The Power of Connection, with Deborah Schwartz Griffin, Creative Connector (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 788)
In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Deborah Schwartz Griffin, founder of Creative Connector. The conversation delves into Deborah’s journey and expertise in strategic business development. Deborah shares insights into her method of connecting business leaders to grow their brands and give back to the community. Highlighting the importance of relationship building, Deborah provides a glimpse into her Creative Connector Collective, which fosters strategic partnerships and philanthropy among its members. This episode offers valuable lessons on intentional networking, strategic selling, and the lasting impact of giving back.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Deborah Schwartz Griffin, Founder and President, Creative Connector
Deborah Schwartz Griffin is a seasoned business development expert and the founder of Creative Connector, a consultancy specializing in strategic business development and relationship building. With over 25 years of experience, Deborah has established herself as a “Connector, Rainmaker, and Deal Maker,” helping businesses grow through effective networking and strategic partnerships.
As President and Founder of Creative Connector, Deborah brings a holistic approach to her clients, listening to their challenges, passions, and priorities. Her expertise spans multiple industries, including restaurants and franchises, foodservice equipment and supplies, hospitality, business advisory accounting, trade associations, nonprofits, event production, print, graphic design, social media, and broadcast sales.
Deborah’s motto, “You have to want to; believe that you can; and convince others that you will,” reflects her philosophy on achieving success. This approach has guided her work in helping clients develop strategic plans that yield measurable returns on investment (ROI) and enhance their personal and company brands.
Her impressive track record includes numerous success stories. For instance, she helped a Savannah-based print, graphic design, and social media company successfully launch its Atlanta location, creating and executing business development, sales, marketing, and strategic networking plans that generated many new customers. In another project, she developed a growth strategy for an organization that resulted in doubling revenue and increasing membership tenfold.
Deborah is a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. She resides in Atlanta with her husband, Jim. They enjoy traveling, theater, movies, and exploring culinary adventures. Deborah places high importance on her relationships, finding great joy in spending quality time with friends and family.
Through Creative Connector, Deborah continues to make impactful connections, telling her clients’ stories and building strategic relationships that drive business success across various industries.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:25 Meet Deborah Schwartz Griffin
01:52 The Art of Connecting
03:10 Deborah’s Background and Career Journey
09:05 The Creative Connector Collective
12:28 Building Successful Business Relationships
26:08 Success Stories and Impact
29:56 Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Renasant Bank and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant support 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 $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.
Casa Nuova is a proud family-owned and operated restaurant, serving classic, authentic and traditional Italian cuisine and top tier hospitality since 1998.
Casa Nuova is a cook-to-order kitchen, serving traditional fare including pasta, chicken, seafood, veal, vegetarian and gluten-free options, plus daily specials. They are a farm-to-table establishment, meaning that in the summertime, they cultivate their own vegetables in their garden, steps away from the restaurant, including tomatoes, corn, peppers, zucchini, sunflowers and more!
Celebrating more than 25 years, Casa Nuova has become a true staple in the Alpharetta area, serving more than three generations of families, including friends old and new, visiting near and far from all over the metro Atlanta area and beyond.
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About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 780 shows and having featured over 1,200 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 welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded 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, and many others.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
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 and 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.
