitch the GWBC board opportunity to somebody?

Kat Marran: [00:16:25] So, if I get two hats, so if I happen to be a WBE, I think the benefit of coming to GWBC once you’ve got a little bit of grounding in those things I just talked about, how you work the network with other WBEs, how you understand the procurement process of big companies, being onboard like GWBC helps get those experiences magnified. And hopefully, if you’re ready to give back in some way or you’re wanting to lead a little bit more, then being on a board of GWBC is going to change the direction for the good and help bring those experiences to the programs that GWBC offers, the type of development that it creates, the intersection points that it has to have.

Kat Marran: [00:17:09] It needs to evolve in some degree, I think, beyond certification. And I think a WBE who sees that in a bigger picture will be highly influential and can make a bigger mark. I hope that it’s not solely they want to join the board to open up those corporate relationships, that some of that can help, but really it should be beyond that. It should be what else are they really ready to do to define how women organizations out there can thrive at faster and stronger levels. So, that would be the pitch to the WBE is ready to give to the bigger network.

Kat Marran: [00:17:40] For the corporates, if I was a person thinking out there, again, to me, it depends on your discipline area that you’re really interested in or what you’re trying to pursue. Any one of them, whether it’s marketing or finance or procurement or HR, et cetera, legal, all of them have to have a part to play in being on a board. And so, for your own edification of what your discipline means in a different context, outside of your day job and outside of your own company and industry, I think, is a compelling reason to go learn how to put it to use in a different way.

Kat Marran: [00:18:12] And so, for your self-development, a GWBC is all about business. It happens to be a nonprofit in its own definition, but it’s all about business, and all of those disciplines are needed and useful. And I think if you are thinking about your own development, that’s a good way to think about how you apply your skills uniquely and to open up some things that you hadn’t. And I think then you get to take it back to your organization as well to let them know here’s what you’re getting on this business board. And that’s influential as well, because it can open up some things internally for you that might not have been there because people were seeing you in the same capacity. You’ve now broken free of that by bringing a new version of yourself back into the organization, because you’ve seen yourself outside of the organization.

Kat Marran: [00:18:57] So, to me, that’s the benefit to a person being on the board. And then, obviously, what you bring to that board is all of those experiences, all of that network, all of that positivity. Anybody on GWBC is very welcoming to all of those experiences. So, it’s a good board to join.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:14] Now, in your role as Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. What do you need more of and how can we help you?

Kat Marran: [00:19:22] Oh, thank you for that question. There are so many great things that we do at Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. We cover a very large portion of the state, we represent 34 counties and give or take about 35,000 members of both adult and girl members. So, when we think about the things that we need most, we need to make sure that we are still relevant to what the girls around our counties need, and so we’re building programs all the time. So, there is, of course, always a fundraising component of everything that we do.

Kat Marran: [00:19:55] But if I put that aside to people who might be listening to this call and beyond that, we really want to call out to anybody who was a Girl Scout in any place around the country, or who would like to learn more about Girl Scouts to come talk to us. Our anniversary is coming up next year, it’s 100 years of one of our camps here in Mableton, Georgia. It’s a 200 acre beautiful camp, but it needs some love, needs some attention. So, we want a big 100 year celebration of come back to Girl Scouts. So, definitely invite people to come back.

Kat Marran: [00:20:25] And we love volunteers of all ages and all genders. We don’t do this work that we do without a severe amount of important volunteers at all types incremental, seasonal or long term like troop leaders. So, we’re always looking for people who are interested in giving some time to these girls and helping them build the courage, the character, and the confidence that we need them to have to be the next leaders of the generations to come. So, any way you want it, we would love as much support for Girl Scouts as possible.

Kat Marran: [00:21:00] It’s a great pipeline, by the way, for entrepreneurs. Those cookie programs that everybody loves so much, they’re not just about the cookies, they’re about teaching girls how to build their own business. What’s a better way to get more GWBC members and then to get new Girl Scouts as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:17] Yeah, I think that the cookie program is one of the greatest ways to ease someone into selling, to teach them how to sell and to feel confident in selling. And that’s foundational for whatever they’re going to do later in life. I mean, I think that’s a brilliant program.

Kat Marran: [00:21:35] It is. It teaches them also how to handle rejection a little bit too. That’s a big part of sales, isn’t it? How do you pivot and how do you find another way to be comfortable in the no’s as much as you can celebrate the yeses as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:21:48] Right. Well, if somebody wants to connect with the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, what’s a website?

Kat Marran: [00:21:54] gsgatl.org is our website. That’s Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, gsgatl.org. Or they can certainly find me at kmarran@gsgatl.org and/or through LinkedIn, whatever works for anybody. Come find me, I’m happy to have the conversation.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:14] Well, Kat, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Kat Marran: [00:22:19] Thank you very much, Lee. I appreciate always having been part of GWBC and will continue to be an advocate for that group and for the WBEs in it and for my board partners. So, they to have all of my appreciation and admiration as well. I look forward to further conversations.

Lee Kantor: [00:22:36] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on GWBC Open For Business.

Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and Wing Woman

November 20, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and Wing Woman

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 718)

Kris Cugnon is a professional offline matchmaker who believes in creating personal connections and reversing the impersonal effects of dating apps. Kris offers a range of services, from matchmaking to date coaching and even becoming a “wing woman.” She and host John Ray delved into Kris’s approach to helping clients find their forever person, which includes an in-depth understanding of the client, their personality, interests, and what they seek in a partner. Kris also discussed how she guides her clients through the dating process, the importance of setting realistic expectations, shared advice on dating during the holidays, navigating the initial stages of a new relationship with transparency and authenticity, and more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

**Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and Wing Woman**

People say Kris never meets a stranger. She is passionate about the process of truly getting to know people and discovering the factors that aid in Matchmaking.

With over 25 fulfilling years in Business Development and Program Management, she has helped launch, market, and connect people with products and services nationwide. She utilizes these same skills, and intuition, to seek out amazing singles and facilitate meaningful introductions and date coaching.

Kris is a fierce networker with the heart of an altruist. Her goal is connecting people with their “forever human”.

In her spare time, she and her husband support numerous Veteran initiatives. They enjoy traveling, music, and culture-seeking at every opportunity.

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

01:12 Welcoming Guest: Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker
01:39 Understanding Kris’s Journey and Passion for Matchmaking
03:58 The Problem with Online Dating Apps
07:12 The Offline Matchmaking Process
09:02 Understanding and Managing Dating Expectations
11:33 The Importance of Authenticity in Dating
18:38 Navigating Dating During Holidays
23:56 Success Stories and Final Thoughts
25:13 Conclusion and Contact Information

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Live from the Business Radio X studio inside Renasant Bank, the bank that specializes in understanding you. It’s time for North Fulton Business Radio.
[00:00:19] John Ray: And hello again, everyone. Welcome to another edition of North Fulton Business Radio. I’m John Ray and folks, we are broadcasting from inside Renasant Bank in beautiful Alpharetta. And if you’re tired of getting tattooed by your big bank, your big mega bank out there, and you know what I mean by that computer generated voices, and you can’t find a live person if your life depended on it I’ve got a suggestion.
[00:00:46] John Ray: Go to Renasant Bank. They’re big enough to handle pretty much any need you can throw at them, but they’re small enough to deliver those services in a personal way, and I know this myself from my dealings with them. So go to renasantbank.com, find one of their local offices, some 200 around the southeast, and give them a call.
[00:01:05] John Ray: I think you’ll be glad you did. Renasant Bank, understanding you. FDIC. And now I want to welcome Kris Cugnon. Kris is a professional offline matchmaker. Kris, welcome.
[00:01:19] Kris Cugnon: Thank you so much. Excited to be here.
[00:01:21] John Ray: I’m excited to have you here. That’s not the word I think people would have expected is offline, right? They were expecting online.
[00:01:30] John Ray: So let’s. Let’s get into this quickly. Talk a little bit about you and how you’re serving folks out there.
[00:01:35] Kris Cugnon: Excellent. Thank you so much. Sure. Absolute pleasure to be here with you today. So I am a, I’m a fierce connector. I’ve had a long career in business development, project management. So I’ve taken those skills and my passion for connecting people and helping them find their forever person. Wow.
[00:01:57] John Ray: So you were in the business world for a long time.
[00:01:59] Kris Cugnon: Long time, yes. And I actually dabbled in this just for fun as doing matchmaking singles events back when I was single and looking. But I’ve come full circle now and made it my full time focus.
[00:02:11] John Ray: That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful. Talk about why you developed this passion for matchmaking.
[00:02:19] Kris Cugnon: I actually woke up this morning thinking about this because I do have a funny story. Okay.
[00:02:24] John Ray: We love funny stories.
[00:02:26] Kris Cugnon: When I was five years old, I’m the oldest of three. The oldest tend to, be a little more take charge sometimes.
[00:02:33] Kris Cugnon: I was five. My parents were at the hospital having my little brother. And they left me with one of their best friends, a very kind woman, lifelong friend. And it was supposed to be nap time, but I got up, took a piece of paper and a pencil, and proceeded down the street asking for people’s names and phone numbers.
[00:02:53] Kris Cugnon: I don’t know what I was going to do with it, but I knew that I needed that information to do it. to launch myself into some kind of business. I actually got to really, can you imagine how terrified this poor woman, but I realized, and I look back on that and just laugh about it. Now I’ve, Talked about it so many times, but it’s the marker of who I am.
[00:03:16] Kris Cugnon: I am a connector and I’m so passionate about getting to know people on a really deep level. And my husband says I never meet a stranger and it’s, it is the truth. I take it very seriously. That’s just who you are. It
[00:03:29] John Ray: is indeed. But why, there are a lot of ways you could apply that talent and that that you have, why matchmaking?
[00:03:38] Kris Cugnon: So many people are just, there’s so many amazing people out there and they just haven’t found their person yet. And a lot of people are stuck right now, wondering what in the world to do, especially if they’ve been in a long relationship and they’re just getting back out there or they just haven’t found their person yet and.
[00:03:58] Kris Cugnon: Unfortunately the dating apps, we can talk about that later if you’d like, but they have, they’ve really done a disservice to our society. I feel like they have completely changed the face of dating. I think they were created by men, maybe just for and then everybody was forced to use them.
[00:04:17] Kris Cugnon: Everybody was forced to use them. And it’s created more problems than good. I want to be the alternative to that. We’re getting back to good old fashioned matchmaking in person conversation and networking. Yeah,
[00:04:30] John Ray: That’s good stuff. I would imagine that most of the clients that you work with have tried the online Experience.
[00:04:37] John Ray: Absolutely. And they’ve got horror stories.
[00:04:40] Kris Cugnon: There’s so many. I actually heard one yesterday at the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Okay. Tell us. He was finally, and they say that it takes a hundred swipes in a dating app to actually get on an actual date with an actual person. And you still don’t know who that person is.
[00:04:59] Kris Cugnon: And so yesterday, I heard yet another story. He found somebody fairly interested. They had a meeting at the bar, I think, seven o’clock. They’re supposed to meet at the bar. And he’s looking all around, could not find her. So he called her on the phone. And the woman right beside him answered the phone and he’s you don’t look anything like your pictures.
[00:05:20] Kris Cugnon: Yep. What’s with that? She’s oh I wasn’t getting much attention with my own pictures. So she And it was a completely different person. And she said I didn’t think I’d you know get to you if I just Shared my actual, so of course that the date’s over quickly and . Yeah. He was catfished once again.
[00:05:38] Kris Cugnon: So
[00:05:39] John Ray: is that what you call that? .
[00:05:40] Kris Cugnon: . They either make up their own profile or use other people’s pictures.
[00:05:43] John Ray: But you call that catfishing.
[00:05:44] Kris Cugnon: It’s called catfishing. They are, oh, there’s, it’s very deceitful.
[00:05:47] John Ray: It happens
[00:05:47] John Ray: so much. There’s a term for it. . Yeah. Yeah. That. And it’s I think people know this by now dealing in the recesses of the internet is you can be anybody you want to be,
[00:05:59] John Ray: right?
[00:06:00] Kris Cugnon: Yeah. That’s the scary part. That’s the problem. That is a big, huge problem. Absolutely.
[00:06:04] John Ray: I’m just curious about this. I’m sure, the stats on this is that how successful are those dating apps really? If we were new, knew the real numbers. Nobody would ever go on them.
[00:06:15] John Ray: Exactly.
[00:06:16] John Ray: Do you know, do you have, can you get beyond all their veneer and marketing who he and tell us what the real numbers or do you know,
[00:06:23] Kris Cugnon: well, there, there are some, and actually there was recently some research that just came out. One in three dating app users say they left the relationship because it felt toxic.
[00:06:34] Kris Cugnon: And then yeah. And then, of course, there’s, it’s just a dangerous psychological space. But you get unsolicited pictures, unsolicited people trying to contact you just in a general inappropriateness. And 52 percent of people are urgently swiping through these matches. And you just have to take a step back and say, how could you possibly find your soulmate by just glancing at a picture for two seconds?
[00:07:02] Kris Cugnon: Yeah, really. Yeah. So there, there are plenty of stats about that, but yeah.
[00:07:10] John Ray: So you. So let’s talk about how it happens with you and that process. So you’re there to help folks decompress from that experience, right? Yes. And and reconnect with as you say, some good old fashioned, just face to face, uh, meeting and talking and getting to know someone.
[00:07:31] John Ray: Yes. That’s intimidating. It’s intimidating for all of us in a way, right? Even the most extroverted sometimes. So talk about how you work with someone on on at the beginning.
[00:07:41] Kris Cugnon: We typically meet in person if possible. If not. Online video chat can suffice, but yeah, we get to know you on a deeper level, really get to know you and what you’re looking for.
[00:07:53] Kris Cugnon: And then we take it from there. We do matchmaking, but also date coaching is a big piece of what we do. Just really helping people narrow their list. If they have a very lengthy list of expectations and something they’re looking for, we help. Rope that in. And then some people don’t have a list at all because they’re completely confused or whatever their past experience has been.
[00:08:17] Kris Cugnon: They don’t know where to start or what the expectations should be. So through that conversation, we help them, guide that, guide the search. And then we can be a friend through the whole process and even provide that consultation, date coaching and I can even be a wing woman on the side to help actually have practicum experience out in public.
[00:08:36] Kris Cugnon: I can support, yeah, folks for all those needs.
[00:08:39] John Ray: I want to hear more about that. Kris Cugnon is with us folks, and Kris is a professional offline matchmaker. Kris.
[00:08:50] John Ray: People are different, right? And you just described it that some people have a lot more expectations than they ought to have. And some people just have no idea what they’re getting into. So what do you have a series of questions you take people through? Or how do you really get into knowing Who someone is right?
[00:09:14] John Ray: And so that you can help better service them in terms of matching them up
[00:09:20] John Ray: properly.
[00:09:20] Kris Cugnon: That’s a great question. I would look at it like I have maybe a flight was just delayed and I’m sitting beside somebody at the airport and she just Start to find out what their hobbies, their interests are, their career education, background and their past dating history.
[00:09:37] Kris Cugnon: What does that look like? And then eventually the conversation comes around to, and the main focus of finding your forever person is how you want to feel. And you can look at it five years down the line. How do I want to feel? When I am loved and I want to give love, what does that look like for me?
[00:09:59] Kris Cugnon: And it gets beyond physical descriptions and other things like that. So it gets really to the heart of what matters.
[00:10:05] John Ray: Do you work with women, men,
[00:10:08] John Ray: both? Both. Yep. Both. And all ages. Okay. Ages, all ages.
[00:10:15] John Ray: So what do you see are the differences in men versus women that you work with?
[00:10:22] Kris Cugnon: Women are quick to seek guidance. I think we naturally. Packed together and maybe you’re a little more social and conversational about that when we’re looking for a match men tend to not be as, as, I guess assertive with looking for that help but an equal number of men are absolutely amazing and fantastic and deserve that great match as well.
[00:10:49] Kris Cugnon: So I know they’re there but drumming them up, it takes a little more, a little extra push but I want people to feel completely comfortable. Like I’m a friend in this process. And that’s what we do. We’re friends through the whole thing and we get to know you and. And set out and find that good match for you and set you on your
[00:11:06] Kris Cugnon: way.
[00:11:06] John Ray: Okay
[00:11:07] John Ray: so we’ve had our discovery sessions, shall we say, where you get to know someone. So what about the, what they’re looking for? Do you help people clarify that? Do you sometimes find that you help people discover what things that they’re looking for they didn’t, they really didn’t know?
[00:11:32] Kris Cugnon: And sometimes just the reverse of that. Somebody has in their mind, since they’re, Whatever, a teenager, a physical description of what they’re looking for. I heard recently someone who’s looking for very good eyebrows and or a good jawline or this, that, and the other. You’re not marrying their eyebrows or their hair or their, these physical descriptors that at the end of the day, it just, it’s not an attraction, of course, that’s a good thing, but but you’re going for that feeling, like I said so yeah, absolutely, I’m, I help have those discussions and get to the root of really what’s important.
[00:12:10] Kris Cugnon: So you, I can imagine you have to have some conversations that are. Pretty Frank it’s yes, because people have expectations that are unrealistic.
[00:12:24] Kris Cugnon: Yeah, exactly. I actually just recently, there was a gentleman that had a five page list of what
[00:12:32] John Ray: I was going to ask you about that. I could imagine you get some really.
[00:12:38] John Ray: Difficult situation. So let’s just put it like that, right? Whereas people have so many expectations that they’re looking for a unicorn.
[00:12:45] Kris Cugnon: Exactly. Absolutely. And it’s, there’s a lot of reasons for that. Some people are um, I don’t want to say self promoting, but maybe that’s the word there.
[00:12:56] John Ray: Oh, come on.
[00:12:56] John Ray: I’m shocked to hear there are people like that,
[00:12:59] Kris Cugnon: and then perfectionism that’s an, and then maybe things that they, a mantra that maybe a parent has planted in their head that they have to have this person with a certain career or this certain status or certain look and, or they have to have.
[00:13:12] Kris Cugnon: Wearing or be super trendy or whatever the those hang ups are. We people have them for different reasons. Certainly past experiences, personal values priorities, cultural differences. Those all come into play when they’re Creating their list. But yeah, ideally it needs to be roped in just a notch, typically.
[00:13:34] John Ray:
[00:13:34] John Ray: Yeah, I can see how you have to have a, frank discussion once in a while with people, but so okay, so you’ve had this, you’ve had this this time together. Is that one session, several sessions or however long
[00:13:49] Kris Cugnon: it takes one session, a couple hours. Okay, cool.
[00:13:53] John Ray: And so what happens then?
[00:13:56] Kris Cugnon: Then we decide what the course of action is. So some people, date coaching and couple sessions just to talk that out, get them on track and find some, really new exciting, fun things to do around town, ways to network, that kind of thing. So it could be consultation route.
[00:14:12] Kris Cugnon: But if somebody wants help typically. There’s certain people, busy professionals, people who are very serious about finding that person quickly they can hire us to do actual matchmaking and then we set out to find those matches. We actually set the dates. So all that’s super easy.
[00:14:32] Kris Cugnon: You just meet at typically a restaurant or somewhere. at a certain time and you know who to ask for and then take the conversation from there.
[00:14:40] John Ray: So you bring, you can do it two ways and maybe more. You can actually bring the candidates. Is that the right word? Yeah, clients. Okay, the clients. You can bring your you can bring your client potential matches.
[00:14:57] John Ray: Or you can help them understand what the dating game looks like these days and launch them off into the world. Exactly. Okay. Exactly. Okay, got it. So what, give some advice on what the first few dates. What do you think the first dates ought to look like?
[00:15:16] Kris Cugnon: They should be fun. They should be fun.
[00:15:19] John Ray: That always helps, right?
[00:15:20] Kris Cugnon: Absolutely, and just usually I suggest only about an hour. No pressure. You’re just going to meet a new friend. It doesn’t have to be intimate. No expectations, especially those first one, two, three, four dates. Keep it high level. Just super fun. What you’re doing during this time is…
[00:15:40] Kris Cugnon: Setting up the rules for the dance. So you’re seeing how the two of you interact, are they on time, responsive, respectful are they interesting? And so you’re just noticing their character, the vibe and that kind of thing. It’s, and it. I say too, it’s very important that perhaps the person you’re with may not be your match.
[00:16:01] Kris Cugnon: If this is just a date that you found, but they might know someone who would lead you to their match. So if you’re keeping it friendly, you’re meeting a new friend they may have a neighborhood cookout where you meet somebody fabulous, or maybe they’re going to a Braves game and you meet somebody there.
[00:16:16] Kris Cugnon: So just a lot of times people ask me, do you believe in love at first sight? But I think what’s more important is don’t expect a spark. You might be pleasantly surprised, but don’t expect a spark rather. Think about it’s curiosity at first sight.
[00:16:33] John Ray: Ah,
[00:16:34] John Ray: okay. That’s a good way to think about it.
[00:16:37] Kris Cugnon: And a lot of people, especially those first few dates. People get overwhelmed by the task of dating. I hear that so often that they just can’t, Oh, I don’t have time, I can’t, How could I possibly do that? I think what those people are thinking is that they have to pour so much of their energy into those first couple dates and tell their life story and this and are they checking all the boxes?
[00:17:03] Kris Cugnon: But that’s not it. Try don’t get overwhelmed with that really. It’s just a one hour, go grab a coffee, a quick beverage, a slice of pizza, a shaved ice, a walk in the park, something, something super easy and you’re just getting to know a new friend. Yeah.
[00:17:18] Kris Cugnon: Yeah.
[00:17:18] John Ray: Yeah.
[00:17:20] John Ray: So let’s talk about those first few dates. And the signals that someone should be looking for beyond the obvious, there’s some obvious ones that are it’s a go or no go. But some of the signals that you should be looking for that this is a good match or not a good match.
[00:17:40] Kris Cugnon: That’s a great
[00:17:40] Kris Cugnon: question. So certainly eye contact. Eye contact is. It’s a gauge of a person’s character and really you can gauge honesty and sincerity that way. And then is the person courteous? Are they courteous? Are they are they on time? Do they respond when they say they’re going to respond?
[00:18:01] Kris Cugnon: Do they maybe um, hand you something during dinner or are they’re holding the door for you? That would be, Typically for a gentleman, but either way, it’s just signs of courtesy and respect. That’s what you’re looking for because again, you’re setting up this dance and or the rules for the dance.
[00:18:19] Kris Cugnon: Just like you are ballroom dancing. Usually the gentleman takes the lady’s hand, walks her to the dance floor. You do the dance and he returns. He returns are there. That’s I’ve done some ballroom dancing, so that’s very formal. But it’s the rules of the dance and how you’re gonna create your own personal space and then space together.
[00:18:36] John Ray: Got it. Got it. We’re here recording this show. In November 2023, a week before Thanksgiving, so we’ve got the holidays coming up that always gets real dicey, right? Talk about what the what you advise around the holidays in terms of when it’s time to introduce uh, this person that you’re think you’re getting serious about to the family or what have you.
[00:19:06] Kris Cugnon: I Would say don’t I would say don’t, this is, it’s highly personal. It’s your decision. And the moment that you introduce somebody, there could be, there could be negative comments, there could be. Questions that you just maybe aren’t prepared to answer, don’t need to answer quite yet because you’re still getting to know each other.
[00:19:27] Kris Cugnon: So certainly not only the holiday, any holiday around the entire year that’s sometimes stressful enough in family situations. So adding another person to the mix is, uh, just, I would say be a little cautious and make sure the timing is right for you. You’re the one that matters and who can make that decision.
[00:19:47] John Ray: Yeah.
[00:19:48] John Ray: Yeah. And you’ve got to make sure you’re both on the same wavelength on that, right? Correct. And that you both understand what that means and what it doesn’t mean.
[00:19:56] John Ray:
[00:19:56] John Ray: And they may be pressuring you to bring this new person around, even if they’ve heard about them or that, but it’s really on your own schedule.
[00:20:03] John Ray: Yeah. Nobody should feel that pressure.
[00:20:06] John Ray: So what about those that are single during the holidays and that just being single, it creates its own dynamic there during what is most people consider a family time.
[00:20:22] Kris Cugnon: But it’s an exciting time to. There’s so many things you can do as a single person to meet people and do your own.
[00:20:31] Kris Cugnon: networking, outside of your career you can set a challenge that you’re going to go do something new each week. And put yourself out of your comfort zone. One great thing to do for our community, but also for yourself is to volunteer. You can, there’s so many things. Year round to do for volunteering and you always meet good, kind hearted people typically.
[00:20:54] Kris Cugnon: I have some other ideas if you’d like to hear those. Please. Okay. If somebody is into, to wine tasting, there’s always plenty of events going on with wine tasting. Join them. a wine club. I’m actually a co host for the Atlanta Wine Meetup. It’s on the meetup app. Okay. We’ve got about 7000 members in that group.
[00:21:13] John Ray: Oh, wow.
[00:21:14] Kris Cugnon: Yep. Just high professionals, a lot of fun people, good people who like wine and we do a lot of fun things around year round. Wine tastings.
[00:21:24] John Ray: And it helps to like, let’s use this event as an example. It helps if you like it, right? You can’t show up at the wine event and not like wine. Right?
[00:21:35] Kris Cugnon: You
[00:21:36] Kris Cugnon: could. You could certainly go. If you don’t care for it, you can have a juice or a other drink and that would be perfectly fine. Oh,
[00:21:43] Kris Cugnon: okay.
[00:21:44] John Ray: Okay. I guess the point is you want some authenticity in this, right? Yes, of course.
[00:21:48] John Ray: Yeah.
[00:21:49] Kris Cugnon: But they’re, yeah, there are plenty more things that you can do as a, yeah,
[00:21:53] John Ray: but
[00:21:53] John Ray: there are a lot of things you can do and it’s really and this is where I guess you help your clients to really get out of the mental box that they’re in
[00:22:01] John Ray: terms of what’s possible,
[00:22:02] Kris Cugnon: exactly, and just that overwhelmed feeling or especially not having much time as busy professionals, you don’t have much time.
[00:22:11] Kris Cugnon: So you’ve got to be very intentional, very targeted on what you’re going to choose to do with your time. So
[00:22:17] John Ray: Let’s get to valentine’s day. That’s another little ticklish, a little time of the year for singles that are navigating that and whatever status they’re in, right? If they’ve got a.
[00:22:30] John Ray: Potentially budding relationship that really gets ticklish, right? So talk about your thoughts about Valentine’s day.
[00:22:38] Kris Cugnon: It’s important to, to communicate what your expectations are and your level of comfort and what you’d like to see happen. Rather than leaving people guessing or expecting something amazing or surprise.
[00:22:51] Kris Cugnon: So the ball is always in your court. And so you can guide that process to your comfort level, what you want. What you’d like to do or not do, right? So you’re empowered to drive that. And I think that helps just so there’s no, no mystery on, if two people on different pages.
[00:23:09] Kris Cugnon: Yeah, but actually go ahead. I can share a Valentine’s story. I
[00:23:14] John Ray: would love, yeah. Stories are great.
[00:23:16] Kris Cugnon: So there’s always singles, balls and galas and typically around that time of year. And gosh, it’s been over. 15 years, maybe more. Not quite 20, but somewhere in there. When I was single, okay, went to this with a couple girlfriends and one of my best friends met a gentleman there.
[00:23:37] Kris Cugnon: I helped facilitate the wing. I was the wing woman there. Okay. But they are married with two teenagers now. Wow. And absolute love story. And yeah so had we not gone there, I don’t think she would have met her forever person.
[00:23:50] John Ray: Yeah, that’s well, what a great story. Yeah.
[00:23:52] John Ray: And you’ve given me a great segue to. Question. I know people are interested in examples of successes that you’ve helped create along the way in the matchmaking you’ve done.
[00:24:05] John Ray: There’s
[00:24:06] John Ray: one.
[00:24:06] Kris Cugnon: Yes, absolutely. Naturally I, when I am out. At singles events or any kind of networking, I’m always on the lookout.
[00:24:15] Kris Cugnon: So I’m always as a connector, I’m always have my clients in mind and what they’re looking for. So I might not meet the person directly, but I’m always asking, do you know anybody? Here’s what I’m looking for. Here’s. the person I’m looking for. So I’m always having those conversations and just seeing who I can drum up where I can meet people.
[00:24:39] Kris Cugnon: And and I put the word out so people know how to contact me if they’d like to introduce a friend to me, a friend that’s fabulous and single and they’re looking for some help. That’s,
[00:24:49] John Ray: that’s great. Great work from Kris Cugnon. Kris is a professional offline matchmaker. Dating coach and wing woman, all of those things.
[00:25:01] John Ray: Wow, Kris, this is making people happy is, and that’s what you’re talking about here really at the end of the day and fulfilled is really what it’s all about for you. And congratulations on that work. That’s important work. And we’re grateful we could shine the light on that work.
[00:25:16] John Ray: Let’s get to the most important question though, which is how people can get in touch.
[00:25:19] Kris Cugnon: Absolutely.
[00:25:20] Kris Cugnon: Absolutely. On LinkedIn, it’s Kris Cugnon, C U G N O N. And on Instagram, it’s Connector Kris on Instagram, but with a K. So it’s Connector Kris, Cugnon, and you can message me either place. Okay, cool.
[00:25:36] John Ray: Kris Cugnon, professional offline matchmaker wing woman, dating coach.
[00:25:44] John Ray: She can make your life better.
[00:25:45] Kris Cugnon: I would love to. I would love to. And if your listeners have not heard, please know that you are beautiful, brilliant, and deserving of finding that your forever person that you can really feel that true love with and share. Share your love of the way that you want to share it.
[00:26:04] John Ray: That’s wonderful. Yeah. Great. Great words, Kris. Thanks again. Thank you so much.
[00:26:08] Kris Cugnon: Pleasure to be here. Absolutely. Have a great day.
[00:26:11] John Ray: You
[00:26:11] John Ray: too. Hey folks, if you’ve got some issues in your back office. If you’ve got administrative tasks that are piled up, bookkeeping that’s just a mess and you’re just, you’re tired and weighed down by all those issues, and you know you need to be spending more time on employees.
[00:26:35] John Ray: And your clients. I’ve got an answer for you. That involves Office Angels they have a toll team of angels that fly in and get that work done. So you can spend time on the most important parts of your business, which is the front part of the business where you’re working with clients and your employees.
[00:26:54] John Ray: Give them a call 6 7 8 5 2 8 0 5 0 0 and tell them we sent you. And what will happen is they’ll talk to you about what your needs are and match you up with an angel that can work with you on an ongoing or as needed basis and help you restore the joy. To your business that you think you’ve lost.
[00:27:15] John Ray: I highly recommend them. I use their services myself and they do great work and folks, just a quick reminder. I’ve got a book coming out here in about a month. Now, as we record this show in November, 2023, the books called the generosity mindset method for business success, raise your confidence, your value, and your prices.
[00:27:38] John Ray: If you’re a solo or professional services provider, That has trouble with business development, with pricing issues. This may be a book for you. Go to the generosity mindset. com to sign up, to receive updates. Or if you’re listening to this show in 2024, you’ll find out where to buy the book by going to that link.
[00:28:00] John Ray: And I want to thank you, our audience. You’re just terrific. We’ve survived on this show now seven and a half years, over 700 episodes of North Fulton business radio. And that’s because of you, our listener you have continue to love us on social media. And one of the things you do that I.
[00:28:20] John Ray: I’ve heard from a number of people is you share the show with people that you might think have an interest in the services of our guests on the show. And if you know someone out there that’s looking for that forever person, then you’ve heard from Kris here today, right? But we’ve got so many other business leaders that we’ve had on the show.
[00:28:40] John Ray: And you support them in that way and honor their work in that way. And thank you for that. That also helps us because it helps us live into our mission to be the voice of business in the North Fulton region. And I am grateful for you. So thank you. So for my guest, Kris Cugnon, I’m John Ray, join us next time here on North Fulton Business Radio.

Amanda Curd, Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, Prenups.com

November 16, 2023 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Amanda Curd, Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, Prenups.com

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Amanda Curd, Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, Prenups.com (Family Business Radio, Episode 50)

On this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen welcomed Amanda Curd, founder of Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, the mind behind Prenups.com. Amanda shared her career journey from being a physical therapist to opening her own Pilates studio, focusing on functional movements and promoting overall physical and mental strength. She discussed tailored practices for clients from different backgrounds, including those with specific needs due to conditions like cerebral palsy.

Aaron explained the concept and importance of prenuptial agreements as a tool for financial transparency, communication, and fairness in marriage. Aaron emphasized the need for such arrangements to avoid potentially destructive debates and stressors later in the marriage.

Anthony followed up with his guests about what they’ve seen as common reasons for failure in their clients. He concluded the show with comments about commitment and communication as critical to success.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

Anchor Pilates

Anchor Pilates specializes in one on one Pilates sessions. Amanda, owner of Anchor Pilates, brings her extensive background in movement analysis and function to the Pilates studio. Strength, balance, and posture, and how they relate to the individual client, are the cornerstones of Anchor Pilates. She uses the Pilates method and background as a physical therapist to get the most out her clients to help them get the most functional movement in their lives. That functional movement is dependent on the client’s life goals. Anchor Pilates takes the life goals and uses the strength, balance, and posture you gain from Pilates to anchor to life.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Amanda Curd, Owner/Instructor, Anchor Pilates, LLC

Amanda Curd is the owner of Anchor Pilates, LLC, located in Alpharetta, GA. She is also a licensed physical therapist, has a degree in Food and Nutrition, and holds varying Pilates certifications. She lives with her husband David and loves visits with her son who is at college. She enjoys all things fitness and nutrition.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, knitting, and taking long walks.

Prenups.com

Marriage is the most important legal contract you’ll ever sign, but no one has read it!

Today, the average couple has 8–10 bank accounts, 6-7 credit cards, equity in a property, multiple retirement accounts, tens of thousands in student loans, multiple vehicles, two jobs, and possibly a business, brokerage accounts, and inheritance. It is important to combine your financial lives fairly to avoid a messy end to a marriage, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars and have a devastating impact on each spouse’s life, children, and financial future.

Prenups.com has developed a plan for you to get married and structure your finances in a way that avoids the most common confusion and arguments couples have when it comes to their finances.

Often maligned, and seen as planning for the end of the marriage before it begins, or as a tool only for the ultra-wealthy, you can use this contract to lay the financial foundation for a happy marriage.

They’ll provide you with a customized playbook that eliminates the confusion about relationship finance, ensures you and your spouse have agreed to a fair plan for managing your money, and gives you the tools to plan for a long marriage together.

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

Aaron Thomas, Founder, Prenups.com

As a three-time winner of Atlanta’s Best Divorce Attorney, Aaron Thomas is one of the nation’s top experts in family law issues. He is a 2002 graduate of Harvard Law School, and from 2015-2022, his firm Aaron Thomas Law, was recognized by peers as one of the fastest growing family law firms in the state of Georgia. With clients ranging from NBA hall of famers and Superbowl winners to Grammy award winning artists, Aaron has extensive experience representing his clients in a range of family law matters, including divorce, custody, child support, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

As founder of Prenups.com, Aaron is widely viewed as the go-to source for writing fair prenups. He carries a fundamental belief that establishing a solid financial foundation during engagement can prevent many common marital disputes, and that fair prenups help create happy marriages.

Aaron is also the author of The Prenup Prescription: Meet the Premarital Contract Designed to Save Your Marriage.

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services are 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.

GWBC LACE Awards 2023

November 7, 2023 by angishields

GWBC Radio

GWBC LACE Awards 2023

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The GWBC LACE (Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence) Awards is an annual black-tie celebration for GWBC members, recognizing our outstanding corporate partners and women business enterprises (WBEs) for their commitment and contributions to the mission of the GWBC.

Matielyn Jones, GWBC

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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 Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom for 2023 GWB Lace Awards Gala, Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence. So excited to be talking to my guest right now. Matielyn Jones, Director of Operations at GWBC. Welcome.

Matielyn Jones: [00:00:38] Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:39] Now, are you excited about tonight’s event?

Matielyn Jones: [00:00:42] I am excited, I’m always excited to spend time with our women, business owners and corporate sponsors, so it’s going to be great.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:48] So what can people expect? What are some of the things that you’re looking forward to this evening?

Matielyn Jones: [00:00:53] Well, I am responsible for the team that manages the certification process. And so we have tons of applications that come through every single week, every day of the year. And I’m looking forward to putting faces with the names of all the.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:07] That’s right, because you’ve probably seen them or heard through email and over zoom or something like that. But you may not have met him in person.

Matielyn Jones: [00:01:14] Right, exactly. And so I we received their actual documents. So that would be all of their legal documents. And so we literally feel like we know them. Exactly. So, you know, the history of the business. Who started it. Where were they? You know, we’re looking at, you know, financial documents. We’re looking at who the owners are, all their resumes, all the things, the criteria for certification. So I literally feel like by the time an event like tonight comes around, I’m so excited because we get to put these faces with the names of people who, again, we memorize the details in our head of who these people are. So I’m excited.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:49] Now what for somebody who isn’t certified, what, like, what can they expect to go through the certification process? Like what are some of the things that they need in order to, you know, get through this process because it is arduous, because they’re it’s important to get it all right. And you can’t no one just because you say I’m a woman owned business doesn’t mean that you are really you got to jump through some hoops, right?

Matielyn Jones: [00:02:10] That’s right. And so we certify women owned businesses that can legally demonstrate that they are at least 51% woman owned, controlled, operated, and that they operate in a way that’s independent of any other business. And so we look through those legal documents to make sure that they are legally woman owned, 51% minimum. We my team, the certification team, does all the vetting of those applications. So we do the initial intake of those applications. We do the auditing, which is the line by line of every single piece of paper that comes in, which is which is very, very rigorous and tedious. However, we want to make sure that there is integrity in our process and that if we give someone that seal of approval saying they are a woman owned business, that we’ve gone through the process of making sure that they are legally so, and that process takes 60 to 90 days. Part of the reason why is because we do look at every single sheet of paper for every business that submits. Right now, we sit at around 1245 applications or certified businesses between Georgia and North Carolina and South Carolina. And we’re looking for ways to continue to make the process more efficient so we can certify more women do more outreach, things like that. So, yes, the process it takes about up to three months, but usually once people have submitted their applications and they’re good to go, we roll right along.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:30] And it’s important because a lot of the value that you’re going to get from being a certified business is that you’re going to have access to maybe some enterprise level organizations that are looking for these specific types of people to do business with, right? So you get fast tracked, and this could really change the trajectory of your business if you do this.

Matielyn Jones: [00:03:49] Absolutely. One of the things that is important to remember is that our certification process does not guarantee that anyone will secure a contract, but what it does do is it makes them competitive in the market for the contract. And so we are looking to certify because there are companies, corporations and the government that are both looking to spend money with women owned businesses, also with minority owned businesses, also with veteran owned businesses and whatnot. But for us, for women owned businesses, and they access our database to make sure that that vetting process is really done for them. And so they can search the database of all of our women owned businesses, because we this is a national certification that we process locally. And so they can use it nationally even though we process it locally. And so they look into our database to see who are the staffing agencies, who are the construction companies, who are, you know, whatever the business need is. And we take the vetting of that, you know, making sure that if they have this set aside for two to spend with women owned businesses, that at least this group of women owned businesses they know have been vetted as such.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:56] And that spend isn’t just a little bit of money, right? It’s. Billions and billions of dollars.

Matielyn Jones: [00:05:03] It’s billions last. Earlier this year in April, I went to the top corporations luncheon, and it was Maria and I who was the director of programs. It was our second day on this job. We both started in April. And you know the numbers in the room. 2 billion here, 4 billion there. It starts at 5 million money.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:22] Right.

Matielyn Jones: [00:05:22] It added up and I said, I said, I’ve never been in a room where it was like a flex. How much you spend with women owned businesses. It was exciting and it was a great welcome and introduction to the organization. But it was very exciting and I’m very proud of all the companies that come together to really support women owned businesses in this way.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:41] And for people who want to learn more about getting certified themselves or getting re certified, if maybe they have done it in the past, what’s the best kind of way to connect with you?

Matielyn Jones: [00:05:51] Sure, I think the best way is to go to our website. It is for the Greater Women’s Business Council. So that is GW, BC. Org, our certification team. Photos and pictures are there. You can email us directly at certification at GW PBS.org. You can also reach out to me directly at M Jones at GW PBS.org. But we would love to hear from you. I’m always open to questions and walking you through as best I can, high level through your application, but just know that our goal is to make sure that we audit these documents well, and that we really set people up for success who want to compete in this market.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:28] Well, congratulations on all you do. I mean, you’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Matielyn Jones: [00:06:32] Thank you so much. And thank you for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:34] All right. We’ll be back in a few at GW. Bc Lace Awards Gala 2023.

Chef Maria Kemp, Beyond Decadence

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TRANSCRIPT

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

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom for the 2023 GWBC Lace Awards Gala, Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence. And one of those ladies here right now, Chef Maria Kemp. Welcome.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:00:34] Thank you so much, Lee. Hey, it’s finally great to meet you in person.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:38] I know we did an interview virtually, and now we’re meeting in person. For those who don’t know, tell us a little bit about your business.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:00:43] Well, I own Beyond Decadence, and I am the D and B pastry chef, which stands for diversity, equity, Inclusion and belonging. And I create a fusion between desserts and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging training.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:59] There you go. And then backstory how you got into this line of work.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:01:02] Oh goodness, I went to pastry school. Let’s just round up and say a million years ago, after spending, you know, 1,000,000.5 years in the IT world, went to the prestigious French pastry school in Chicago and became professionally trained and had a brick and mortar business, a couple pop up bakeries through the years in Illinois and now North Carolina, and then during the pandemic, ended up morphing. I like that word instead of pivot, because pivot was the most overused word of the pandemic.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:30] It’s an evolution.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:01:31] It is, it is. But I like the word morphed. So I ended up morphing. And, you know, combining two of my passions, you know, to be an advocate and an ally in the diversity space and baking, because I had done production, baking and catering for a long time and needed a change and something that was more impactful.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:49] Now, what’s your number one tip for that home? Baker?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:01:53] Um, probably similar to some of the trades where they say, what is it? Measure twice, cut once.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:01] Because baking is like chemistry, right? It’s not like yeah, just throw a little bit in. It’s not like cooking where you can just sprinkle stuff in or eyeball things.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:02:08] Yeah. The whole bam thing, you know that that doesn’t work in baking. No. You definitely need to make sure that you measure accurately, whether you’re using a scale or whether you’re using a liquid measuring cup or regular traditional dry measuring cups. Accuracy is key.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:23] Now, what about when it came to developing your programs involving baking and Di? How did that come about?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:02:31] It came about through a request from a client who said, you know, we really want to work with you, but we’ve been watching you and we work with the safe of Savory Chef last year, and we’d love to do something with you. And so that started and developed something for Juneteenth that paired together a bourbon sweet potato pie with marshmallow meringue and the messaging. But then it kept evolving through another client, Flagstar Bank and Amerihealth Caritas. Then there was Kimberly-Clark, and there was probably one other one in there I’ve missed too, but it really came together full scale when I got asked to or approved to be a speaker, a breakout session speaker at the 11th annual BMW Supplier Diversity Exchange and Conference, which is held every year for 11 years, ten, 11 years down in Greenville. And I led a breakout session, 100 people in each session two times, about 45 minutes, and just knocked it out of the park because people didn’t understand. They’re like, how are you going to merge together? Baking and pastry. Are you a pastry chef or your trainer? Are we going to cook something? Then other people are like, well, I heard you mention desserts from the podium. And is it bad that I came because I knew I’d get dessert? I said, no, it’s all part of my evil plan. That’s right. I just need to get you in here, and then I can explain it to you and help educate you.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:47] And then when you do your talk, they also. There is a dessert involved.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:03:51] No, I just tell them. No. I do know after I do the demonstration and walk through the experience of how desserts can be used to show diversity, equity versus inclusion, inclusion. Excuse me. Equity versus equality, inclusion versus exclusion, belonging versus not belonging. After we walk through that and they experience firsthand and say, you know, I didn’t like the way that felt or I felt bad for them because they didn’t get anything, I was going to give them mine. When you experience it firsthand, then it resonates. It becomes real. It becomes real. Then you can go out and be an ally, and then you can say, I remember how that felt and I didn’t like it. So after all of that, then they do get to eat their dessert. And that’s the best part.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:35] And that’s the beauty of this is they get to learn something, but they also get a sweet treat. Right?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:04:40] And food resonates. I mean, don’t we all wake up or fall asleep to Food Network every night or, or the Greatest British Baking Show? So when people, you know hear that they’re going to get dessert, but then they experience and get the lesson out of it, then get to, you know, enjoy the dessert as well, then that makes it stick. And it’s powerful. I mean, food is power.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:00] Now for folks who maybe aren’t certified yet, how has being certified helped you kind of have these conversations with those kind of folks?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:05:09] It’s opened me up to an audience that I would not have had access to otherwise. It’s easy to open any periodical and see who the major companies, the major players are in any city or any state that you live in. But to have events that take place where you have an opportunity to meet them and interact with them, but most importantly, build a relationship. Just being certified and saying, I’m certified, hire me now.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:35] Doesn’t work.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:05:35] That doesn’t work. That doesn’t work.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:37] Paying your dues and just waiting by the phone is not a good strategy, right?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:05:40] That’s that’s that’s that’s being hopeful. But building the relationships and them getting to know you, you getting to know them, understanding the problem they’re trying to solve and the solution that you can bring to it, but them also watching you. I know there’s people who watch me on LinkedIn. They’re watching me, what I’m doing, how my career is growing, what I’m getting involved in, the people I’m meeting, the exposure, the response, the reaction from the crowd reading the facial expressions like, wow, they were really enjoying what she was doing. So being certified has done nothing but catapult that and the people, if I started naming them. But I’m not going to name drop that I’ve had access to and exposure to and discussions with and discussions that are coming is mind blowing.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:27] So what do you look forward most to this evening? How are you going to get the most out of this evening?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:06:33] I don’t know, I’m so shy. I’m going to hide in the corner. I don’t think so. No, I’m a greeter. So you can’t hide. No, no, there’s no hiding. No, I don’t want to hide. Just interacting with people. I’ve met a lot of them, but there’s a lot that I have not met and just, you know, enjoying the experience and just expanding my network and building new relationships and furthering ones that are already established.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:57] Yeah, GWB does a great job of connecting people together and matchmaking and really putting names to faces that maybe you’ve met virtually, but now you can meet them in person, right?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:07:08] And we’ve a lot of us were just down at National in DC, but then we were in Greenville together, and I think there was something else in the middle. No, it was just those two. So I recognized some of the names. Right. Yeah. They’re going to be here tonight and they’re all friends tonight. They’re old friends. I’ve already emailed them. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:26] So if somebody wants to get a hold of you, what’s the website?

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:07:29] Website is WW beyond decadence.com. That’s w-w-w beyond decadence.com. Or you can find me on LinkedIn. Very active on LinkedIn under Chef Maria Kemp.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:41] Good stuff. Well Chef Maria, thank you so much for sharing your story, doing such important work. And we appreciate.

Chef Maria Kemp: [00:07:45] It. Thank you. Thank you for having me. It’s good to meet you in person.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:48] All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few at the 2023 GW Black Lace Awards Gala.

Lashunda Brown, Odyssey Training Solutions

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TRANSCRIPT

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

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Broadcasting live from the Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom. It’s the 2023 GWBC Lace Awards Gala, Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellent. And our guest right now is Lashunda Brown with Odyssey Training Solutions. Welcome.

Lashunda Brown: [00:00:36] Thank you. I’m happy to be here.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:38] Well what are you most excited about seeing at this great event?

Lashunda Brown: [00:00:42] Oh my. So excited to just join in the women who will be receiving their great awards for all their achievements, and to just join in and just accelerate them and edify them and just enjoy this fabulous evening.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:00] I know everybody’s all dressed up. The aquarium is looking great. Beautiful venue.

Lashunda Brown: [00:01:05] Absolutely. Thank you.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:06] Are you looking to connect with some folks? Maybe you’ve met virtually, but you haven’t seen in person?

Lashunda Brown: [00:01:11] I have, as a matter of fact, some of the folks that we were in sessions with this week for productions and things of that nature, being able to connect those faces with voices, it’s been exciting.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:21] Well, tell us a little bit about your business Odyssey Training Solutions. How you serving folks?

Lashunda Brown: [00:01:26] Yeah. So Odyssey Training Solutions is a full cycle really one stop shop for all your training needs. We provide professional management workforce development solutions. We have a array of training. And we provide not only virtual, but we also are doing a lot of in-person training again, which has been super excited. And we can pretty much customize and provide the solution that you need.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:52] Is there a kind of a sweet spot for an ideal client? Is there a size or the industry that you work in, or are you pretty industry agnostic?

Lashunda Brown: [00:02:00] We are across all verticals, all industries, and we have multiple subject matter experts.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:05] So now how did you get involved with GW, BC and get certified?

Lashunda Brown: [00:02:09] Oh well, I’ve been certified for over a year now and as a woman owned business, it was the obvious most progressive next step to make that connection. And one of my mentors was kind of like, you’ve got to be part of this now that you’re in Georgia. And here we are.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:29] Here we are. Have you met some interesting folks?

Lashunda Brown: [00:02:32] Always. I just love the wonderful array of just intelligence and the different fields and the line of businesses and industries that everyone bring to the table is simply a joy.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:44] Now, any advice for somebody, maybe who isn’t certified yet about getting certified? Is it something that you found beneficial for your company?

Lashunda Brown: [00:02:52] I believe that you, you know, certainly make sure that you are have your due diligence on paperwork and making sure that because, you know, it is a pretty lengthy process. So you want to make sure that you have your paperwork together. And I would recommend that, you know, if you’re doing it alone, perhaps connect with someone, maybe a mentor or mentee or even another WB that’s already certified so that they can, you know, provide you guidance to ensure that you get everything in properly.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:22] Now when it comes to getting involved in the business association like GW, BC how do you kind of wring out the most value? Like what do you do to kind of get the most out of your membership? Because it’s not you don’t want to just pay money to join something and then just sit back and wait for the phone to ring. That doesn’t usually work.

Lashunda Brown: [00:03:40] Oh, absolutely. I believe that, you know, if you’re going to put forth the effort, you need to be prepared to do the work, right. There are a lot of opportunities. There are a lot of events, the the wealth of information and the knowledge and the networking and the events that are available. You certainly have to take advantage of it. But again, once you get certified, you do have to do the work. You want to make the best of it. So it does become an individual decision to make that decision to go further.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:11] And then part of your decision was to come here and help out for this event.

Lashunda Brown: [00:04:15] Absolutely. I’ve been providing you know, I’ve been attending some events in the past and it was a need for volunteer. And I’m thinking, yeah, absolutely, I’ll help out. I love helping out in the community. I’m in other community service events and do other community service volunteer. So of course I wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to do so.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:39] And then if somebody wants to connect with you and learn more about Odyssey, what is the website?

Lashunda Brown: [00:04:45] Oh, absolutely. So you can find us at WW Dot Odyssey Training Solutions. And that’s with an S plural dot net. Or you can reach me personally at lashonda at Odyssey Training Solutions dot net.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:59] Good stuff. Well. Thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Lashunda Brown: [00:05:04] Thank you. Thank you for your time.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:05] All right. This Lee Kantor back in a few at 2023 GW BC Lace Awards Gala.

Vince “The Voice’ Bailey, Vince the Voice

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TRANSCRIPT

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

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here, broadcasting live from the Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom for the 2023 GWBC Lace Awards Gala, Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence. Right now we have Vince the Voice Bailey, the emcee of tonight’s event. Welcome, man.

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:00:35] Hey, thanks a lot, man. Great being here with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:37] That voice is just it’s instantly recognizable.

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:00:42] Oh, thank you so much. Yes, yes. Great to be here. Great to be here with you.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:46] So when did you know you had the voice?

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:00:48] You know what, man? I’ve been doing this kind of thing for quite a while, and I just love to read it as a kid, to the point where the nuns were like anybody but Vince. Come up and read, and I haven’t stopped talking yet.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] So is it just years of smoking? What is your secret?

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:01:06] Well, that, to be honest with you, but I got into this world of media production at a young age and never, never let go.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:15] So what’s your favorite part of production?

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:01:17] You know what? Actually, it’s things like this tonight. I mean, I do commercials and shoot and all that and editing. But like tonight you have the affair and it’s over and the check is good and it’s a wrap as opposed to, you know, having to do some post-production stuff.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:33] Now, any advice for folks out there that are looking to do production? Because so many people I’m sure you’ve seen think they can do this themselves?

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:01:42] Well, I taught and I teach privately. Voiceover and I taught at Clayton State for 12 years. And so I’ll hit that because a lot of people, you know, how do you get into voiceover and what do you do. And so I’m going to drop some nuggets on you first of all, and that is that you begin 99 times out of 99in the world that you live in. So if you’re in education, if you’re in aviation, if you’re in medical, if you’re whatever you’re in, the first opportunities will present themselves in that arena before you go out there. Everyone wants to do the McDonald’s commercials, but who’s going to do Mike’s hamburgers down the street, if you know what I mean? And so I’ve had some success with that, more of a blue collar approach to this whole world of entertainment, and it keeps you working. So I think another thing along those lines, you mentioned productions here in Atlanta is such an entertaining environment, but it’s also a very, as you guys know, corporate environment and corporate entities need just as much production as as the singers and dancers and party people.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:42] So so that might not be as sexy, but there’s a lot of money being made in that space.

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:02:47] Look at me right now. I got on this suit and tie. The ladies is taking pictures with me. I mean, you know, I’d rather do it like this.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:55] So now, what about when it comes to video production? A lot of folks think, you know, I’ve got a camera on my phone, so why do I need to hire somebody?

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:03:03] Yeah, well, I hear that a lot. And people have gone to that. And then they come back to you because you as a professional, you know, I go into a situation. My first question to a client is what do you want people to do after they watch this. And that will dictate the flow? You know, the appeal. It’s got to be for a purpose. You know, I don’t we’re not just taking pretty pictures. We’re trying to get people to either buy this product or investigate this organization or donate or something. There needs to be a purpose. So that’s where the challenge comes in. And that’s why they need to hire somebody like me instead of your cousin with the cell phone.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:45] Now, what is kind of your ideal client? Who is it? Somebody corporate. You know what is what’s the ideal client for your production company? Well, I tell.

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:03:54] You what, this I this is, I want to say, my 10th year, I started in the back of the room as the voice of God. With this, I had met Ross Lewis through the Atlanta Business League back when. And so his voice of God. And then for probably the past seven, eight years, I’ve been on the on the stage and it has been a great relationship and so much so because, you know, the audience is is is a tremendous audience. And as a result, opportunities, some major opportunities have presented from from being in this room. And so events like that, you know, these ties and the bling bling that I have on, I emcee, believe it or not, guys, as a licensed National Dance Council of America ballroom dance competitions professional, I’m talking Russians and all over the country and outside of the country. And it’s amazing that, first of all, I have to pinch myself that I’m even in that environment. But when it comes to that, I think that part of the success has been I. Said, you know that a lot of Russians. I’m a stickler about names. So if her name is Oksana Zolotarev Skya, you need to say Oksana Zolotarev Skya. And a lot of times people, oh, you know, no, that’s their name. And there’s many names like that. That’s just a little thing, a little something different. And it enamors them to you and say, hey, you know, you want to make people feel good. So even though Sally weighs 430 pounds, that purple is popping girl, you know. And that was a great shot shot.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:34] So if somebody wants to learn more about your production company or hire you to emcee their event, what is the website?

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:05:40] Well, I appreciate that. They can look me up at Vince the voice.com. You can Google me. Vince the voice. I’ve been doing a lot of this. Like I say, the nuns are proud of me. I was a good speller and a good reader, and I appreciate the good enunciator and a good dancer.

Speaker5: [00:05:56] But I can break it down now for me too. It depends on what we’re selling.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:01] Well, thank you so much for spending some time with us this evening. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Vince “The Voice” Bailey: [00:06:06] It’s truly an honor. Thank you guys at Business RadioX.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:09] All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few at the 2023 GW Lace Awards Gala.

Keya Grant, Constellation Brands and

Rachael Humphrey, Metro Records Management

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TRANSCRIPT

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

Lee Kantor: [00:00:18] Lee Kantor here. Broadcasting live from the Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom for the 2023 GWBC Lace Awards Gala, Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence. Keya Grant and Rachael Humphrey here, the co-chairs of this great event. Welcome, ladies.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:00:36] Hello, hello, hello.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:38] So for the folks out there who aren’t familiar with the event, tell us what you got planned.

Keya Grant: [00:00:42] So this is a night to celebrate corporations and clubs who have done exemplary work in their respective companies and fields. So we are looking forward to celebrating those phenomenal people.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:57] And then there’s also a silent auction.

Keya Grant: [00:00:59] There’s a silent auction.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:02] Go ahead.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:01:02] Yes. No.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:03] Jump in there, Rachael.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:01:04] No, no, that’s exactly right. Us. But Keya and I are the co-chairs of the awards committee. So we’re a subcommittee of the subcommittee?

Lee Kantor: [00:01:15] Yes, but you’re co chairs.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:01:16] Yes.

Keya Grant: [00:01:16] Correct.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:01:17] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:17] And then so for people who aren’t familiar with an event like this, so they can expect awards for great work throughout the year, but there’s also a silent auction to raise money, correct.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:01:27] Yes. This is a non for profit. Right. So there are wonderful items up for auction and trips and trips. Trips. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:36] And those power lunch power lunches right. Awesome. That’s awesome. Whose idea was that? The committee. Yes, I know, but you got great roster of folks to have power lunch with, correct?

Rachael Humphrey: [00:01:48] Yes.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:49] And how do you pull something like that off?

Keya Grant: [00:01:52] People are just really excited to support WBS and making sure that they are empowered and mentored. And what better way to do that than to have a power lunch now?

Lee Kantor: [00:02:02] How long have you been working with GWBC?

Rachael Humphrey: [00:02:06] Oh my goodness, I have been I have been a WBE, so I am a small business where Keya is a corporation right. So I’m a small business and I’ve been around for I’m just going to say many many many years.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:19] But what inspired you to get part of this great organization?

Rachael Humphrey: [00:02:22] I became a part because I wanted to network, I guess is a word which I don’t like the word network, but I wanted to be around women who are like minded, those who were looking for business just like I was, and the corporations that were looking for people like me. Right. So that is a partnership that you need, not just meeting people, but a partnership. You want to meet people who are looking for you and you’re looking for them. And that’s what this organization allows.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:50] And it’s it’s almost like a cheat code for a small business to get in front and build relationships with folks that would be very difficult to meet if they weren’t part of this organization.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:03:00] Exactly. And like you said, that there’s an opportunity for you to have lunches and to also partners. That’s one of the things that in the auction, people love that part of this, of this, this event, the event. Yeah. Right.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:13] Well it’s relationships now. Absolutely. Keya talk about from your lens about the importance of WBC. Yeah of course.

Keya Grant: [00:03:20] So I have been involved with GWBC for probably 18 years, and it has been through the capacity of working for a major corporations that support WBEs and this amazing organization. So I help to help my company, the companies I work for, find qualified WBEs to fulfill our goals and needs. Right. Yeah. And so and diversify our supply chain.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:49] And then how are you seeing, you know, being involved for so many years. Are you seeing an evolution of that women business owner. Sure.

Keya Grant: [00:03:56] Absolutely. I’ve mentored I can’t tell you how many women business owners in my career. And I can tell you what my my current company now, our largest spend is WBE spend.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:07] Wow. Yeah. So that’s inspiring to hear from a lot of the folks in this room, I’m sure. Yes.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:04:13] And he is being modest because I’ve been around a long time. And even if you’ve been around a long time, if you have someone like Keya in your corner, she’s going to introduce you to somebody and that’s what you want, right? And if it’s not something that I’m doing, then I know somebody who is doing something that she might need. Right? So continuous apart, like you said, not only mentoring but partnering, but also just referring each other. And that’s what it’s all about. You know, just people doing business. I tell people all the time, I may not know somebody, but I know somebody who knows somebody.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:45] And that’s that’s just as good.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:04:47] That’s important.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:48] Yeah. And a lot of folks get impatient. I think they think that, oh, I’m here for. Here’s my business card. Where’s the money? And it’s not like that. This is about relationships. And it takes time.

Keya Grant: [00:04:58] Exactly. And I try to I try. To mitigate expectations. And it is about timing and it’s divine timing. Right. And it is about just and I always tell people just because you’re certified does not guarantee you business. Yes, you have to be involved with the organization, right. You have to come to events, show.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:18] Up and volunteer here. Absolutely. Yeah.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:05:20] Exactly. Exactly. Because it’s not like Keya, you know, people like to pass out the card and think, oh, I’m gonna get new business. It doesn’t happen like that, right? I was with Coca-Cola and some other big names that that I had, but it took years right before it was my time. Right.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:37] Years to be an overnight success, right?

Rachael Humphrey: [00:05:39] Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. So. And you have to be patient.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:43] So let’s talk about your businesses for a minute. You want to talk about your firm.

Keya Grant: [00:05:48] Sure. So I work for Constellation Brands. We are the number one beer company now in the world. We are based in Rochester, New York. In Chicago, our portfolio includes modelo, Corona, Pacifico, Svedka vodka, we’re Bridge Wine, Robert Mondavi, Meiomi. We have a huge portfolio of brands.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:08] And then so folks can talk to you at GWBC you’re involved in hiring, like, what are the typical hires?

Keya Grant: [00:06:16] No, do not call me.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:17] Don’t call you.

Keya Grant: [00:06:18] I’m not hiring. But of course we’re looking for a WBE right.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:22] Like to partner with correct. There are certain niches that you look for.

Keya Grant: [00:06:25] So logistics marketing and it good stuff.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:30] Yeah. And then Rachel yes.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:06:32] Well I’ve been in business since 1998. It’s woman owned minority owned and I do mail copy print I do it managed services. I have a partner. And having a partner allows you to expand what you do. So I have a managed service partner that I’ve been with for over 14 years. And we do equipment. We do like we we are the ones who do the excuse me, your office, if you need an equipment to do your copiers and your right.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:04] So yeah, any type of equipment.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:07:06] Any type of equipment, we can do that. And we do phone services as well. We do what you get when your phone. So it’s been a good partner. But I learned in this and not only just as a person in a business, it’s good to partner with people. That’s right. And it’s not only in as a corporate but also a WB. I partner with WB because I may not be able to fulfill with the right partner.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:30] You can do anything correct.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:07:31] You can expand what your needs and it helps to build capacity and scale. Right. Exactly, exactly.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:37] All right. So before we wrap up website for Constellation Brands.

Keya Grant: [00:07:40] W-w-w dot C brands.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:42] All right. And Rachel?

Rachael Humphrey: [00:07:43] WW dot w metro records management.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:48] All right. Well thank you both for participating. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you know thank.

Rachael Humphrey: [00:07:53] You for having us.

Keya Grant: [00:07:54] Thanks for having us.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:55] All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few at 2023 GW BC Lace Awards Gala.

Sharon Goldmacher, C21PR

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TRANSCRIPT

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

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:00:36] Hi, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:37] So for the folks who don’t know, tell us a little bit about communications 21.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:00:41] Absolutely. We are a digital marketing and PR firm based here in Atlanta. We have clients across the country. We do a wide range of services, including creation of websites. We manage all social media. We do email marketing, anything digital and online that we can measure. We typically do, including videos. We love to work with folks like yourselves to get the word out. We do traditional PR as well event planning and execution, media relations, executive media training, and more.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:17] And full disclosure, one of your clients is GW.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:01:20] They are one of our best clients.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:22] And then talk about an event like this. How does this fit into someone’s kind of marketing plan?

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:01:27] Well, this is the culmination of an entire year of events and programing for Greater Women’s Business Council, in part because they are crowning the achievements of both corporate partners and women business enterprises that they work very hard with all year. And we’re happy to be a small part of it in terms of promoting it on social media, doing videos as part of the program, and really and we’re also actually honored because we are entered for a Trailblazer Award this year. So we’re excited about that. But yeah, it’s Roz Lewis and her team work very hard to both increase the number of women owned businesses in our region, and then honor those people who have worked really hard to achieve the mission of WBC.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:15] Now. Any advice for the maybe the women business owners that are listening here on how to, if they can’t afford their own PR firm like yours? What is some of the low hanging fruit they can do to help them get the word out?

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:02:28] Social media is a very powerful tool. Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn those are great ways to self publish and really get their expertise out there. In addition, going to their local newspapers and magazines and just saying, hey, you should know that I do this and I may be the only person in town that does this, and I’d be happy to talk to you. So what we do and what I tell my team is what we do is not rocket science, but we love doing it. And there are many of our clients who just don’t have time to do it and don’t really know where to begin. So we try to make it easy for them and give them advice.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:10] Now, when you’re saying to reach out to local media that’s in their area, that means to actually reach out and build a relationship, right? Like this isn’t something you just spam them with emails about, hey, you know, I’m doing this thing right? You’re right. Really. Invest in relationship. That’s the only way that this really works for any length of time in our.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:03:30] Industry, it’s called media relations. And that’s why it’s called building a relationship with media.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:35] It’s a key component to that.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:03:36] It is the component. Absolutely. So, you know, understanding what a reporter writes about and what interests them is also really important because you can’t just, as you said, spam them with information that they have no clue or it doesn’t make sense to their audience. So you have to know who you’re talking to and then make it relevant to them.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:57] Now for what’s kind of your elevator pitch for WBC. Like, how would you kind of synopsize what they do for people who aren’t familiar.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:04:07] They educate and empower women business owners.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:12] And then any women business owners should seriously consider being certified. For what reasons?

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:04:18] It really does get you in front of a large audience of corporations and businesses that are looking to meet their supplier diversity goals, and they know that with the certification from Webbank and WBC, that you already meet the gold standard for doing business with them. So they’re not going to waste your time because you’ve gone through and done the hard work to get certified.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:46] And then the amount of money that’s available for women owned businesses or minority owned businesses or veteran owned businesses, can you give them the listener an idea of the quantity of money that’s out there? It’s it’s not just it’s in the millions.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:05:01] If not more. Yeah, there’s a very intentional focus on trying to lift up women owned businesses as well as minorities and veterans. But it’s a maze to really understand how to access that. And organizations like GW, BC and Webbank work hard to simplify that for women owned businesses because they build the relationships with the corporations like BMW or Truist, who are looking to meet those supplier diversity goals. And they rely on GW, bc to make those relationships happen.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:41] Right. And they’re kind of the bridge between a lot of these enterprise level companies and these small businesses.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:05:47] Yes, they are the bridge. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:50] So if somebody wants to learn more about your PR firm, what’s the website?

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:05:54] Our website is C 21 pr.com. And you can find us on the web and on social media. And we’d love to talk to anybody who is interested.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:04] Well, Sharon, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Sharon Goldmacher: [00:06:08] Thanks, Lee. You as well. We appreciate Business RadioX. Thanks.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:12] All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few at the 2023 GW BC Lace Awards Gala.

Moira Vetter, Modo Modo Agency

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TRANSCRIPT

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

Moira Vetter: [00:00:34] Thank you so much.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:35] It’s been a hot minute since we’ve last chatted, I think. Would you say seven, ten years ago?

Moira Vetter: [00:00:39] Something like that.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:41] We’re still here.

Moira Vetter: [00:00:42] I’m still hear going strong all these years later.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] And you’re up for a Trailblazer Award. Talk about it. How did that happen?

Moira Vetter: [00:00:48] You know, we have had a really good year. You know, I think any time you’re doing well as a business, you know, you talk about your blessings and the team that you have. We’re really fortunate. You know, the world is still very interesting. There’s a lot of change and turmoil, but we are just really committed and flexible. And, you know, I think we have really resilient people and we have very close relationships with our clients. And that, you know, enables us to, you know, at times like these when it gets interesting, really kind of hunker down and focus on the stuff that matters. And so it’s really it’s paid off for us. We’ve had a lot of wins in the last year. We’re an Inc 5000 company for the fourth time this year and an Inc power partner, which is a B2B award that they have and have had all kinds of other things. But, you know, those are the ones that really speak to us because they come directly from the work we’re doing with our clients.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:44] So talk about your firm. Who do you serve and what’s the pain that your clients are having when they call you? Yeah.

Moira Vetter: [00:01:51] So we are Moto Moto Agency. We are a creative and media agency here in Atlanta, heavily serve B2B clients, not exclusively B2B, but often very complex global businesses. It’s very difficult to manage your brand and your position in a world that is in turmoil. And then you think about all of the changes in the the workforce and all the all the labor challenges and the economic challenges. It gets really hard to plant a flag, you know, and, and to sort of be your brand and be consistent about it when it needs to be changing all the time. And so our clients, you know, sometimes they come to us because their whole industry has changed and they want to lead that effort. Right. They want to be at the forefront and they want to be very visible for the leadership that they provide. Other times, it really is about being an extension of their team and partnering with them. So if I think about last year, last year was heavily about we are down, we’re down, men, women, children, you know, like we just don’t have the people that we need. And we don’t just need doers. We need thinkers who can come in, assess and go. And so, you know, last year was a lot of that. It was a and it was also about helping them recruit and find team members this year because the economy has been so, you know, uncertain. That’s everybody’s favorite word or the headwinds. Right.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:21] Everybody because there’s always certainty in the economy. Right. Sure.

Moira Vetter: [00:03:24] Right. That’s yeah. Somebody said to me today it feels kind of uncertain like like every other day. Yeah. But you know, I feel like this year it’s been more about how do we get quicker returns, how do we convert sales, how do we focus on the activities that correlate directly to revenue because the pressure has come back? I think people had a little more flex in coming through the pandemic. Everybody was surviving, and I think the focus on KPI lifted a little and it was, you know, keep the wheels on, keep going. And 2023 has been the year of don’t keep going, only keep going on the things that are delivering. Right. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:05] And it’s hard to prioritize in a world like this. Right. Is this where you’re kind of expertise and the thought leadership and the trusted advisor role that you have? It really comes in handy to give them that, that third party fresh eyes looking at this stuff.

Moira Vetter: [00:04:20] Yes, yes. And you know, one thing I will say, you know, agencies are infamous for high turnover and short tenure. You know, the agency industry is very dynamic and fast moving and, you know, perhaps has a higher, you know, transiency. And we’ve been able to buck that curve. Our average team member has been with us over four years. We’ve got people that have been at the company 14 years, 12 years, you know, which is kind of, you know, outside the ordinary. And the benefit of that is when our clients come. It’s not just that we have, you know, somebody that writes well or, you know, hey, I need a good designer. It’s. I need a team that knows how to work together to solve problems like this, and they can just leave it at that. And so, you know, I feel like that’s people want people to know what they need. They don’t want to have to tell you what they need. They just want to be able to frame challenges. And so that’s really where we try to put more senior people in front of our clients, who are typically more senior people and just, you know, think as creatively as possible and be here, right, and have that same team here to deliver that.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:37] Now any advice for that woman business owner when it comes to building a culture like that? Because that doesn’t happen accidentally. That’s because you’re a visionary. And and the culture is where the rubber hits the road. There’s a lot of people that would like to have a culture as strong as yours, but you’re actually delivering this, obviously, with the success and recognition you’re getting here and, and all those other places you mentioned. So how do you build a culture that can kind of last and stand the test of time like you have?

Moira Vetter: [00:06:06] You know, one of the things is you have to keep telling people what that culture is and why it’s important to people. I think, you know, lots of people have, you know, mission and vision statements and they’re interchangeable.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:19] Like, you can you can’t.

Moira Vetter: [00:06:21] Tell the brand, say those things. Right. But, you know, we try to really show people what the benefit of those things are, both to our to us internally and to our clients. You know, I think part of it is just intending to scale. I gave a talk recently to the Cobb Executive Women’s Group and part of the Cobb Chamber, and one of the things I was doing, I was looking at statistics on businesses that scale, and I was looking at SBA insights on small business. And the average small business in the country has 1.9 employees, which means small businesses on average are a job, right? It’s one person with a job and their cousin. Right. So, you know, scale is a challenge. It’s not just a challenge for women. It’s a challenge for lots of businesses. And I think being intentional about having a plan is really important. I think one of the hardest things for women is when you know someone doesn’t fit the plan, help them find something else, right? Which doesn’t come second nature to a lot of women. I think women are comforters and, you know, try to make it work, right. We’re going to make it work and we’ll find the thing. And if you’re really serious about scale, you also have to be able to accept that sometimes you can’t do that.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:46] Right. And it’s one of those things where you’ve got to know when to say yes and when to say no. Yeah, and it’s important to cut people loose. If it’s not, if it’s not an ideal fit, then let’s there’s a big world out there.

Moira Vetter: [00:07:57] Exactly, exactly. And you know, I think that also, you know, we were talking about we’ve been around a while. It’s something that you don’t know early on. Right. Early on the idea of maybe having someone that’s not a fit and having to let them go seems like the end of the world until you get to a place in your career where you meet somebody that you, that your paths diverged and you realize, oh my God, they’re in the perfect place. Like they thank God we got to this place where we realized that we weren’t perfect together, because look at who they are now or look at what they’ve become. And that doesn’t happen when everybody just keeps trying.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:35] Now talk a little bit about why it was important for you to get involved as a certified woman business owner and be part of Jdbc and this event.

Moira Vetter: [00:08:45] So I’d love to say before it was cool to be on a supplier diversity list. We did this, but we specifically did this because we had a client Southwire company actually years ago was getting very serious about their supplier diversity. It was in the one, I don’t know, 2008 nine ish timeframe. And so Moto was new at the time and our client said it is critical to our leadership team that we diversify our vendor list. And in order to prove that, you know, we need people that are certified. And I said, well, if it matters to you, it matters to me. And so, you know, initially it happened because it mattered to our customer. Increasing it has also been a benefit to us. You know, we have had times where we would have had very extended payment terms. And I know that is a very that’s real difficult thing right now. The the US Chamber of Commerce has just advanced something on a quick payment pledge for large corporations that bring in small businesses because.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:53] Their time frames the 30, 60, 90, 120. And it’s crazy.

Moira Vetter: [00:09:57] Yes, yes. And it’s coming up more and more. And to I’m not. I’m going to say it’s nothing to them, but it is more a line item on a on a sheet and a.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:06] Spreadsheet for them, a spreadsheet. It’s their, you know, their family’s life. Exactly. Small business.

Moira Vetter: [00:10:12] So, you know, we’ve been able to use our Webbank certification before when someone wanted us to have 90 day payment terms and get, you know, 30 day payment terms. So it was hugely advantageous to us. You know, we have used referrals that have come through the network. We have used education. I was able to benefit from a education program that we Bank and Bank of America put together with Cornell University, which was a certificate in entrepreneurship specifically for women. And so, you know, there’s really been so many ways that that being involved and being certified within Webbank and with, you know, Georgia Women’s Business Council has really paid off for us.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:59] And if somebody wants to learn more about Minamoto, what’s the website?

Moira Vetter: [00:11:03] All right. So first of all, Moto Moto is not moto. So we’ll start there. It’s Moto Moto Agency. So m o d as in dog o m o d o agency.com. Everybody thinks of the animated movie with the moto character and so that that that that t is going to be the death of me.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:24] But so Moto Moto.

Moira Vetter: [00:11:26] Agency.com is the website and of course we’re on LinkedIn and all the things, but very active on LinkedIn with some good thought leadership there too.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:35] Well, congratulations for all that you do and good luck this evening. And thank you so much for taking part of this. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

Moira Vetter: [00:11:44] Thank you so much and thanks for sharing everybody’s story.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:46] All right. This is Lee Kantor back in a few at 2023 GW Lace Awards Gala.

Meena Lahku with 52 Beginnings and Holly Payton with IBM

November 7, 2023 by angishields

Charitable Georgia

Meena Lahku with 52 Beginnings and Holly Payton with IBM

00:00 /

52 Beginnings was created by Meena Lahku, a Brand Marketing Expert and Publisher of Neighbors of Towne Lake.

Simply put, life is just a series of experiences, some good and some, well not so good. And what we do, as a result, is up to each of us.

This chapter of Meena’s life has presented an opportunity that she never would have ever dreamed about, but makes perfect sense and clearly gives all those experiences a better meaning after all.

She is able to help, give, grow, and continue to learn as she makes a positive impact by simply doing what she has always done naturally. Building relationships, being a good listener, and giving people what they want or need, and quite often, they just want to be heard, and that’s ok too.

At the end of the day, it all works out exactly the way it’s supposed to and Meena sleeps well knowing she did her part. So now, she enjoys the ride and finds inspiring people and credible businesses to share with the communities important to them. It really is about bringing good people together.

This page is sponsored by 52 Beginnings Local Media to give the people, organizations, and groups a voice in the community to reach more people.

Holly Payton is an Executive Consultant for IBM. She has a proven track record of over 25 years’ experience in the change management and learning arena, helping to accelerate user adoption of major business transformations.

Holly is an active participant in Woodstock Arts; teaching watercolor classes at the Reeves House, acting in ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ at the Elmstreet Theatre, and taking clay classes at the Kish House.

She and her husband, Stone, live in downtown Woodstock and are the parents of two daughters, who have been married in the past 12 months.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:07] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta. It’s time for Charitable Georgia. Brought to you by B’s Charitable Pursuits and resources. We put the fun in fund raising. For more information, go to B’s Charitable Pursuits dot com. That’s B’s Charitable Pursuits dot com. Now here’s your host, Brian Pruitt.

Brian Pruett: [00:00:45] Good, fabulous Friday morning. It’s another fabulous Friday, and we’ve got two fabulous guests here this morning. We’re supposed to have three, but our other guest is sick with a stomach bug, so we’ll get her back on here. But again, we’ve got two fabulous guests. And if this is your first time listening to Charitable Georgia, this is all about positive things happening in the community. So we are going to get started with Meena Lahku. I say it right. That’s right. Awesome. I get brownie points for doing it right. So you’re with 52 Compassionate Hearts as well as Best Version Media. So we’ll get into all that in just a second. But you’ve got a pretty cool backstory and it leads into your passion of what you’re doing. So if you don’t mind, just share your story with us.

Meena Lahku: [00:01:23] Okay, well, that’s. How much time do we have?

Brian Pruett: [00:01:27] I’ve got till 5:00. I don’t know about Holly, but.

Meena Lahku: [00:01:30] Okay, well, where should I start? I mean, you’ve heard the story, so it could. It could? Well, just.

Brian Pruett: [00:01:38] Our listeners don’t know anything about you, so just give a little bit about your background, and then while you’re doing well, we’ll talk about 52 Compassionate Arts in the magazine. But there’s a reason why you’ve started both of those. But so share just a little bit of share as much as you want to. Because like I tell people all the time, you don’t know who’s listening, who might need to hear your story.

Meena Lahku: [00:01:54] Right? Okay. Well, so there’s definitely a significance behind the name 52 beginnings. And just to kind of back up a little bit, you know, I guess the story started of the main part of it started. I’ll say like in 2019 and basically decided to start a business of my own with somebody that I was engaged to at the time. And, you know, things didn’t go as we had planned, so that relationship didn’t work out. It wasn’t a very positive relationship, to say the least. And, you know, I kind of came to a point where I had to make some decisions and decided to to to leave that opportunity. Although I loved the environment, the place that I was in, the type of work which was more in hospitality, it was a bed and breakfast, a a historic home that was transported up to the North Georgia mountains. There was an event venue seated 200 people. It was just a gorgeous, gorgeous property and I loved it up there. But it was also a toxic personal environment. Somewhat, I hate to say it, but somewhat of an abusive relationship that I had, I had to get out of. So I made that decision in 2020 to just leave and cut my losses. And whatever happens, happens. And chips kind of fall where they may. And so that happened in March of 2020, and we all know what happened that month as well. So, you know, just as things would have it, that particular week that I left, Covid was not as big of a deal.

Meena Lahku: [00:04:09] People were talking about it, but it wasn’t like there wasn’t a lockdown or anything like that. We had just had some guests from China and directly flew in from China. There was a international boarding school located next to us, so they just had flown in. My daughter wasn’t feeling well and so I did not go visit my dad and. You know, for obvious reasons. And so I left that week, and later on that week my dad passed away. And that same within a like the day before that. That was a Saturday. So like on Friday the world decided to shut down. And so timing like everything was just awful, awful, awful. Like when it rains it pours type of thing. You know, we had to have the funeral at home. It was just nobody knew what anybody else was doing. It was just a bad time. So basically from there, just, you know, we were all at home. I went to real estate school online because what else can I do? And my heart wasn’t really in it. I really that’s not what I wanted to pursue, but I knew what I didn’t want was to go back to work for somebody else on somebody else’s time and money and work every weekend, work at nights, and miss the summers and miss the holidays and all of that.

Meena Lahku: [00:05:38] So, um, and I and if I didn’t mention this, I’m a single mom. I have three kids, so that in itself is a challenge. Anyhow, long story short, I was blessed enough to have the opportunity within that next couple of years after that to be able to take my mom, to go visit family and able to take care of her while she had knee replacement surgery. Things of that nature. Um. When it came to a point where, okay, I need to, you know, figure out what I’m going to do next. Uh, you know, I took odd jobs in between. And one of them was to basically, you know, help a person that I considered a good friend of mine at the time, we had known each other for ten years, somebody I trusted, somebody who I laughed and cried with, like, everything. And basically that ended up into another bad situation where basically I just did not get paid for about nine months worth of work and it just wasn’t good. And just to kind of make things right, I won’t get into big, big long story, but to make things right, I. I pretty much demanded that. I guess things be put in a manner that that they should have been in, in terms of payments. So I started an LLC and I was 51 at that time, and I was on the verge of turning 52. And I’ve always been the same person I am today, which I’ve always had a positive outlook in life, and everything happens for a reason.

Meena Lahku: [00:07:32] I don’t know why all of this has happened, but something good is going to come out of it. I don’t know what it is, but something good is going to happen. I was about to turn 52 and I just went with 52 beginnings, knowing that there was a bigger, brighter future ahead. So that’s where 52 beginnings comes from. And, you know, moving forward from that is when I connected with Best Version media and it just aligned with every single. Way my brain thinks and feels about the community, about being compassionate, about being having a fun, loving spirit. A professional will and a compassionate heart. Those are the three pillars that they stand by. Almost so good that I kind of didn’t believe it. You know, I was like, oh, this is way too good to be true, right? So anyways, that’s that’s where that comes from. And I, you know, moving on with that, I basically turned it into 52. 52. 52 beginnings local media, which has with the print and digital publication in the town lake area, there’s about 42 publications now in the Georgia area. Most of those are in the Atlanta area. So, you know, with that, it goes into another big long story. I don’t know how much you want to hear, Brian. You like opened up a. That’s right.

Brian Pruett: [00:09:17] The people tell me I do that all the time. So well a couple of questions. So first of all, we had one of your cohorts on here, Caitlin Thomas, who’s doing the Cartersville Living from Virgin Media over there. So and she’s got the same kind of heart. So my first question is going through what you did, especially with somebody you thought was a friend and, and then dealing the stuff with your dad and all that. A lot of people might have shut down at the time and said, you know what? Community is not there. It’s just it’s terrible. It sucks. Whatever the case may be, you decided to turn that around and keep going and push through and you have a heart for community. So why is it important for you to be part of the community?

Meena Lahku: [00:09:56] I just have faith in people. So, you know, there were so many times that people told me, you’re just too nice. You’re too nice, and that’s why this happens to you. I’m like, I just. Yeah, that’s great and everything, but I’m not going to change the way I am. I mean, I like who I am, I like being nice, I like being compassionate, I like helping people, and I believe that there’s other people that feel the same way. So why why become something that is so unnatural and something that I don’t want to be, you know, just to get further in life monetarily. You know, that’s I don’t I just don’t personally believe. That’s right. So I believe that there is a community out there of people which I have seen in the Cherokee County area that do have a compassionate heart, that that that do look out for each other.

Brian Pruett: [00:10:53] Which, you know, there’s a there’s a lot of pockets out there of these types of community from Cherokee and Bartow. You know, Cobb, you know, and I sit down and talk to people every day and learn their stories. And that’s what birthed Charitable Georgia, because there’s a lot of great stories out there, and that’s what needs to be heard. Not all this negativity and scare tactics that the mainstream media puts out. So it’s just great to I mean, you do so much for the community. I mean, you you’ve even turned your backyard into an event facility, which you just had an event. So you kind of focus right now on working with people with the brain, brain injuries, brain tumors, all the above. We share about that.

Meena Lahku: [00:11:30] Sure. So. When it came to my first publication, I had one full page that was generously donated by a corporate sponsor who didn’t need the space he just donated. You know, the the cost of it. And so I needed to put something on that page, and I wanted to give it back to a cause. And so upon doing some research, I found out that this was in the month of July. And so I found out that July 19th is Glioblastoma Awareness Day. It was the fifth year that it’s been nationally recognized. I was dumbfounded and like that. I didn’t even know that that existed because my brother passed away of a glioblastoma. And so the moment I saw that, I knew that that was it. I knew that I had to do something to bring awareness to that day and to to all the different types of brain cancers that are out there, because there is such little research that has been done in such little progression in decades with treatments and things. So, you know, basically what ended up happening was I had a friend of mine, do, you know, kind of get the information together. He’s a retired physician. I figured he’d be the best person to, you know, get all this together for me. And things didn’t quite pan out. And I stayed up the night before my deadline thinking, oh my gosh, what am I going to put on this page? I don’t know what I can do, what I can’t do.

Meena Lahku: [00:13:17] I’ve never done this before and ended up connecting with someone at the National Brain Tumor Society almost, almost by accident. We both almost thought it was the wrong number and hung up, but ended up spending probably an hour and a half or so on the phone with her. She. The night before, while I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with this page, I my wheels just started turning and I like had all these ideas of, oh, I could do this, I could do this. And so when I was sharing that with her, she was like, we could totally do that and we will support you in that. And within a couple of hours, I was, you know, connected with their marketing department and we got that page together. We didn’t know exactly what we were going to do at that time, but we knew we were going to do something. So that’s how 52 Compassionate Hearts began. And it’s basically a year long fundraising effort that started on July 19th of this year. That will go on through July 19th of 2024. My goal is to to work with 52 compassionate hearted people or businesses and create these teams where we’re all supporting each other. We’re all supporting the communities, whether it’s the families or the businesses, that doesn’t matter. There’s a way that everybody can make it work and it doesn’t cost anybody any money, which is amazing. And and my goal is to raise $52,000 by that date.

Brian Pruett: [00:14:50] So you just said it doesn’t cost any money. Can you share more about what that looks like?

Meena Lahku: [00:14:54] Sure. So the way I’ve got it set up with the National Brain Tumor Society on the site is you can either donate money and just just do that and be done with it and no big deal. Or you can become a fund raiser where you can either join an existing team or you can create your own team. So if you either want is fine, if you create your own team and neither one of those options cost any money, it’s just a way of you to be able to participate. But with that, if you create your own team, you get your own web page where you can customize and, you know, put in your if you’re a business, put in your business logo. If you’re an individual, you could, you know, if you want to do it as a family incentive for the kids or, you know, use it personally, just, you know, you can customize it however you want and do a fundraising campaign on your own or not. Just do it like if you want to lose weight, if you set up a goal to every time I lose a pound, I’m going to donate a dollar, you know, set it up however you want. It doesn’t matter. It just matters that everybody participates in one way or another. And at the end of the year, if we all do it, then I don’t think getting $52,000, I know it won’t be a problem.

Brian Pruett: [00:16:14] So share right now, if somebody is listening and says, I want to be a part of that, how can they do that? How can they get a hold of you or go build their team, or what they need to do.

Meena Lahku: [00:16:21] So they can connect with me on? Well, there’s a couple of ways. I think the easiest way would be, well, there’s Facebook, you can look me up on Facebook or you can go to 52 beginnings.com. And you know, that’s my website. And you can you can find it on there as well. There is a link but it’s kind of long. So yeah I’m not going to say that right now, but.

Brian Pruett: [00:16:49] Just reach out to her the way she said. And you can get more information on that as well. So. Right. All right. So let’s talk a little bit more about the magazine. So what’s the name of the magazine that you currently have.

Meena Lahku: [00:16:57] Neighbors of Town Lake. All right.

Brian Pruett: [00:16:58] So it goes actually just to the town Lake area. Yeah. And is that directly mailed to the homes?

Meena Lahku: [00:17:04] It’s mailed directly to the homes. And it goes to the communities in that area they do not subscribe to. That they don’t, you know, they don’t pay for it. It just gets delivered right to their homes. It’s a private publication, so it’s not online or anywhere.

Brian Pruett: [00:17:20] And so how do you go about finding your stories for the magazine?

Meena Lahku: [00:17:24] Well, we ask for the community to submit them. So, you know, the magazine is the reason why the concept works so well. It’s a branding concept, and it works so well because the information in it is derived from the community. I’m not going around interviewing people or writing stories myself or my, you know, my content coordinator who’s fabulous. She does write the stories, but she writes them for the businesses that are sponsoring the publication. So everything is very local. All the pictures and all the content come directly from the community. Therefore, they’re going to flip through every page because they want to know, you know, if if their content got put into that particular edition or not.

Brian Pruett: [00:18:13] I think it’s funny, a lot of people talk these days that print is dead, but it’s kind of cool to see different, a lot of different community type magazines coming out at the time, because people do love still holding something in their hand, flipping the pages, reading it, looking at it. And when it comes to the community, especially a buddy of mine and I had a magazine a few years ago called Northwest Georgia Rising Stars, and it was all positive feature stories on the kids in the high schools in Bartow and Gordon counties, whether they played sports or not. And it was such a well received thing that I think people love, again, positive stories about the community. So if a businesses I’m assuming businesses, you talk about business sponsoring the magazine and it’s more or less them advertising. Correct.

Meena Lahku: [00:18:56] It’s advertising, but it also gives it also allows for the community to be able to submit that content. Right. So if a business is sponsoring, say, the pet page or the recipe page, then yes, half of it is like an ad of their own, which we also encourage them to make it more educational. Give people the reason why they should choose them. When there’s like a sea full of other businesses that do the exact same thing, why should they go to them? Right? So be a little bit more informative that way. But then the rest of the page is where the community can, you know, can submit their content and it gives them space as well.

Brian Pruett: [00:19:37] How often does the magazine is it mailed out? Is it once a month or.

Meena Lahku: [00:19:42] It’s every single month?

Brian Pruett: [00:19:43] Every single month. Yeah.

Meena Lahku: [00:19:44] And then the what we also do, which is really great, which no other company does, is we’ll take the the ads, I’ll just call them ads that are in the publication and reformat those according to the specs on Google, Facebook and Instagram and run those campaigns on those platforms as well. So they’re getting that many more impressions.

Brian Pruett: [00:20:07] So if a business is listening and wants to do that with your magazine and be a sponsor, how can they get a hold of you for that?

Meena Lahku: [00:20:13] Well, probably the same way. It would just be either through Facebook. You can find me there, you can find me through there’s a business web page. Business Facebook page that’s neighbors of Town Lake. They can that would probably be the easiest way to to look me up. Or they can look me up personally. Message me that way or go to the website.

Brian Pruett: [00:20:36] Another thing we talk about a lot on the show is networking. And I’ve seen pictures of you at networking events, so I know you network as well. So do you have a positive story you can share about networking and how it’s helped you?

Meena Lahku: [00:20:48] Um. Absolutely I think. Just just getting around like minded people that, you know, have the same goals and want to, you know, in all networking groups are different. You know, I kind of tend to, to, to go to the ones where I can make more of a personal connection and get to know people. So, yeah, it’s definitely something that I feel is very powerful and that can help everybody in every business and definitely support that. I think what I was trying to do with the event this past Friday was incorporate the 52 beginnings Compassionate Heart like, combine those efforts and create a networking opportunity that was more in the evening, as opposed to 730 in the morning, right when a lot of people can’t make it. So give them another opportunity. Give those business leaders another opportunity. And I think.

Brian Pruett: [00:21:56] It’s important to you that you mentioned about going and establishing the personal relationship side, because too many people make the mistake of going right into networking and trying to sell, and you can’t do that.

Meena Lahku: [00:22:07] Oh, yeah. Well, I kind of found that out the hard way because I had no idea how the whole networking thing worked. And yeah, I did do that. I thought that’s what we were supposed to do. And so I was actually kind of relieved to find out, no, that’s not what you do, because I wasn’t comfortable doing that in the first place. I’m more of a people person. I like to get to know people. I build relationships. If things happen, they happen great. If they don’t, no big deal either. We’re just trying to create an environment that helps everybody, you know, and it may not be for everybody. And that’s okay too, right?

Brian Pruett: [00:22:47] Which it’s kind of funny because nowadays I get more uncomfortable talking about myself than listening to about somebody. I’d rather sit down and learn about you than to talk about me all day long. So it’s definitely go in with the open mind and heart about learning and how you can help somebody else than yourself, and it’ll come back to you whether it’s immediate or not. It’ll come back to you. Absolutely. So a couple other questions for you. So first of all, the first question is other than networking, how do you get the word out about 52 beginnings 52 Compassionate Hearts. And then how do you get the word out about the magazine?

Meena Lahku: [00:23:20] Um. Well, social media is really big. That’s very helpful. So I’m not the best at that. I will admit it’s hasn’t been my thing, but that is definitely, you know, something that I’m working on is is putting more out there to. To get more awareness and for more people to participate and going to more events myself.

Brian Pruett: [00:23:55] So you’ve been on both sides of this too. So if somebody is listening first of all and is thinking about starting their own business, give them some advice on what to do. The other aspect is if somebody is listening wants to start a nonprofit, what advice for them?

Meena Lahku: [00:24:09] Well, starting with your own business, I would say definitely have a business plan and think it through thoroughly. You know what I see a lot of is people that are so passionate about doing whatever it is that they’re doing, whether they’re making something or it really doesn’t matter, but they’re really passionate about their business, but they haven’t thought about the whole business process. And that’s where I believe that businesses fail, because you can love baking cookies or whatever it is you know, or, you know, art or whatever, whatever your business is. But if you don’t have the business plan to support it and the budget to support it, then it’s going to be a rough road. And you know that that directly, I guess, relates to me when we’re talking about marketing, because a lot of people don’t have a marketing budget, and therefore they try to do a lot of it themselves, and then they end up doing so much of it themselves that they don’t have time to do the actual thing that they love to do in the first place. So. Well, and.

Brian Pruett: [00:25:22] That’s the first thing people cut to is the marketing budget. They do have it, which is the last thing. So you have to always to my, in my opinion, have a marketing budget because you can people say, well, I have too many clients, I have enough clients. You can never have enough or too many, right? What happens if that? Well dries up? You need to be constantly doing that. So share some advice on starting a nonprofit.

Meena Lahku: [00:25:44] Well, technically I’m not a nonprofit, you know, yet. It is something I am considering. And. You know, I would just say like, get really educate yourself, talk to other people who have been there, done that, not other people who are thinking about it. Right. And, you know, just educate yourself and make sure that that’s the avenue you want to go down. You know, there’s a lot of logistics behind it, a lot of there’s a lot to it. So it’s not that simple.

Brian Pruett: [00:26:23] And I’ve had several other people and non-profits on here that too, that also say that look at other people, other non-profits in the area who might be doing what you want to do and align yourself with them first and then, you know, go from there because you can always partner. Right, right. And be a part of something that’s already there. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

Meena Lahku: [00:26:40] Exactly, exactly. There’s no need to do that. Right?

Brian Pruett: [00:26:44] Right. You shared about your your year long fundraiser that you’re doing, but do you have any other events that are coming up or anything else you want to share that might be coming up you can let people know about?

Meena Lahku: [00:26:53] We have an educational event coming up in January, so we’re still working on the logistics of that, but that’s going to be our next one.

Brian Pruett: [00:27:01] And what kind of educational.

Meena Lahku: [00:27:03] It’s going to be more towards brain health and brain training. And we’re talking to some of the senior communities, local senior communities, about doing things that will help Alzheimer’s patients and dementia patients and things of that nature. So it’s going to be surrounded. You know, in that way. Okay.

Brian Pruett: [00:27:33] All right. So share one more time, either the website or the Facebook so people can follow up on that. And then again how they can connect with you.

Meena Lahku: [00:27:41] Sure. So they a website is 52 beginnings.com. And you can follow me or follow me on Facebook as well or Instagram. And it’s Meenaa. Meena Lahku. And the business page is neighbors of town.

Brian Pruett: [00:28:03] Like awesome. Meena, thanks for coming on and sharing a little bit of your story. Don’t go anywhere. We’re not technically not done with you, but thanks for coming on and sharing. We’re moving over now to miss Holly Payton, and I’m sure people have probably go, hey, I know that name. Well, her husband Stone is the one that owns the and runs the studio here. And when you hear her voice, you’ll say, I definitely know that voice because she does the intros and outros. But, Holly, thanks for being here this morning.

Holly Payton: [00:28:25] Thank you so much. I’m glad to be here.

Brian Pruett: [00:28:27] So you did something pretty incredible. Just what, a month and a half, two months ago you donated part of your body. So it’s kind of cool that when Stone shared it with me, it wasn’t somebody to directly. It was more of like a almost like a ring type thing. Can you share that? Sure.

Holly Payton: [00:28:45] Um, my best friend, Mary Guyer, we grew up in the Philadelphia area, and in February of 2021, she called to share with me that she had kidney disease. And at the end of the call, she asked, would it be okay if I sent you some information on on kidney donorship? I said, sure, and then she said, would you consider being a kidney donor? And I said yes. And so when Mary hung up the phone and she talked to her daughter Sarah. Sarah said, mom, you know, Holly’s going to have to talk to her family and a lot of people. So let’s not get too excited. And that was absolutely not the case. You introduced this by saying I did this incredible thing. People have reacted that way, and I feel like everybody in their life has somebody that they would do this for. Mary’s my son. Buddy. You know, I didn’t have to ask anybody else what they thought. Mary was my son, buddy. And the other thing I would say. If anyone is considering this. My friend Mary was challenged a little bit. She was disappointed that some of the people in her circle of friends and circle of influence didn’t jump at the chance, you know? And they said, oh, what if one of my children needs a kidney? I don’t think I can do this now.

Holly Payton: [00:30:33] And. I was raised that you pitch to the batter that’s at the plate. You don’t live your life. What if this. What if that? Mary was right in front of me. I had someone right in front of me that needed something. And it was something I could do something about. So. I contacted Emory University. Emory is the Emory University hospital. They are the hospital in the Atlanta area that has a kidney transplant program. And I was not a match for Mary. So what the. We went into the National Kidney Donor Registry and we were paired. So what that means is I’m not a match for her, but I’m donating on her behalf. And you. Let’s say you need a kidney. You, your person who wants to donate on your behalf isn’t a match. So my kidney goes to you and your person’s kidney goes to Mary. So they create a chain. And that chain can be a few people. It can be 25 and 30 people. So in a year and a half, nothing happened. By that I mean no chain was created. I was matched, but the chain. But Mary wasn’t. The chain never formed, or Mary was matched, but I wasn’t matched, and the chain never formed.

Holly Payton: [00:32:04] So we were both educated, Mary and I, from her coordinator in the Philadelphia area. Mine down here, that it would go faster for Mary if I would donate. If we would decouple, we wouldn’t be paired anymore in the National Kidney Donor Registry. And I would donate and go into the voucher program. And what? So on September the 5th, I went into have kidney donor surgery at Emory Hospital, and the next day my voucher went to Mary that someone has donated on her behalf. So she was active now in the National Kidney Donor Registry, and she’s just waiting for a match. So it you never know when that will happen, but her odds are much better now because we don’t have to pair two people, just her. And I feel in my heart of hearts that this will happen for her this fall sometime. She’s not on dialysis yet, but getting closer in the best of all possible worlds. She would get a kidney transplant before she goes on dialysis, but if that’s not the case, that’s not a problem. You can be on dialysis and stay healthy while you wait for your your kidney transplant.

Brian Pruett: [00:33:37] So with that is you mentioned the voucher part and stuff. So I guess is that part of still being I guess you’re on the list. The waiting list, like Mary is on a waiting list of certain, you know, when somebody gets one and then she moves up. Is that the way it works? Yes.

Holly Payton: [00:33:52] So in the National Kidney Donor Registry, the way it works is someone gives a kidney and you get you don’t just get. There has to be someone who is giving on your behalf. And either I give directly to you or I give it in a chain, or I give it and you get the voucher and and you will get. So I went was active in the voucher program probably in July. And in mid-August I got the call that I was a match, and it was a chain of about six people. And so I can’t know who my kidney went to or where it went. I have a feeling it got on a plane, because my surgery was at 6 a.m. and the recipient’s surgery was that evening. So I think it went on a plane. But the next day I learned that it was very successful and that the kidney was fully functioning in someone else on the operating table. So which was very cool.

Brian Pruett: [00:35:10] That’s awesome. So but you mentioned that you you can’t know is that obviously in Hollywood they can do what they want to, but you see things where people they meet their donors and stuff like that. Yes.

Holly Payton: [00:35:20] I could have requested that the recipient had my contact information. And that way they. You could have. I could have known. I could have met that person, or they could have met me. Uh, this sounds terrible. I chose not to do that because. It’s very humbling at times to receive all that wonderful good wishes. And and people are so amazed and they it’s hard for me to take sometimes. And so I thought, you know, if this person reached out, they would be so thankful. And so and you know. That would be a little awkward for me, so I didn’t. I chose not to do that. I’m just happy that I’m thrilled to death, that I heard that the kidney was functioning and the surgery went great for that person.

Brian Pruett: [00:36:28] Well, yeah, that’s that’s I mean, you got to be off the moon or the moon just to hear that. Anyway. So what kind of did you have to do any kind of like preparation or testing to, to go through before you did this?

Speaker1: [00:36:42] Sure.

Holly Payton: [00:36:42] So people should know a little bit about kidney donor ship. I learned a whole lot by doing this. Yes. So I contacted Emory and in in February and I was not in their program until June. So there is a lot of testing. There is a lot of blood work. I had to go to Emory for many hours one day. And you had a stress test, an echocardiogram, to an ultrasound of your heart before and after the stress test. You had a chest x ray. You had your blood pressure taken, you had a CT scan of your kidney. You had all all kinds of tests. Then it was during Covid. So this was a zoom call where now people would have face to face. But you met with a social worker to kind of assess your emotional and mental attitude about this. You met with the nephrologist who was a kidney, specializes in kidneys. You met with the surgeon. You met with the financial advisor from Emory. The amazing thing about kidney donor ship. Is the donor has no medical bills. The recipient pays all of your medical bills. Wow. And so when you talked financially, he was saying, you know, you’d be out of work for a time. And so, you know, were you prepared for that? I work for IBM, I’m a consultant for IBM. And IBM was unbelievably, unbelievably supportive of me. I went on short term disability so that I was paid while I was out. I didn’t have any medical bills. So that was an amazing part of this experience.

Brian Pruett: [00:38:45] That’s pretty wild because, you know, in one aspect you would think that it might be the other way around where the recipient shouldn’t have any medical bills either. Right. But I mean, that’s just really cool. So all right, you’ve already talked about you work for IBM. So you’re in the corporate world I am. And so obviously you have a giving heart, but you gave away a kidney. Um, but I know just from being with Stone, he talks about you all the time to believe good or good or bad, mostly good. But you you you too have a heart for the community. And so why is it important to be part of the community?

Holly Payton: [00:39:23] Oh my gosh. When we were trying to, we had a house in Marietta where we raised our kids and we knew we wanted to downsize and we wanted to move to a smaller community. And so we visited a lot of smaller communities around, and we came to Woodstock, and we kept coming back and kept coming back. And Stone loved that. There was music everywhere. You know, Madlife has music outside, and sometimes in the summer century House has music and reformation has, you know, there was music everywhere, and families and children and old people and young people and everybody’s downtown. And we fell in love with the community. And when we moved here over two years ago. We moved here right as the Reeves house was having their opening, and we went and I had the chance to talk to some of the people who have leadership positions in Woodstock Arts. And I was amazed. How in the world did a small town like this get the movers and shakers of Woodstock to buy in to having such a thriving art community? I just I couldn’t wrap my head around it. And so I was very anxious when we moved here to get involved. And so I. I love Woodstock Arts. I think that the people in the leadership positions do such a magnificent job. And so I have participated in art on the spot where artists create something and then whatever you create gets raffled off.

Holly Payton: [00:41:08] I teach watercolor classes at the Reeves house. I’ve taken clay classes at the Kish House, and in February of this past year, I got the chance to act in murder on the Orient Express. That was done in February at the theater. So I this is kind of funny. I have an acting degree from the University of Florida. So yes, you can work at IBM and have an acting degree college degree. I did go back and get a master’s in instructional design, and that’s what brought me to IBM. But I started taking oil painting classes when I was young, and I, I went to to college as an art major, but I couldn’t do it every day. I was taking an avocation, trying to turn it into a vocation that didn’t work. So I had painting skills, and I and I had artistic skills. When I was in the play in February, I had not acted in 45 years, but it was such a magnificent experience. So Stone, I don’t know everybody in town. Stone knows everybody in town. So he loves, loves that aspect of the community. And I have really gotten to appreciate the artistic side of the Woodstock community. They are fabulous. The opportunities abound. There’s all kinds of volunteer opportunities within Woodstock Arts. People can get involved in so many ways.

Brian Pruett: [00:42:47] Well, that’s a good point. Well, first of all, I do know that Stone loves being here because there’s beer right around the corner and he can go have his beer anytime he wants to. That’s right. And he can drive his golf cart now. So. Right. But you’re talking about the volunteering aspect of it. And I think that’s really cool and important to talk about, even if you’re in the corporate world, because, you know, there’s these small business owners who are all out doing the networking aspect of it, you don’t get to do that as much being in the corporate world. And so giving back and volunteering, I think is important to talk about because, you know, there’s these people that come, I might have worked ten hours a day. I’m so tired or whatever this weekend. I just want to do for myself. And I think when you find out of the volunteer opportunities and you do that and you give back, you get more.

Holly Payton: [00:43:29] Absolutely, absolutely. Woodstock arts.org is their website. They host Lantern series on the green. They host art exhibits on the green. They have the art a gallery at the Reeves House. They teach art classes at the Reeves House. The Kish House is where they have all their clay classes. They have the theater. You can volunteer to help put up art gallery shows. Man, you learn a lot about what happens behind the scenes and an art gallery. It’s very educational, and you can volunteer at the theater to take tickets or to hand out brochures or to work the concession stands. There’s all kinds of volunteerism at the when they have the Lantern series shows to seat people, to take tickets to, you know, serve wine and etcetera. So there’s just so it doesn’t matter what you what skills you have or don’t have, there is an opportunity for you to be a part of that world in, in your volunteering.

Brian Pruett: [00:44:49] And I think that, again, just being part of the community in whatever you do, because I know I have family members who’ve turned into hermits, they just want to stay at home.

Speaker5: [00:44:59] And.

Brian Pruett: [00:44:59] You know, and Covid did so much wrong for people in that way. But you’re right. Just giving back whatever you can do and it makes you feel good, you.

Holly Payton: [00:45:09] Know, and you meet so many wonderful, fabulous, talented, energetic people that it just everything you give to them, they give back to you.

Brian Pruett: [00:45:18] Right. So being how long have you been at IBM?

Holly Payton: [00:45:23] 22 years.

Brian Pruett: [00:45:25] Have you again been in the corporate? You don’t get to do networking I’m assuming, but have you ever been in an opportunity to do networking events and if so, do you have a positive story for networking?

Speaker6: [00:45:37] Oh.

Brian Pruett: [00:45:40] You can actually talk about the like you just talked about what the art and stuff. That’s technically everything you do is networking.

Holly Payton: [00:45:45] Everything you do is networking. I have been able I’ve been blessed to be able to go to events where IBM has a booth, conferences where IBM has a booth, and I’ve been a presenter at at conferences on behalf of IBM. And your comment earlier to Meena about networking is not about selling. It doesn’t matter whether it’s volunteering or small business or corporate business. People do business with people they like and people they trust. And I, I am often uncomfortable because I don’t sell, but I’m happy to listen to challenges your corporation might have. My expertise for IBM is in implementing major change. So major disruptive transformation or or systems and so on. And so I’m happy to listen to the challenges that you might be having and share with you my experience. If I have anything that could help you tweak what you’re doing to be a little bit more successful or share with you, I don’t know if this would work for you, but this is what I’ve found to be successful in working with organizations going through it. So it’s not about selling, it’s simply me giving to you, you sharing with me, and you build those relationships and it goes from there.

Brian Pruett: [00:47:20] And it’s kind of funny you said you’re not into selling, but technically you are, because everybody sells themselves.

Speaker5: [00:47:23] Everybody.

Brian Pruett: [00:47:24] That’s true. Yeah. So. Well let me I’ve got a couple other questions. I want to go to the. Being a corporate and a small business, I run into a lot of people. I used to be in the corporate world. I just couldn’t handle it anymore. So I started this small business. And I know you haven’t had the opportunity to start a business. Stone’s been in this situation, but do you have any advice for anybody who might be thinking about either one, staying in a corporate world or starting a business? You got any any advice for some folks?

Holly Payton: [00:47:56] So I am not an entrepreneur. I married an entrepreneur, but I am not an entrepreneur. I would say from the outside looking in. One of the biggest things that that Stone and I differ on is he is a risk taker. I am not. I take risks all the time. But I am blessed to work in a community where failure is fine because you fail fast, you learn fast, you recover fast, and you move forward. But as an entrepreneur, it’s a little bit bigger risk, you know? And so I would say if you want to start a business, you need to look at and really be self examining as to how big of a risk taker are you? I echo Echo Mina’s suggestion. You have to not only have a passion for the business you’re going to start. But you also and lots of people don’t have both of these. You have to have a business sense and a business plan. You have to understand. Where your what’s your supply chain is? All the things that I work in in IBM, you know, you have to understand your supply chain. You have to understand the finances of it, the tax ramifications. There’s a whole lot to starting a business. And you really have to have expertise or grow your expertise, educate yourself, you know, really learn about it in a lot of different things. It’s not just the passion for what the business is, but it’s all of those business aspects. So to start your own business is is, you know, there’s a lot to, to be good at for those people who, who do it. Well.

Brian Pruett: [00:50:01] The other thing you just talked about, which I think is cool and something I didn’t think about until you just mentioned it, but a lot of the folks that I know that Stone brings in here and people that I’ve had on my show are the entrepreneurs. And you said you’re married to an entrepreneur. My wife’s married to an entrepreneur. What advice would you give somebody who’s married to an entrepreneur because you got I know one of them. You got to be patient for sure.

Holly Payton: [00:50:23] You have to be patient. You have to love them very, very, very much because it’s in the beginning. It’s very up and down and it’s very uncertain. And and I like the certainty of working at IBM and, and so we made a great pair.

Brian Pruett: [00:50:42] That’s awesome. All right I want to go back to the the donation. You talked about having my somebody. Right. And the same thing goes with a business too. You have to know your why and anything. You got to know your why. So it goes by my somebody know your why. I’ve known people that say yeah, it’s marked on my driver’s license. I’m a kidney donor, but I just want or my own organ donor because I wanted a discount and that was the only reason they did it. But just share with somebody who has been thinking about that and just haven’t done it. Maybe they’re scared or whatever. You know what? What can they obviously the joy of knowing that you’re helping to save somebody, but share with somebody who might be thinking about that.

Holly Payton: [00:51:26] Sure. The. The first thing I would say is it’s a personal decision. It’s your body. Don’t be swayed by by anybody else. I didn’t wasn’t swayed because I didn’t ask anybody else what they thought of it. But it’s a personal decision. When I went in the day before the surgery and I met with the surgeon, he said to me. There’s a lot of things we only have one of, but we don’t live our lives in fear of that. We have one heart. We have one brain. We have one stomach. You don’t make decisions about how you live your life because you’re scared that you only have one of them. And he said, this should not change your lifestyle, your longevity, anything about how you live your life because you have one kidney. There’s lots of things and you do just fine. Some people are born with just one kidney and they do just fine that I had never thought of. And that was very meaningful to me. So the only I will say, the only thing that it changes for you is they don’t want you to take drugs like Advil or Aleve. That’s it.

Speaker5: [00:52:54] I can eat.

Holly Payton: [00:52:56] I know that those two drugs are harder on your kidneys. And it’s not that you could never, ever in your lifetime take an Advil again. But Tylenol is is not hard on your kidneys. So that’s why they say that. And so you could, you know, if you have a terrible headache and you can’t get you could take an Advil, but just don’t take one for another month, you know? So that’s really the only thing that it impacts I would say as far as. The actual surgery. The surgery is done. Laparoscopically. So I have three small incisions in my torso, and then I have about a 4 or 5 inch vertical incision going down from my navel. And that’s where they actually take the kidney out. So you do have this incision. But. It. You heal up very. I’ve healed up very well. You’re limited for about seven weeks that you can’t lift anything 10 pounds or heavier. But that’s okay. I live with someone who’s willing to lift the heavy stuff and do the dishes. So that was not a problem. The only challenge I have now, physically, I feel great. I can do just about anything. I’m, you know, like I said, it’s been over eight weeks now. I’m 65 years old, and. If I don’t do core muscle exercises or yoga or things like that, my back starts talking to me, you know? And I think that’s probably at any age, if you don’t have a strong core, you your back suffers. And so right now I’m, I am cleared. I am able to start slowly getting back into yoga and start doing some core exercises. And so any back issues I might have right now will get better over the coming weeks.

Brian Pruett: [00:55:09] Have you started back to work?

Holly Payton: [00:55:10] I have, I started back to work after seven, seven weeks and and I got to say for seven weeks I didn’t sit in a chair for hours. You know, I’m sitting in a chair at my computer, I’m on WebEx calls, I’m working. And that’s been a little painful on the back because you’re not used to that. But but those muscles are building up. So.

Speaker5: [00:55:34] Yeah.

Brian Pruett: [00:55:34] So I just got to know, did you make stone pamper you?

Holly Payton: [00:55:37] I did.

Speaker5: [00:55:39] I did.

Holly Payton: [00:55:40] And and over the years his pampering skills have definitely improved.

Speaker5: [00:55:45] So got practice.

Holly Payton: [00:55:46] Yeah he got practice and he did a great job.

Brian Pruett: [00:55:49] There you go. That’s awesome. Well Holly, thanks for coming on and sharing that. What I’d like to do as I wrap this up is I always like for my guests to share a quote, a word, a positive nugget for somebody to take in today, the rest of 2023, which we’re not far from being over to 2024 and beyond with. So, Mina, what you got? You’re giving me that look? Like what?

Meena Lahku: [00:56:14] Let’s see a positive quote. Yeah.

Brian Pruett: [00:56:17] Or just a word? Or are you going to make it up? It doesn’t matter.

Meena Lahku: [00:56:24] Um. You know what? Just. Live every day to its fullest potential and live like there’s no tomorrow. And maximize every opportunity with everything that you got.

Brian Pruett: [00:56:43] Holly.

Holly Payton: [00:56:44] So. The way that we say that sentiment in my family is a quote from Auntie Mame. Life is a feast and most poor bastards are starving to death. So go out and live your life as a feast and don’t be one of the others. The other thing that my family really relishes we have always said, live your life with tickets. And what that means is always have something that you’re looking forward to. It doesn’t have to cost anything. It could be a picnic in the park, but plan things so that you always have something that energizes you, that you’re looking forward to.

Brian Pruett: [00:57:26] That’s awesome. Well, and you have a fun family. I got to meet some of your family at a, at a event that we got to go to. And yeah, there’s no there’s no boring time with your family. So that’s pretty awesome. The other thing I’d like to do is to thank you is a lost art these days. So, I mean, I want to thank you for what you’re doing for the community and getting the word out for the brain Tumors organization. And Holly, just thank you for what you’ve done for the people who need kidneys and just being part of the community that way. So everybody out there listening, let’s remember, let’s be positive. Let’s be charitable.

Business Immigration Law, with Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm

November 1, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Business Immigration Law, with Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 714)

Elizabeth Ji, CEO and Managing Partner at The Ji Law Firm, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio to share her expertise in business immigration law. Their conversation focused on the intricacies of immigration law, the importance of correct documentation, and the effects of misrepresentation or misunderstanding of the law in immigration cases. Elizabeth covered some common misconceptions and some of her firm’s success stories, her personal journey and motivation to become an immigration attorney, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The Ji Law Firm specializes in business immigration law because they believe that employers deserve access to the highest quality talent, and sometimes that talent is outside of the US. Business immigration law is their business.

Their team is passionate about helping business owners, investors, entrepreneurs, human resources professionals, individuals, and families with immigration law matters. They serve clients in the United States and beyond.

Access the world’s highest-quality talent. With their professional guidance and support, companies can draw from a global pool of skilled professionals to create a vibrant workforce that transcends boundaries. No matter where they come from, individuals with remarkable skill sets are empowered to take their talents into virtually any business environment, thanks in part to The Ji Law Firm’s immigration services.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

**Elizabeth Ji, CEO and Managing Attorney, The Ji Law Firm**

Can you explain the most common challenges faced by families during the immigration process and how you help them navigate through these challenges?
In the corporate immigration context, what are the key considerations for businesses looking to hire international talent? How do you assist companies in this process?
How do you stay updated with the latest regulations, and how does this knowledge benefit your clients?
Could you share a success story where your expertise in immigration law made a significant difference in the life of a family or a company?
What are the most frequent misconceptions people have about immigration laws, and how do you address these misconceptions in your practice?
Are all Visa’s created equally?

Ainsley Toal with The Steel Magnolia Bar and Olivia Newell with Theory Salon

October 31, 2023 by angishields

Cherokee Business Radio

Ainsley Toal with The Steel Magnolia Bar and Olivia Newell with Theory Salon

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Marissa Greider, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Elizabeth Burdette, SignatureFD

October 24, 2023 by John Ray

Good2Give Podcast

Marissa Greider, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Elizabeth Burdette, SignatureFD

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Marissa Greider, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and Elizabeth Burdette, SignatureFD (Good2Give Podcast, Episode 5)

Marissa Greider, Senior Director of Philanthropy at Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and Elizabeth Burdette, Director of Giving at Signature FD, joined this episode of the Good2Give Podcast with DePriest Waddy and Maria Walden Sullivan. Marissa shared the mission of Ronald McDonald House in providing support for families with sick children, their partnership in philanthropy, upcoming fundraising events, Handbag Hullabaloo, end-of-year giving, and much more. Elizabeth discussed SignatureFD’s unique strategy of helping families not only grow and manage wealth but also build their “Net Worthwhile” by giving to causes they care about.

The Good2Give Podcast is presented by the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia and is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

Since 1979, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities has been keeping families close when it matters most. ARMHC has hosted thousands of families as they care for a child who is receiving treatment for illness or injury. In a time of anxious uncertainty, ARMHC offers a comfortable place to call home in close proximity to their child’s care facility.

Guided by the belief that all children deserve access to quality pediatric healthcare, AThe mission of Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities is to transform pediatric healthcare access and experiences for families with ill, injured or recovering children through a network of Houses, Family Rooms, Care Mobiles, and community resources. ARMHC ensures equitable access to life-saving medical care. ARMHC’s commitment to family-centered care is validated by research which demonstrates that supporting the family results in better outcomes for the family and their child.

Since its beginning, Atlanta Ronald McDonald Houses have served more than 50,000 families with ill and injured children receiving medical care nearby. Their Houses are built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on the health of their child.

Learn more about Handbag Hullabaloo 2023 here.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Marissa Greider, Senior Director of Philanthropy, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

Marissa Greider, MA, FCEP, is a dedicated non-profit executive with more than two decades of connecting passion with purpose to advance the greater good in the Atlanta community through education, the arts, and human services. She currently serves as Senior Director of Philanthropy and Campaign Director for Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, where she has worked since 2014.

Marissa’s non-profit leadership experience spans development, marketing, communications, and volunteer management, with expertise in strategic planning and developing and implementing successful fundraising initiatives, including three major capital campaigns. Prior to her tenure at Atlanta RMHC, Marissa worked at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History for 14 years.

Marissa received her Bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and her Master’s degree from the University of Georgia, and she is a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning. She resides in Atlanta with her husband and two daughters.

SignatureFD

At SignatureFD, they believe people want to use their wealth to do something worthwhile—for themselves, those they love, and their community. Through integrated wealth management services, their professionals help clients create a financial design for life that enables them to protect, grow, give, and live their wealth, ultimately transforming their net worth into NET WORTHWHILE™. Our highly capable, collaborative, caring, and coordinated team of investment, financial planning, and tax experts is committed to proactively helping clients take control of their financial lives and achieve their goals. SignatureFD has 80+ passionate professionals who manage over $4 billion and has had a client retention rate of 97% since opening its doors in 1997.

Website | LinkedIn |Facebook

Elizabeth Burdette, Director of Giving, SignatureFD

Believing that everyone has the ability to create meaningful change in their communities, Elizabeth Burdette helps guide individuals and families looking for ways to give back by providing resources and advice to empower their decision-making. She is a dedicated partner in creating personalized strategies to help clients reach their generosity goals and maximize the impact of their gifts.

An award-winning speaker and published author, Elizabeth has a unique skill set in fundraising, donor relations and engagement, program management, strategic communications, grant writing, and event design. Prior to joining SignatureFD in 2019, Elizabeth was the Director of Donor Relations at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta and a Fellow at the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.

She also practiced law in both Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, specializing in business litigation in state and federal courts. She received her law degree from the University of Texas and a bachelor’s degree in American History and Spanish from Washington and Lee University. Elizabeth serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics of Georgia, and also on the Board of Plywood People.

Additionally, Elizabeth is the Co-Chair of the Impact Committee of ADISA (Alternative and Direct Investment Securities Association). She is a member of the Association of Donor Relations and the State Bars of Georgia and Texas, and holds a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation.

The Good2Give Podcast celebrates the work of donors, nonprofits, and the causes they care about. The hosts of the show are DePriest Waddy and Maria Walden-Sullivan, and the show series is presented by the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia.

The Good2Give Podcast is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. You can also find the show on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many others.

At the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, everything they do centers around one purpose – improving the world through the power of philanthropy.

On a fundamental level, they do that through managing funds held in trust, donated by individuals, organizations, and businesses. Most funds are donor-advised funds, similar to savings accounts. These funds are pooled for investment purposes, and their income is used to make grants for a wide variety of charitable purposes.

But the Foundation’s goals expand far beyond managing funds. They desire to strengthen the communities they serve in Gwinnett, Northeast Georgia, and beyond by providing leadership, addressing community needs, and assisting individuals and organizations with their charitable giving.

Connect with CFNEG:
Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm, and Dr. Remmya Nair, Our Family Doc

Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm, and Dr. Remmya Nair, Our Family Doc (Family Business Radio, Episode 51)

Dr. Remmya Nair, Founder, Our Family Doc

Our Family Doc

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Kat Marran With Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta

Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and Wing Woman

North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 718)

Amanda Curd, Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, Prenups.com

Amanda Curd, Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, Prenups.com (Family Business Radio, Episode 50)

Anchor Pilates

Amanda Curd, Owner/Instructor, Anchor Pilates, LLC

Prenups.com

Aaron Thomas, Founder, Prenups.com

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

GWBC LACE Awards 2023

Meena Lahku with 52 Beginnings and Holly Payton with IBM

Business Immigration Law, with Elizabeth Ji, The Ji Law Firm

North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 714)

Ainsley Toal with The Steel Magnolia Bar and Olivia Newell with Theory Salon

Sponsored by Woodstock Neighbors Magazine and Business RadioX ® Main Street Warriors

Marissa Greider, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, and Elizabeth Burdette, SignatureFD

Marissa Greider, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and Elizabeth Burdette, SignatureFD (Good2Give Podcast, Episode 5)

Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

Marissa Greider, Senior Director of Philanthropy, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

SignatureFD

Elizabeth Burdette, Director of Giving, SignatureFD

Our Mission

Sponsor a Show

Partner With Us

Connect with us

Search Results for: marketing matters

Elizabeth Ji, CEO and Managing Attorney, The Ji Law Firm

The Ji Law Firm

Dr. Remmya Nair, Founder, Our Family Doc

Our Family Doc

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and Wing Woman (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 718)

Kris Cugnon, Professional Offline Matchmaker, Dating Coach, and Wing Woman

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Amanda Curd, Anchor Pilates, and Aaron Thomas, Prenups.com (Family Business Radio, Episode 50)

Anchor Pilates

Amanda Curd, Owner/Instructor, Anchor Pilates, LLC

Prenups.com

Aaron Thomas, Founder, Prenups.com

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

The Ji Law Firm

Elizabeth Ji, CEO and Managing Attorney, The Ji Law Firm

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Sponsored by Woodstock Neighbors Magazine and Business RadioX ® Main Street Warriors

Marissa Greider, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and Elizabeth Burdette, SignatureFD (Good2Give Podcast, Episode 5)

Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

Marissa Greider, Senior Director of Philanthropy, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities

SignatureFD

Elizabeth Burdette, Director of Giving, SignatureFD

About the Good2Give Podcast

Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia

Our Mission

Sponsor a Show

Partner With Us

Connect with us

North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 718)