The Detour Program and Suwanee Business Alliance

May 13, 2016 by Mike

Giving Back To Gwinnett

The Detour Program and Suwanee Business Alliance

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David White/The Detour Program

The DETOUR Program is designed to assist adolescents as they attempt to navigate through middle school, high school, and all of the challenges that come with that process. It is a transition program with two distinct tracts: the “Alternate Route” is a diversion program, and “My Life” is a prevention program.

The Alternate Route program is a diversion program targeting juvenile offenders and those with behavioral health diagnosis between the ages of 13-17. This program is ten weeks in length and offers mental health treatment, creative, innovative group interventions, and family support systems. After the initial ten week “Alternate Route”, they also provide their 500-hour Reentry Prep which is specifically designed to prepare offenders to be productively involved in their communities and society. The goal of the program is to prevent incarceration and repeat offenses, improve academic performance, and address previously unidentified family stresses that contribute to the youth’s behavior. The “My life” series is another innovative tool used by the DETOUR program to address adolescents involved in risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, bullying, teen pregnancy, STDS, and delinquent behaviors – which are all “barriers to their success”. The “My Life” series is broken into three phases and each phase is four weeks in length using a small group format.

Pete Patel/Suwanee Business Alliance

Suwanee Business Alliance fosters the success of local business owners with a serious mind to grow while creating relationships for the future. Founded in 1999, the Suwanee Business Alliance was formed when a group of Suwanee-area businesses banded together to foster communications and commerce among its members, and to help the Suwanee community grow and prosper.

Pensacola Business Radio-05.11.16 Guests: Marilyn Smith / Creative Learning Academy-Sponsored by Gilmore Services and Emerald Coast Keeper

May 12, 2016 by angishields

Pensacola Business Radio

Pensacola Business Radio-05.11.16 Guests: Marilyn Smith / Creative Learning Academy-Sponsored by Gilmore Services and Emerald Coast Keeper

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Marilyn Smith / Development Director

Creative Learning Academy

Marilyn works diligently while managing events, handling social media accounts, coordinating all fundraising and development efforts such as campaigns and advertising and other public relations and marketing initiatives to expand the community’s knowledge of CLA’s mission and values. Marilyn received her Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communications & Journalism as well as a minor in Spanish at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her past experience includes working as a Promotions Producer at WEAR-TV.

Students Love our School. Parents Love Our Results.

Creative Learning Academy is the preeminent college-preparatory school for preschool through 8th grade students. CLA is accredited by the SACS-CASI, Florida Council of Independent Schools, and the Florida Kindergarten Council. Our mission is to nurture and strengthen each child’s foundation of academic excellence, creativity, independence and integrity in a culturally enriched community.

The school curriculum is advanced, comprehensive, and enriched with music, art, technology, library science, physical education, and Spanish. There are additional courses in Middle School, such as geometry, health, creative writing, research skills, and yearbook. Many after school activities are available.

CLA faculty are dedicated, caring, and well qualified. Each teacher instructs in his/her educational field of study. Our Pre-primary Program is led by Montessori certified teachers.

School Hours:

8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for Preprimary
8:00 a.m. – 2:50 p.m. for Kindergarten through eighth grade
The CLA After School Program is available each day until 6:00 p.m. ($6.00 per hour fee)
Early morning care from 7:20 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. in the gym (complimentary supervision- NO FEE)

As a leading college-preparatory school in Pensacola, CLA strives to enroll a maximum of 16 students in each preprimary class, a maximum of 20 students in Lower School classes (kindergarten through fourth grade) and 22 in middle school (5th-8th grade) classes.

Need-based financial aid is available to students each year. It is our intent that no qualified student will be denied a CLA education simply based on financial considerations.

We invite you to visit our campus and discover the difference a CLA education will make in the life of your child! Please visit our Admissions page and contact Dominick Giombetti, Director of Admissions, at 850-432-1768 or dgiombetti@creativelearningacademy.org.

BREAKING PAR IN BUSINESS: Marbury Creative Group and Grandview Strategic Partners

January 29, 2016 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

BREAKING PAR IN BUSINESS: Marbury Creative Group and Grandview Strategic Partners

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Rich Bartolotta, Rob Marbury, Bryant Shipp, David Morris

Rob Marbury/Marbury Creative Group

Marbury Creative Group, based in Duluth, GA, is an award-winning branding and advertising agency founded in May 2010 by Rob Marbury, after 22 years as an art director, creative director and VP creative in the advertising industry.

The Marbury motto is ‘Tell it Better! (if necessary, use words.)” For more information, or to see samples of the agency’s work, please visit WeTellitBetter.com, email Rob at rob@marburycreativegroup.com or call 648-735-5220.

Bryant Shipp & David Morris/Grandview Strategic Partners

GrandView Strategic Partners is the investment advisory entity of the GrandView integrated group of financial services companies. GrandView’s team of specialists works closely with business owners – and high net-worth individuals – providing solutions to address investment needs.

GrandView’s approach emphasizes preservation of principal, with a focus on current and future cash flow. By focusing on generating passive income, they strive to help clients successfully achieve life’s milestones.

Rich Bartolotta/Schooley Mitchell

Rich Bartolotta of Schooley Mitchell is the host of “Breaking Par in Business“.

Schooley Mitchell is the largest independent consulting business in North America that specializes in helping businesses improve profitability by reducing telecom and merchant services expenses.

One unique aspect of their offering is that they work on a contingent fee basis, meaning their fee is a share of the savings they generate. So business owners take no risk in working with Schooley Mitchell.

Schooley Mitchell has been in business since 1980, saving thousands of clients almost a quarter of a billion dollars. To learn more about Schooley Mitchell Atlanta go to schooleymitchell.com/rbartolotta or email Rich at rich.bartolotta@schooleymitchell.com.

Creative Circus, BBDO, Escalate, and Coca-Cola

March 10, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Creative Circus, BBDO, Escalate, and Coca-Cola

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Creative Circus, BBDO, Escalate, and Coca-Cola

This week my guests included experts from Creative Circus, BBDO, Escalate, and Coca-Cola. The focus of our discussion was centered around marketing/brand awareness through creative campaigns and experiential/word-of-mouth marketing. And we started by sharing the story about Creative Circus, an Atlanta-based creative school that recruits top creative arts students from around the country to continue their education and professional development in their 2 year program. A key feature of Creative Circus is not simply teaching creative arts/ad creation skills. Rather, Creative Circus also teaches the students fortunate to attend how to market themselves in the interview/application process and how to build a professional, well-constructed portfolio of work. With the combined quality of instruction in the creative process and portfolio development, the Creative Circus’s graduates have a high rate of placement with creative agencies upon graduation.

The Creative Circus collaborates frequently with such well-known firms as BBDO, the globally-known creative agency responsible for innumerable high-profile ad campaigns as seen during the Super Bowl, on our TV’s daily, and across the spectrum of media forms. Debbie Lindner, SVP and Chief People Officer stopped by to talk about how the agency will sometimes refer candidates who are seeking to work with BBDO to the Creative Circus for additional experience and development of their book of work. She talked about the fact that Creative Circus graduates clearly come out of the program prepared and ready to contribute to creative campaigns with a high level of ability.

Stu Sheldon of Escalate joined the conversation to talk about how Word of Mouth earned media adds an additional layer of engagement on top of well-planned, quality creative campaigns to boost effectiveness of brand campaigns. He introduced us to a frequent client, Zakia Holland, a Director of Brand with Coca-Cola (a personal favorite brand of mine). We talked about a number of experiential marketing campaigns Coca-Cola has employed to reach new customer bases such as those in the younger generations and when they launch new brands into the market place.

The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 brands. The Company and its bottling partners are dedicated to “2020 Vision,” a roadmap for doubling system revenues this decade, focused on five key areas—profit, people, portfolio, partners and planet. The Company has the strongest portfolio of brands in the nonalcoholic beverage industry – now featuring 20 brands that generate more than $1 billion USD in annual retail sales.

Special Guests:

Katie Harmon, Marketing Manager of the Creative Circus

BA, Art History, Criticism, and Conservation, Georgia College and State University
Previous Representative and Event Coordinator, Coverdell Institute
Former Self-Expression Coordinator, Carrera Model Program
Hope Scholarship recipient, Weir Wells Study Abroad recipient

Debbie Lindner, SVP, Chief People Officer of BBDO Atlanta

BA, Psychology and Finance, Missouri State University
25 years of leadership roles with BBDO Atlanta
Board Member, BBDO Atlanta
Member, National Association of Professional Women

Stuart Sheldon, Chief Advocacy Officer at Escalate

BA, English and Journalism, Washington and Lee University
Former Senior Brand Manager, Coca Cola Company
Founder and Former Evangelist Prime, ConnectUs Marketing
2006 Coca-Cola North America Big, Bold & Inspiring Marketing award; Coca-Cola Worldwide Marketing Excellence award finalist

Zakia Holland, Senior Brand Activation Manager at Coca Cola

MBA, Georgia Southern University
9 years in leadership role, Coca Cola
Former Senior Account Manager, Ritz Carlton Hotel
Avid Runner

Business Savvy & Creativity; A Winning Combination for Leaders!

February 7, 2013 by angishields

Global Leader Radio

Business Savvy & Creativity; A Winning Combination for Leaders!

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In this edition of Global Leader Radio!™, we discuss the notion of bringing ideas to life through innovation, empowerment and results. Host Alvin C. Miles interviewed Phillip Boykin and Peter Pasternack who shared how combining business savvy with creativity helped them become better leaders.

Here are seven takeaways from our discussion:

“The backbone of business is Accounting!”
“There is nothing new under the sun; it’s about how you put it together that makes it new!”
Your ability to produce should be your differentiator.
The best leaders surround themselves with people who help illuminate their blind spots.
People are most comfortable when they have someone to relate to.
Don’t fear failure!
“Making ‘easy money’ in business requires preparation & hard work!”

In this podcast, Phillip and Peter provide great examples to illustrate the points above. Add their ideas to your leadership toolkit to help increase YOUR influence. Leadership IS a conversation!

Phillip Boykin Jr. / Creative Director, Shark Branding

Phillip Boykin currently serves as the Creative Director for Shark Branding, a New York based advertising and marketing agency founded by Daymond John, CEO of FUBU and one of the stars of the hit ABC entrepreneurial reality show, Shark Tank. Phillip is tasked with developing marketing properties from concept to reality for brands across a wide range of verticals. Phillip expertise includes sponsorship procurement, strategic alliances, talent buying and placement and contract negotiations. Phillip has worked with brands such as Rolls Royce, Diageo, Bentley, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, DirecTV, Wing Stop and the International Franchise Association to name a few.

Prior to joining Shark Branding, Phillip served as Executive Vice President of Business Development at Coliseum Enterprises where he worked on the branding initiatives of professional athletes. Prior to Coliseum, Phillip worked with fixed income mortgage derivatives in Atlanta as well as on Wall Street.

Mr. Boykin attended the University of Memphis where he majored in Manufacturing Engineering. He resides in Atlanta with his wife of 6 years, Hazel Boykin.

Contact Phillip: (404) 275-8087, phillip@sharkbranding.com

Peter Pasternack / Principal, Foundations Design, LLC

Peter Pasternack graduated from the University of Georgia with an undergraduate and master’s degree in accounting. He began his career at Price Waterhouse before moving to the banking industry where he gained over 20 years of experience. He’s financed over 500 businesses and knows firsthand why some ventures succeed and many fail.

In 2005 Peter co-founded Foundations Design, LLC. The company designs, builds, and renovates residential and commercial property. Peter is responsible for the operational and financial aspects of Foundations Design as well as the long term growth of the company.

The initial success of Foundations Design and resulting media interest led to a leading role on one of television’s most recognized real estate investment and home renovation shows, A&E’s Flip This House. On the show, Mr. Pasternack is routinely seen integrating his business savvy with trademark enthusiasm. Peter has been called upon to offer his knowledge and experience to prospective entrepreneurs through local and national media outlets such as Alpharetta Magazine and Lang and Thomas Real Estate in addition to various speaking and radio engagements.

Peter has worked diligently for his many achievements and believes in passing on the information that has made him so successful. He is excited about sharing his knowledge and skills in making money and believes strongly in the entrepreneurial spirit.

Contact Peter: (404) 275-8087, peter@foundationsllc.com

Which Book Has Most Impacted Your Leadership Ability?

Phillip: