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Cary Matthews, Adam Marshall, and Jonathan Bill on Guiding Family Businesses

September 17, 2025 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Cary Matthews, Adam Marshall, and Jonathan Bill on Guiding Family Businesses

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Cary Matthews, Adam Marshall, and Jonathan Bill on Guiding Family Businesses (Family Business Radio, Episode 68)

On this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen sits down with three leaders who specialize in helping family businesses grow, plan, and prepare for the future. Cary Matthews of Opal Partners Group draws on his Fortune 50 and small business background to help companies clarify their identity, strategy, and culture. Adam Marshall of Lorium Law explains how his firm combines technical excellence with a human approach to risk management, transactions, and succession planning. Jonathan Bill of SBS Accounting and Advisors shares how his firm frees entrepreneurs from back-office burdens, delivering accurate books, timely financials, and proactive guidance. Together, they show how strategy, law, and financial discipline intersect to build strong family business legacies.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

Cary Matthews emphasizes clarity on identity and culture as the foundation of strategy.
Adam Marshall shifted from “big law” to client-centered legal practice to focus on relationships and assisting clients in making informed choices.
Jonathan Bill sees accurate, timely financials as essential for growth, lending, and exit planning.
Strategic planning, legal foresight, and sound bookkeeping intersect in family business success.
Host Anthony Chen emphasizes that beyond dollars and cents, family businesses need clarity of purpose and must tie financial planning to personal meaning and legacy.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to Family Business Radio
00:47 Cary Matthews’ Journey from COO to Business Strategist
02:14 The Importance of Organizational Structure
04:05 Common Challenges in Small Businesses
08:36 The Role of Strategy in Business Growth
12:01 Introducing Adam Marshall and His Legal Journey
14:52 Building Client Relationships in Law
18:50 The Importance of Risk Management and Pragmatism
25:21 The Importance of Foundational Documents
26:56 Preparing for Business Exits
28:20 Family Business Transitions
32:03 Introducing Jonathan Bill
32:10 The Origin Story of SBS Accounting
36:30 Unique Aspects of SBS Accounting
45:54 Legacy and Business Values
50:43 Anthony’s Financial Corner

Cary Matthews, Opal Partners Group

Cary Matthews is the Managing Partner of Opal Partners Group, LLC (OPG), where he helps small business owners and leadership teams get unstuck, achieve their goals, and build businesses they enjoy. As a strategy coach and fractional executive, he draws on more than two decades of experience leading operational improvement and growth in small businesses.

Before founding OPG, Cary served as COO and EVP of Operations for several Atlanta-area companies, overseeing project management, support services, accounting, HR, engineering, and logistics. His leadership produced measurable results, including reducing invoicing time by 80%, boosting gross profit by 10% while managing a 30% increase in sales, and cutting training development costs by 30%. Earlier in his career, Cary worked for Fortune 100 companies and a start-up, experiences that built the foundation for his passion and expertise in small business leadership.

Cary holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Auburn University.

Website | LinkedIn

Adam Marshall, Lorium Law

Adam Marshall focuses his practice on matters dealing with corporations, with an emphasis on corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and distressed M&A. Adam has represented debtors, creditors, corporations, lenders, funds, and buyers and sellers of assets in numerous industries, including retail, food service, real estate, healthcare, automotive, energy, and financial services.

Further, Adam counsels business owners/C-level executives on general corporate matters, including structuring, financing, operational needs, and liquidity events/strategies. Adam began his career as an attorney with several national and international law firms, including White & Case and Greenberg Traurig, working in the restructuring and distressed M&A practice areas.

He has practiced law since 1999 and lived in Florida for 21 years, until recently relocating to the Atlanta area with his wife Stefanie and two sons, Joshua (Duke ’23) and Alexander (University of Michigan LSA Honors ‘26).

Website | LinkedIn

Jonathan Bill, SBS Accounting

Jonathan Bill owns SBS Accounting & Advisors. Jonathan grew up in a small business and seeing his dad struggle to start a new business is what gave him his heart to help entrepreneurs. As a result, Jonathan started his company in 2006 with a passion to free and empower small businesses—”free” by taking their back-office responsibilities off their plate and “empower” by providing them with the key metrics and coaching in order to meet their goals. Since 2006, Jonathan and his companies have had the privilege of bringing this transformation to hundreds of organizations.

Outside of work, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family and ministering in his church in the area of music.

Website | LinkedIn

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Family Business Radio is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services are offered through OSAIC, member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned, and other entities and/or marketing names, products, or services referenced here are independent of OSAIC. 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.

Follow this link to access the complete show archive of Family Business Radio.

Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, on Women in Leadership

August 25, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, on Women in Leadership

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Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, LIVE from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 895)

Beth Quinlan of Smith + Howard, co-chair of the BOLD Women Committee at the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, joined host John Ray live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit to share her journey as a CPA, her work in business development, and her leadership role in organizing the summit.

Beth discussed the growth of Smith + Howard, from its roots in Atlanta to its national expansion and broad range of services that include tax, accounting, M&A advisory, cybersecurity, sales tax, and executive search. She explained how the firm’s philosophy of growing with its clients has driven its evolution.

She also reflected on the importance of community service, mentorship, and her personal involvement with the BOLD Committee, including work with The Drake House and efforts to create meaningful connections through intentional networking. Beth shared how the idea of a “broken circle” guided the event’s structure, ensuring that conversations remained open and inclusive.

This interview was originally broadcast live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit held on August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia. John Ray Co. and North Fulton Business Radio were the Media Sponsors for this year’s Summit.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Welcome to the GNFCC BOLD Leadership Summit
00:42 Meet Beth Quinlan: Co-Chair of the Bold Women Committee
01:02 Beth Quinlan’s Journey with Smith + Howard
02:01 Smith + Howard: A Legacy of Growth and Service
03:18 Expanding Services and National Reach
07:06 The Importance of Chamber Involvement
08:36 Beth Quinlan’s Personal Commitment to Bold Women
10:19 Highlights from the Bold Leadership Summit
12:15 The Power of Networking and Community
15:40 Closing Thoughts and Future Events

Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard

Beth Quinlan joined Smith + Howard in 2015 and is a Senior Business Advisor in our Business Development team. During her time with the firm, she has worked with clients across a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, professional services, medical services, as well as nonprofit organizations. Beth has worked with clients on back-office accounting services, including bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, federal grant compliance reporting, and much more.

Prior to joining Smith + Howard, Beth was hands-on in the operations of her family’s local chain of pet food stores and national pet food distribution business with warehouses across the United States. It was here that she found her interest in accounting and decided to return to school for her Master of Business Administration degree. Beth also served as a consultant with an emphasis in marketing and management, where she focused on B2B communications for software companies and productivity and performance management for financial institution retail operations.

Beth received her Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University and earned her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University. She is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

LinkedIn | Smith+ Howard website

2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit

The 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit was held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

The mission of BOLD—Businesswomen Organizing for Leadership and Development—is to connect businesswomen to build outstanding networks and spheres of influence, to collaborate with each other and with partner organizations to develop their businesses, and to celebrate and recognize the women of North Fulton.

Website

Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC)

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1,400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth, and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

As a five-star accredited chamber, GNFCC’s vision is to be the premier organization driving member and community success across the region, and they are dedicated to pursuing this vision based on the guiding principles of advocacy, inclusivity, and operational excellence.

GNFCC promotes the interests of their members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play, and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision-makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events, follow this link.

Connect with GNFCC: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 890 episodes and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

The show invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors — **John Ray, host of *North Fulton Business Radio* and Owner, Ray Business Advisors**

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

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, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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 $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you would rather not make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, these professionals are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates

October 22, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates

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Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 401)

Chris Smith joined host John Ray to discuss his career journey, why he started CB Smith & Associates, and how his people-first, team-oriented approach has led to both superior results for clients and an ability to attract and retain top-notch professionals to the firm. Chris also addressed why it’s vital that business owners have a CPA who can help them with year-round issues beyond the tax return, including business process automation and succession planning. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Chris Smith, CPA, CGMA, Founder and Partner, CB Smith & Associates

With 30 years of financial experience, Chris Smith is passionate about his work. Since founding CB Smith & Associates in 2003, he has led the accounting firm’s growth from one to three office locations in Georgia. It now has nearly 35 employees, including a solid team of certified public accountants and other tax professionals.

CB Smith & Associates is a business advisory and full-service accounting firm that works in tandem with its sister company, Reliance Payroll LLC, a full-service payroll, and human resources outsourcing firm.

Prior to starting his own firm, Chris was a corporate controller. He earned a degree in accounting from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and is active in local community groups such as the Rotary Club and numerous CPA groups.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Tell us about what you do for businesses at CB Smith & Associates
Accounting is more than just doing taxes, what types of special business packages do you offer businesses?
Succession Planning is an important part of business. How do you advise on this?
Your team loves to help with Business Process Automation. Explain what this is and why important.
Pending tax law changes

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 grown to 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.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Tax Traps E27

November 22, 2020 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Tax Traps E27

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Tax Traps E27

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shauna’s background is in:

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

Her areas of expertise include:

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

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

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

About Your Lawgitimate Hosts

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

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

Connect with Rochelle on Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram.

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

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

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

About X Firm PLLC

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

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