black dress consultants Archives

Rachel Donnelly, Black Dress Consultants and Derek Chard, Payroc/TWC Atlanta Inc.

January 12, 2023 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Rachel Donnelly, Black Dress Consultants and Derek Chard, Payroc/TWC Atlanta Inc.

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Rachel Donnelly, Black Dress Consultants and Derek Chard, Payroc/TWC Atlanta Inc. (Family Business Radio, Episode 40)

On this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen welcomed two esteemed business owners to the studio. Rachel Donnelly discussed her personal history with loss and what motivated her to create Black Dress Consultants, the services they provide, and much more. Derek Chard talked about the biggest concerns local business owners face in today’s economy, the biggest misconceptions of the merchant services industry, advances in technology and how that changes business, and much more. Anthony closed the show with a commentary on how financial planning can be overwhelming. He suggests starting somewhere small and keeping it simple.

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

Black Dress Consultants

Black Dress Consultants handle the business of death so you don’t have to. By coordinating with attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, etc., they offload the administrative tasks that come with legacy planning and after loss, so you can focus less on the logistics and more on creating space to live worry-free and grieve peacefully.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Rachel Donnelly, Owner / CEO, Black Dress Consultants

Some days Rachel Donnelly feels like a real-life Little Orphan Annie whose life should be subtitled “Death Becomes Her.” (She’s joking! Sort of.)

Growing up, Rachel used to accompany her father on his house calls and hospital rounds, which gave me a deep understanding of compassion and leaning into hard spaces. When she was 16, my father passed away at the age of 48. A few years later, she moved my grandmother to an assisted living home where she passed shortly after. Several years later, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away shortly thereafter. Her passing left Rachel with five houses to clean out and sell, as well as her role as caregiver for her uncle.

After Rachel’s uncle passed away, she assumed the role of Co-Executrix of his estate. Needless to say… she’s dealt with a lot of death. And in these instances — especially the two where she was Executor — there were so many decisions to make and tasks to complete. And she was doing it all while trying to work full time, raise two small kids, run a house and stay married (because let’s be honest… life never stops, not even for death).

Rachel vividly remembers standing in the parking lot of the bank after spending hours trying to (unsuccessfully) open an estate banking account and thinking to herself, “Why isn’t there someone who can help project manage this dumpster fire?!” Which is how Black Dress Consultants came to be.

She created this business because this is the service she wishes she had available to her then. Many times over, Rachel has been where you are right now. She understands how overwhelming and emotionally taxing it can be. But you don’t have to do this alone.

The Black Dress Consultants are here to help you manage the expected and unexpected of end-of-life. Whether you’re looking for someone to help legacy plan, or you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one and don’t know where to start, they have ample experience in taking tasks off your plate so you can free up space to breathe.

Payroc/TWC Atlanta Inc.

Payroc is a full-service payment processing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. They also have a headquarter office right here in Atlanta, GA. They pride themselves in taking a consultative approach with business owners to improve their payment acceptance processes while mitigating the cost of payment acceptance, specifically credit card acceptance. They have a plethora of networks, software, and hardware to best serve the clients’ needs.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

Derek Chard, Owner, Payroc/TWC Atlanta Inc.

Derek Chard has been a sales professional and business owner in various industries for the last 10 years. He grew up working for his family’s businesses, attended the University of Connecticut, and then moved down to Atlanta, GA in 2017 from CT.

He has worked in and held leadership positions in financial services, telecom sales, office supply sales, and now payment processing. Derek now runs an Independent Sales Office for Payroc Inc.

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

**Anthony Chen, Lighthouse Financial, and Host of “Family Business Radio”**

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (RAA), member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of RAA. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd. Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090 ext 5075 or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long-term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance. Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

The complete show archive of “Family Business Radio” can be found at familybusinessradioshow.com.

Rachel Donnelly, Black Dress Consultants

August 10, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Rachel Donnelly, Black Dress Consultants

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Rachel Donnelly, Black Dress Consultants (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 374)

Rachel Donnelly, founder of Black Dress Consultants, joined host John Ray to share the work her consulting firm does in end-of-life concierge and after-loss services. Rachel saw a need for support as families and individuals face end-of-life and after-loss decisions at a time they are more focused on family and grieving. Her consultancy fills the gap, offering practical services and assistance navigating the after-loss maze of tasks. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Black Dress Consultants

Black Dress Consultants is an end-of-life concierge and consulting firm that helps families strategically manage the administrative and logistical tasks of legacy planning and organization, after loss and everything in between while also integrating your family values and traditions. They provide personalized solutions for life’s transitions giving you and your family the space to live worry-free and grieve peacefully.

They are here to help guide you through decisions, tasks, and endless to-dos so that you have the space to grieve. Their goal is to provide solutions for life’s transitions while also integrating what’s important to you and your family. Custom services available.

Disclaimer: They are not attorneys, financial advisors, or CPAs. However, they do partner with these resources, when needed, to ensure that every task that Black Dress completes for you is under their advice. If you do not have an estate attorney or financial advisor and your estate requires or would benefit from these resources, they are happy to connect you with their network of seasoned professionals.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Rachel Donnelly, Founder and CEO, Black Dress Consultants

After many experiences with loss, including the death of her parents at a young age, Rachel founded Black Dress Consultants, a consulting firm that helps individuals and families manage the unavoidable tasks and logistics of after loss and end-of-life.

Rachel is also a fundraiser extraordinaire, having worked in higher education fundraising for Agnes Scott College, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology. Rachel serves on the Board of Directors on Love Not Lost, an Atlanta non-profit that provides grief tools and free photography sessions for families facing terminal diagnoses.

Rachel lives in Decatur with her husband Zack with their two kids, Finn and Roane.

Questions and Topics in This Interview

Tell us a little bit about your background. How did your earlier career path relate to or inspire your current work in the space around helping families wrap up after the loss of a loved one?
What was the motivation behind the creation of Black Dress Consultants?
Can you tell us about your services?
You mentioned that there are several blind spots in end-of-life planning. Can you tell us about a few?
In your experience working with families, and considering all the services you offer, what do they need the most help navigating?
Tell us about how your clients find you and what your role is in the complex project of settling an estate and wrapping up the details. W
How does what you do differentiate you from or overlap with the legal and financial aspects of settling an estate?
What’s one of the most unique or memorable experiences you’ve had working with families after a loss?

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.

Simplifying and Managing Your Finances for When You Age and Beyond

March 24, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

Simplifying and Managing Your Finances for When You Age and Beyond

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Leah Nichaman/Everyday Money Management

Leah Nichaman is a Certified Daily Money Manager (CDMM) with over 15 years of experience helping people manage their day-to-day financial affairs. She established Everyday Money Management in 2007, and built it into the premier daily money management firm in the Washington D.C. area, primarily serving older adults and busy professionals.

Ms. Nichaman is a Past President of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, the
professional association serving over 650 daily money managers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Her professional background is in management consulting, non-profit management, and health survey research. She holds a degree in Cognitive Science from Brown University.

Ms. Nichaman is active in her community, serving as a volunteer representative payee for an individual living with mental illness, and serving on the Board of Directors of The Senior Connection, a non-profit that provides free transportation and grocery shopping for seniors in Montgomery County, MD.

Rachel Donnelly/Black Dress Consultants

After many experiences with loss, including the death of her parents at a young age, Rachel Donnelly founded Black Dress Consultants, a consulting firm which helps individuals and families manage the unavoidable tasks and logistics of after loss and end-of-life.

Rachel is a fundraiser extraordinaire, having worked in higher education fundraising for Agnes Scott College, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology. Rachel also serves on the Board of Directors on Love Not Lost, an Atlanta non-profit that provides grief tools and free photography sessions for families facing terminal diagnoses.

She graduated from Agnes Scott College in Decatur with a degree in Political Science, and married her high school sweetheart, Zack Donnelly. They now live together in Atlanta with their two children, Finn and Roane.

Rachel has been referred to as the “Boss of After Loss,” “Real Life Orphan Annie” and a “Death Influencer,” and she believes that end-of-life planning is the greatest gift you can give to your family.

CLICK HERE to watch the Zoom video of this episode.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

Gaslowitz Frankel is an experienced trial practice firm specializing in all aspects of complex fiduciary litigation throughout Georgia and the Southeast. With a focus on representing individuals, companies, banks, and fiduciaries in dispute involving wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, businesses, and securities law, their experienced and highly qualified litigation attorneys have tremendous credentials and a proven history of success.