Announcing EXIT XPO 2024, XPX Atlanta’s First Conference, with David Shavzin, Nikki Evans, and Josh Dukelow

June 5, 2024 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Announcing EXIT XPO 2024, XPX Atlanta's First Conference, with David Shavzin, Nikki Evans, and Josh Dukelow

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Announcing EXIT XPO 2024, XPX Atlanta’s First Conference, with David Shavzin, Nikki Evans, and Josh Dukelow (The Exit Exchange, Episode 17)

This episode of The Exit Exchange features a major announcement from XPX Atlanta: the organization’s first conference, EXIT XPO. The conference is scheduled for November 14th, 2024, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Exit XPO 2024 committee members David Shavzin, Nikki Evans, and Josh Dukelow join host John Ray, discussing the event’s purpose and benefits for attendees, speakers, and sponsors. Key points include the conference’s focus on fostering connections between exit planning and value creation professionals, education for those professionals, the process for speaker applications, and opportunities for sponsorship and volunteering. Additionally, the episode highlights the broader mission of XPX Atlanta to foster collaboration among advisors and support business transitions throughout the Southeast.

For more information on Exit XPO 2024, follow this link or download a flyer here.

The host of The Exit Exchange is John Ray, and the show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. John Ray and Business RadioX-North Fulton are Gold Sponsors of XPX Atlanta.

David Shavzin, President, The Value Track

David Shavzin brings over 25 years of experience in value creation, exit strategy, succession planning, and business sales. He founded The Value Track in 2000 with the vision of assisting business owners in maximizing the value of their life’s work by getting their companies “on the value track” and selling them at the right time and for the best price.

As a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), David has developed a unique team approach and suite of tools to guide owners through the complex process of selling a business. His methodology focuses on addressing key areas that buyers scrutinize, such as owner dependence, accurate financials, recurring revenue, operational procedures, and regulatory compliance.

David’s mission is to help owners avoid common mistakes and pitfalls that can lead to lower valuations or failed sales. He emphasizes the importance of proper preparation, value-building strategies, and a smart, customized selling strategy tailored to each client’s specific situation.

LinkedIn | Website

Nikki Evans, Ridgeline Coaching

Nikki Evans is a coach with a behavioral approach to helping her clients achieve their goals. Nikki believes that success comes from being intentional about choices and recognizing individual strengths.

With her expertise in behavioral patterns, she helps her clients identify their strengths and create actionable plans to achieve the success they want. Nikki’s unique approach to solving issues in business goes beyond just addressing surface-level issues. She takes the time to understand the root cause of problems within an organization, recognizing that making changes in one area may impact other areas.

Her framework for understanding complex and changing systems ensures that the right root cause is being addressed, leading to the intended outcome while being mindful of any unintended consequences of change.

Nikki’s approach to communication is clear and concise. She recognizes the power of context in shaping perceptions and attitudes and advocates for a collaborative approach to problem-solving. She uses metaphor and humor to drive clarity with clients.

With her 20+ year background in information technology and her certifications in coaching individuals and teams, Nikki has worked with a diverse range of clients, from executive women’s leadership forums to non-profit groups dealing with the challenges of the pandemic. Her focus on recognizing strengths, understanding root causes, and communicating clearly has helped her clients achieve their goals and become more effective, joyful, and productive in their work.

LinkedIn | Website

Josh Dukelow, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Josh Dukelow brings a passion for enhancing communities through charitable planning. As Gift Planning Officer, he helps donors include philanthropy in their estate plans, and educates trusted advisors on charitable planning tools. Prior to the Foundation, Josh worked for nonprofits of all types and sizes, including Lawrence University, where he served as a Major & Planned Giving Officer for four years. Josh regularly highlighted gift planning and racial equity issues as the host of his radio talk show and podcast from 2016 to 2022.

Josh earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History at Lawrence University and a Master’s of Public Affairs in Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Having relocated to Atlanta from Appleton, Wisconsin, in March 2022, Josh enjoys exploring the city and is active as a volunteer with Trees Atlanta. In addition to volunteering, Josh enjoys reading (politics and history), traveling, kayaking, and walking along the BeltLine.

LinkedIn | Website

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:23 Meet the Guests: Nikki Evans, David Shavzin, and Josh Dukelow
03:56 Conference Overview: Exit XPO 2024
04:32 History and Mission of XPX Atlanta
07:17 Conference Details and Knowledge Tracks
10:49 Call for Speakers and Application Process
18:49 Sponsorship and Volunteer Opportunities
24:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Exit Planning Exchange Atlanta

The Exit Planning Exchange Atlanta (XPX) is a diverse group of professionals with a common goal: working collaboratively to assist business owners with a sale or business transition. XPX Atlanta is an association of advisors who provide professionalism, principles, and education to the heart of the middle market. Our members work with business owners through all stages of the private company life cycle: business value growth, business value transfer, and owner life and legacy. Our Vision: To fundamentally changing the trajectory of exit planning services in the Southeast United States. XPX Atlanta delivers a collaborative-based networking exchange with broad representation of exit planning competencies. Learn more about XPX Atlanta and why you should consider joining our community: https://exitplanningexchange.com/atlanta.

The Exit Exchange is produced by John Ray in the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. The show archive can be found at xpxatlantaradio.com.

John Ray and Business RadioX are Gold Sponsors of XPX Atlanta.

Dr Eileen Borris with Thunderbird School of Global Management and John Liffiton with Scottsdale Community College

April 12, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Dr Eileen Borris with Thunderbird School of Global Management and John Liffiton with Scottsdale Community College

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Dr Eileen Borris with Thunderbird School of Global Management and John Liffiton with Scottsdale Community College

Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University is a management school that offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, executive education programs, and MicroMasters in global management. Since its inception in 1946, Thunderbird has focused exclusively on educating global leaders in the intricacies of international business and management.

Now a unit of the Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise, Thunderbird is strengthened by the resources of America’s largest and most innovative public university. Thunderbird offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as executive education in locations around the globe, with its main campus in Phoenix, Arizona and offices in Geneva, Dubai, and Moscow.

Beginning in the 1980’s, Dr. Eileen Borris had been on the frontlines of forgiveness from the personal to the political. As a political psychologist, Dr. Borris helps to rebuild war torn countries such as Afghanistan, Liberia, Nigeria, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Israel and the Occupied Territories. Her work focuses on reconciling centuries old conflicts and finding ways to forgive. She understands the deep-down psychological issues surrounding conflicts and the healing of conflicts.

Dr. Borris develops her in the trenches perspectives concerning the personal side of pain by being a consultant. Most recently she has been in Afghanistan where she conducted a train the trainer program empowering women by teaching persuasion to give the women political voice through the Thunderbird for Good Program at Thunderbird: The School of Global management at Arizona State University. She has worked in Indonesia for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) developing conflict resolution and reconciliation programs. She has consulted with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) developing specialized training programs for women in peacebuilding in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Dr. Borris has been invited to propose trauma healing programs throughout Liberia through the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP). She works in organizations and the nonprofit sector in the United States to resolve disagreements and enhance work cultures. Dr. Borris has also spoken in front of the United Nations General Assembly on forgiveness and the healing of nations.

Since 1985 Dr. Borris began her work as a clinical psychologist in private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona where she counsels people having marital difficulties as well as treating people with anxiety and depression. She uses mindfulness approaches in her work and helps people with issues around forgiveness. Dr. Borris conducts “Finding Forgiveness” workshops, in which people are enabled to make better decisions from the place of understanding and wisdom rather than emotional pain and has written “Finding Forgiveness: A 7 Step Program for Letting Go of Anger and Bitterness” a self-help book published by McGraw-Hill.

The books focus on the profound impact of forgiveness on multiple levels ranging from individual’s personal lives to the resolution of long-standing international conflicts. “Finding Forgiveness” was a finalist for “Books for a Better Life Award” and the winner for “Best Books for 2007” award in the self-help category. “Finding Forgiveness” was one of the books chosen for the National Press Club 30th annual book fair, a very prestigious event.

Connect with Dr. Borris on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Scottsdale Community College is student centered, with a focus on active, engaged and intellectually rigorous learning. The college is known for high quality, accessible educational opportunities and innovative teaching, learning and support services. SCC serves approximately 10,000 students a year, offering more than 100 degrees and 60 certificates of completion in diverse occupational areas. SCC is a leader in Developmental Education, Open Education Resources, Undergraduate Research, and Service Learning, all designed to improve and facilitate student success.

Through a partnership with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, SCC is honored to be the only two-year public higher education institution located on Native American Land. The college has a robust Native American Indian support program and is establishing an Indigenous Scholars Institute to better serve our growing Native American student population, and to encourage all students to understand and appreciate the history, contributions and future of our Indigenous peoples.

SCC, for the third consecutive time, was among only 150 community colleges nationally to be eligible for the prestigious Aspen Award for Community College Excellence. SCC also holds the honor of being a winner of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce Sterling Award in the Big Business category, has been named a Bellwether Finalist for Community College Innovation, and is a Veterans’s Supportive Campus. In 2016, SmartAsset named SCC the 4th Best Community College in the U.S.

John Liffiton was born into a military family and thus moved all over the world. This instilled in him a sort of wander-lust, which has taken him to 50+ countries and four continents. He has not only visited numerous countries, but has also worked overseas for half his life; working in: England, France, Switzerland, Zaire, and he spent thirteen years working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

John has a BSc in Anthropology and a MA in English. He is also a 2012 graduate of the FBI Citizen’s Academy. Since he was hired in January 2000 at Scottsdale Community College, he has been the Faculty Senate President, the ESL Coordinator and the co-coordinator of the Honors Program. And for the last eight years, he has been the Director of Scottsdale Community College’s annual genocide conference, which he founded.

John went to Jaingmin, China for six weeks on a faculty exchange at the Wuyi Universtity. In 2006, he was asked by the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC), Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) to plan and implement an ESL workforce development program for the Faculty of Tourism at the University of St. Kliment in Ohrid, Macedonia. In 2008, John was a Fulbright Scholar in Morocco where he was on a program to bring back information on Moroccan literature to infuse into global studies programs. In 2016 he participated in the Conference for Holocaust Education Centers at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC and the Jacques and Charlotte Wolf Conference with the Anti-Defamation League in New York.

In 2016 he presented at the Community College Humanities Association Conference and in 2017 at the 23rd Annual AZ Center for Medieval & Renaissance Studies Conference, and in was on the Fulbright Balkan Borderlands Curriculum Program during which he traveled to: Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia and Albania, and researched the Bosnian genocide. He also attended the inaugural International Leaders Summit at the US Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. He will be going to Mexico in May to spend two weeks working with professors from the University of Guanajuato on Mexican/indigenous historical relations and for a week to work with the Museo de la Memoria Y Tolerencia in Mexico City, which is the equivalent of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

In his spare time, he writes articles on history and has had several published in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and is a life-member of the Orders and Medals Society of America as well as an active member of the British Orders and Medals Society (OMRS) for over 35 years. He has been a member of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and served on the board of Scottsdale Sister Cities and as Chairman of the Board for the Arizona Council for International Visitors. He is a Class XXIX graduate of Scottsdale Leadership too.

He also serves on the Education Committee for the Anti-defamation League in Phoenix, Arizona and The Advisory Board for the Martin Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University, and also is a member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars and a board member of the Phoenix Holocaust Association. He was recently awarded a commendation and blessing by the Archbishop of the Armenian Diocese for his work in education regarding the Armenian Genocide. He is also the 2015 recipient of the Shofar Zakhor Award for his role in Holocaust education by the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association.

Connect with John on LinkedIn and learn more about Genocide Awareness Week 2019 here.

ITEN WIRED RADIO: Job Fair Highlights for ITEN WIRED Conference on October 9th

October 4, 2017 by angishields

ITEN Wired Radio

ITEN WIRED RADIO: Job Fair Highlights for ITEN WIRED Conference on October 9th

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The ITEN WIRED Job Fair returns on October 9th. If you are ready to take the next step in your career, polish up your resume and head to the beach. The job fair is free and open to the public. Details here.

ITEN WIRED 2017 Job Fair

Participating Companies

Pre-Register with CSRA

ITEN WIRED is the Gulf Coast’s premier conference for executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, and educators working in technology. With topics including cybersecurity, tech makers, start-up tech, virtual environments, simulation, and robotics, you’ll be sure to find something inspiring. Expert presenters offer an excellent forum for professional development. Don’t miss this opportunity to exchange ideas and forge new collaborations around innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.

The ITEN WIRED Summit comes back to the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front on October 9–11 as a bigger, better, three-day conference. Also returning this year is Ignite^® ITEN where presenters share a personal or professional tech passion using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total of just five entertaining minutes.

How much does Trade Show Radio cost? – Business RadioX

September 2, 2013 by angishields

Lee

The cost varies, according to the amount of time that we’re there and how many days that we’re there. What’s the range though?

Stone

The investment is a daily fee, and it ranges from as little as $5,000 a day to as much as $15,000 a day. The variables are the talent that we deploy and the status of the client. For clients who are part of the Business RadioX® Network family, obviously, we would provide them with a little bit more attractive fee schedule. Then when we deploy what we characterize as ‘premium talent’, we charge the higher-end. At the very low-end for the right type of candidate who is familiar with our work and knows how to do this, if they’re going to self-host Tradeshow Radio and we’re simply providing the infrastructure to help pull that off, then it can be as low as $5,000 a day.

Lee

We have special consideration to non-profit organizations and certain other business associations who are involved in conferences.

Stone

Absolutely. In fact here locally or in any market where we have a Business RadioX® affiliate, for select local non-profit organizations, we’ve actually set up a booth for as little as $2,500 a day.

What are the requirements for Trade Show Radio? – Business RadioX

August 17, 2013 by angishields

Lee

5 chairs and an electrical outlet, is the short answer. We’ve had a variety of setups. All a booth really requires is a 6 or 8 foot table, 4 chairs, and access to electricity. It’s also nice to have a stable internet connection, which more and more venues are providing for us at little or no cost. We’ve run the gamut with previous trade shows. We have had some petty elaborate setups that will remind you of Monday Night Football. You can go as high-end or as basic as you wish. It’s pretty flexible for basically any tradeshow, expo, symposium, or conference setup

Stone

Just so you can visualize what it looks like – it can be done in press conference-style where we have 4 or 5 people in a row looking out onto the tradeshow floor. We have a speaker that broadcasts the interviews in and around the booth space – this draws in additional people. Visually seeing people with headphones and microphones also really captures the passerby’s attention.

Lee

One of the really fun things about having the speaker is when you interview someone at 10:00, and then that guest walks back by again at 10:20 and shows their colleagues what they were doing a little while ago. They can hear their interview coming through the PA speaker, because maybe we’re between interviews, getting ready to interview the next person. It’s fun to watch them smile.

Stone

We always have an interview playing throughout the entire conference.

Trellis Usher with Greater Atlanta Chapter of ASTD

July 24, 2013 by angishields

Learning Insights

Trellis Usher with Greater Atlanta Chapter of ASTD

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Trellis Usher/T.R. Ellis Group

Trellis Usher is an Atlanta learning professional who has worked in the field for over 17 years. She has been involved with ASTD for over a decade, both as a volunteer and volunteer leader. She is the current Director of Chapter Programs for Greater Atlanta ASTD which is the largest local chapter in the nation. In that role, she and a team of volunteers are responsible for planning and executing chapter meetings and the annual ACE Conference. After a corporate career working for companies like Georgia-Pacific, McKesson, and The Coca-Cola Company, Trellis founded T.R. Ellis Group which is a human capital development consultancy. In her role as Managing Consultant, she still gets to work with great organizations to help build individual and organizational capabilities.

Each year, the Greater Atlanta Chapter of ASTD holds a large conference with national speakers to provide Atlanta learning professionals with the opportunity to network, gain new skills, and meet thought leaders without the expense of travel to national conferences. This year’s event, scheduled for Tuesday, August 13, 2013, is focused on Learning and Development as a Value Creator. In addition to 12 smaller sessions, the chapter has brought in Dr. Jack Phillips and Dr. Jim Kirkpatrick to speak.

Today’s show is brought to you by TrainingPros.

What IS Trade Show Radio? – Business RadioX

July 1, 2013 by angishields

Lee

Trade Show Radio is a marketing tool that our clients use to invite a bunch of high-value prospects into their booth continuously throughout their trade show.

Stone

They really do get high-value prospects consistently throughout the day. When we do Trade Show Radio, unlike what we see in other booths, there are multiple folks in our booth, all day, every day. Attendees who are meaningful prospects, clients, referral sources, or key leaders inside related associations that are very important to the client. Our clients are having meaningful conversations throughout the entire trade show because of the radio work that we’re doing.

Lee

Our clients say that theirs is the only booth they’ve seen where every minute of the show is productive use of their staff’s time.

Stone

Absolutely. That’s what we do. Sometimes we do it for a day, sometimes we do it for 2 or 3 days in a row. We call it Trade Show Radio, but we also do this at conferences, expos and symposiums.