Family or Finance?, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

May 20, 2025 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Family or Finance?, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

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Family or Finance?, with Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

When you have a choice between family or finance, there’s not really a choice, says host Anthony Chen. Family always comes first.

Anthony’s commentary was taken from this episode of Family Business Radio. Family Business Radio is underwritten by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

Transcript

As we’re closing out with Anthony’s Financial Take with our guest, Jacqueline Jensen here, I’m not sure I can even come up anywhere close in terms of dropping off better jewels of wisdom on the financial side other than to reiterate having that focus on what your life’s vision and goals are, particularly on the family side.

I may have already reiterated in the show and in the past that money can always be remade and earned back. You can’t buy back time; I’m just going to throw my bias hat out there. I’m going to agree with Jacqueline on here, and maybe it’s a little bit more personal for me, but if you come to the crossroads between finance, financial decisions, or family decisions, my bias would err a little bit more on the—I know it’s coming odd from a financial guy—more on the family than the financial side of things, but that’s my Financial Take.

Or maybe I should rebrand it to Family Take. But that’s the end for the show. So thank you for listening in to Family Business Radio.

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.

The complete show archive of Family Business Radio can be found by following this link.

Behind the Magic of The Elf on the Shelf, with Christa Pitts, The Lumistella Company

October 29, 2024 by John Ray

Executive Perspective

Behind the Magic of The Elf on the Shelf, with Christa Pitts, The Lumistella Company

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Behind the Magic of The Elf on the Shelf, with Christa Pitts, The Lumistella Company (Executive Perspective, Episode 16)

In this episode of Executive Perspective, host Danny Vander Maten interviews Christa Pitts, co-founder and CEO of The Lumistella Company, the brand behind the beloved The Elf on the Shelf, Elf Pets, and Elf Mates. Christa recounts her journey from childhood experiences with the elf tradition to her early career in sales and as a QVC program host. The conversation delves into the company’s family roots, the rigorous challenges faced, and the unwavering belief in their product that transformed a family tradition into a global phenomenon. Key insights cover the importance of hiring for growth, fostering a strong company culture, the role of family support, and thoughtful leadership. The episode also highlights the cultural impact of The Elf on the Shelf, crucial moments that propelled its popularity, and its global expansion. Further discussion includes Christa’s Madam Founder podcast, which features inspiring stories of female business leaders.

Executive Perspective is sponsored and presented by Cresa Atlanta. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Christa Pitts, Co-CEO and Founder, The Lumistella Company

Imagine being applauded for “revolutionizing the essence of Christmas.” That is precisely what American businesswoman and entrepreneur Christa Pitts is celebrated for.

Christa serves as the co-CEO and founder of The Lumistella Company, a dynamic enterprise behind the enchanting brand, The Elf on the Shelf®. Under her strategic leadership, more than 25 million The Elf on the Shelf brand Scout Elves, Elf Pets, and Elf Mates have been adopted in 24 countries across five continents, solidifying a massive global reach.

Considered a scion in branding, Christa’s journey began as a QVC Program Host, amassing 2,000 hours of live, unscripted television experience. During this time, she honed her expertise in understanding the mechanics of sales, the intricacies of advertising, and the significance of brand authenticity.

This wealth of knowledge proved invaluable when she joined forces with her mother and twin sister to share their cherished family Christmas tradition with the world. Highly regarded for her business acumen, Christa is a sought-after keynote speaker and tv media personality. She is frequently requested to share her perspective on diverse subjects, from being a woman in business to supply chain-related issues on mediums including MSNBC and CBS.

Over the years, she was featured hundreds of times on prominent platforms and stages, including The Today Show, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. Recognizing the power of her work, Entrepreneur Magazine has named The Lumistella Company “A Christmastime IP Giant.”

A symbol of empowerment for women in business, Christa’s voice resonates with many. Most recently, she was named the 2023 Southeast Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Of The Year®. Christa embodies the spirit of breaking barriers and redefining what it means to lead with passion, resilience, and unwavering dedication.

Christa is the host of Madame Founder, a podcast series devoted to successful women entrepreneurs and the stories they tell on business, leadership, and empowerment.

Website | LinkedIn | Madame Founder podcast

The Lumistella Company

The Lumistella Company is a dynamic, fast-paced organization where the magic of Christmas thrives all year long. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, it is a family-owned global intellectual property company. Founded in 2005 with the launch of The Elf on the Shelf® Christmas phenomenon, the company rebranded as The Lumistella Company in 2020 to reflect its growth into a global corporation focused on consumer products, brand experiences, and entertainment-based content.

The Lumistella Company’s core consumer brands include The Elf on the Shelf®, Elf Pets®, and Elf Mates®, along with a variety of related brand extensions that bring the characters from Santa’s North Pole to life. Through brand experiences like pop-up shops, photo opportunities, virtual gaming, and destination activities, the company creates magical, immersive connections to Santa’s universe.

The Lumistella Company fosters strategic partnerships with best-in-class studios, publishers, music firms, product companies, agencies, and live entertainment production companies. Its subsidiary, Scout Elf Productions, LLC, is dedicated to the art of storytelling through animation. The company’s mission is to inspire the magic of belief and a love of tradition at Christmastime by creating characters, stories, and lore that bring Santa’s North Pole to life for children worldwide.

With a strong culture built around creativity, fun, learning, and respect, The Lumistella Company continues to build on timeless traditions and enhance family Christmas celebrations. At its core are the values of Family Focus, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence (F.I.R.E.), which create an exceptional work environment. The company is always seeking talented individuals who thrive in a fun, innovative, and fast-paced environment to join Santa’s team and help deliver new expressions of Christmas traditions.

Website | LinkedIn

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to Executive Perspective
00:58 Meet Christa Pitts: CEO of The Lumistella Company
03:12 The Elf on the Shelf Tradition
05:25 Christa’s Career Journey
11:57 Founding the Elf on the Shelf Business
19:36 Challenges and Successes
24:32 Recognizing the Need to Delegate
25:08 Hiring for Cultural Fit
25:24 The Importance of Culture
29:43 Challenges and Growth Phases
34:37 Global Expansion and Traditions
40:26 The Madam Founder Podcast
43:19 Conclusion and Contact Information

About Executive Perspective

Executive Perspective features executives and business leaders from a wide variety of sectors. Host Danny Vander Maten and his guests cover industry trends, insights, challenges, success strategies and lessons learned. Executive Perspective is underwritten and presented by Cresa. The show series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. A complete show archive can be found here.

Executive Perspective

Danny joined Cresa in the Spring of 2016 and brought a diverse background with nearly 10 years of experience in finance, business operations, and strategy to his client’s real estate transactions.

At Cresa, Danny’s primary responsibilities include strategic planning, lease analysis, negotiations, and cost mitigation. As a registered Certified Public Accountant with an active license in the state of Georgia, Danny provides unique financial insight into every critical aspect of the transaction.

Cresa is the world’s most trusted occupier-centric commercial real estate firm. They strategize for the best possible results for occupiers everywhere. Cresa thinks beyond space. Partner without conflict. And apply their integrated expertise to make your business better.

Connect with Danny: LinkedIn | Twitter

Connect with Cresa: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

We Are Family

December 15, 2022 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

We Are Family

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Stephanie Wolfe is a business owner and board-certified Health and Wellness Coach. Her life motto is “Live Long and Strong with Passion and Purpose. Help others to do the same!”

Join Stephanie each week for education, inspiration, and a weekly challenge to achieve personal and business wellness. Develop your own personal Wellness Vision. Discover Stephanie’s proprietary CLEAN Concepts and how they have been vastly improving personal and professional business wellness.

Episodes of “Work Well with Stephanie Wolfe” will be devoted to Stephanie’s Wellness Wheel and will include topics of Fitness, Nutrition, Work-Life Balance, Faith, Core Values, Marriage, Family, Friendships, Career, Goal Setting, Wellness Vision Casting, Endorphin Boosting and Stress Busting, and so much more. You may think you know what you need to know, but what if you don’t?

Subscribe now to “Work Well with Stephanie Wolfe” to start your wellness journey with your board-certified health and wellness coach!

On this episode, Stephanie explains how family is at the heart of health and wellness for everyone.

About Stephanie Wolfe

Stephanie received her Health Coach Certification in 2014 and went on to receive her Master Certification in 2016, both from the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute, founded by world-renowned physician and author, Dr. William Sears. The Institute is a leader in science-based health and wellness education that focuses on a whole health experience including a strong nutritional foundation.

Stephanie continued her education and training to become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness coach in 2017. This training allows Stephanie to work with clients individually through a step-by-step process using advanced coaching methods, offering them full access to resources and tools to support them throughout the entire coaching process. Board Certification is the foundation of her success using coaching methods such as motivational interviewing and appreciative inquiry to assess the stages of change and provide each client with individual attention as they gain momentum towards their health and wellness goals.

Presented by

What Is the Purpose of Your Money? – Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

August 29, 2022 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

What Is the Purpose of Your Money? - Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

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What Is the Purpose of Your Money – Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

In a commentary from a recent Family Business Radio episode, host Anthony Chen reflected on the purpose of one’s investments and money. He pointed out that while financial security is a vital objective, it is also important to use money to create experiences with loved ones.

Anthony’s commentary was taken from this episode of Family Business Radio. Family Business Radio is underwritten by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

family owned craft breweries — **Anthony Chen**

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 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.

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

Stewarding Family Wealth 2.0, Core Mission and Values with Centurion Advisory Group

April 21, 2022 by Amanda Pearch

Forsyth Studio

Stewarding Family Wealth 2.0, Core Mission and Values with Centurion Advisory Group

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Randy Brunson is the founding shareholder of Centurion Advisory Group. Randy has invested most of his forty-year career in financial services. He spent several years on the institutional side and had the opportunity to start a successful financial planning firm in 1991. Centurion Advisory Group serves individual and corporate clients, both in Georgia and throughout the country, offering personal and business financial planning, retirement plan design and management, and investment management services.

Randy studied engineering and marketing at UT Chattanooga. Randy currently holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and CKA designation and makes it a priority to stay on top of his knowledge in the financial industry through continuing professional educational opportunities and reading. In addition, Randy has completed studies in qualified plan design, estate planning and business transition planning and he enjoys speaking and writing regularly on these topics.

Sandy LeRoux is the Co-Advisor at Centurion Advisory Group. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance with a minor in Accounting from The University of Georgia, as well as her MBA in Corporate Finance from Georgia State University. Sandy has over 20 years of experience within the executive level of business and finance, excelling at coordinating and RELATIONSHIP management. She and the Centurion team are committed to being service and stewardship.

SUBSCRIBE to “Stewarding Family Wealth” on your favorite #audio platform. Stewarding Family Wealth is presented by

Aimee Hoecker and Lauren Williams – Downtown Drafts, John Vardeman – Morton, Vardeman & Carlson

February 18, 2020 by Beau Henderson

North Georgia Business Radio

Aimee Hoecker and Lauren Williams - Downtown Drafts, John Vardeman - Morton, Vardeman & Carlson

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Downtown Drafts – Aimee Hoecker and Lauren Williams

Downtown Drafts is a craft beer and wine cafe in the heart of Downtown Gainesville, GA, on the historic square… a relaxed and welcoming community fathering space where you can enjoy samplers or glasses of unique and local craft beers, wines, ciders and more! We frequently feature live music, trivia nights, wine paining and many other events and offer an extensive collection of board and card games to play with your family and friends!

Hungry? Tweet us @downtowndrafts then try some of our snacks which include our affordable Boar’s Head meat, cheese and hummus trays… locally-made chips, pretzels, King of Pops and more!! You can order food and have it delivered from one of our amazing downtown restaurants!

Our goal is to provide the community with a laid-back environment where you can feel as comfortable as sipping a glass of wine in your living room, but also be surrounded by friends both new and old!

Email: aimee@downtowndrafts.net

Morton, Vardeman & Carlson – John Vardeman

Based in Gainesville, Ga., Morton Vardeman & Carlson is a full-service marketing agency that is closing in on 50 years of brand architecture and promotion for businesses regionally and nationwide. It is one of Georgia’s largest advertising agencies north of Atlanta.

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!!

Zoo Crew!!!

Si Doan and Shawn McMorrough with Alliance Jiu Jitsu

January 7, 2020 by Beau Henderson

North Georgia Business Radio

Si Doan and Shawn McMorrough with Alliance Jiu Jitsu

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Si Doan and Shawn McMorrough with Alliance Jiu Jitsu Gainesville

Alliance Jiu Jitsu Gainesville Academy was established in 2020 as collaborative effort with Alliance Atlanta Headquarters- 12x World Champion Jiu Jitsu Team. The Alliance Gainesville Academy was founded by Shawn McMorrough & Si Doan. Our mission is to spread the Jiu Jitsu life style and make a positive impact in the Gainesville/Hall County community. Our world class academy and instructors focuses on traditional and modern Jiu Jitsu in a clean, stylish, modern state of the art facility.

With a new location opening here in Gainesville, they are ready to make an impact not only on the mats but also in our local community. Listening to their stories on how Jiu Jitsu started for them as individuals and how they are utilizing their passion for the sport to coach, encourage and help people to be the best person they can be!

AZ BRANDCAST Brandon Clarke and Brad Snyder with CRADL

May 24, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

AZ BRANDCAST Brandon Clarke and Brad Snyder with CRADL

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AZ BRANDCAST Brandon Clarke and Brad Snyder with CRADL

“The identity of Arizona is wide open.” The fact that Arizona’s youth demographic mix represents the future of North America gives the rest of North America an early look at what the whole continent will look like in the very near future.

Mike and Chris interview Brandon and Brad of CRADL to discover one of Arizona’s biggest strengths: it’s cultural makeup among children.

CRADL aligns two decades of child life research with socially impactful business development to drive exploration and innovation in technologies, media, and services that save, help, and delight children, families, and educators.

Brad Snyder is a Co-Founder of CRADL. Brad explains children to adults and to clients ranging from the U.S. Justice Department to Cartoon Network. Experts describe Brad’s parenting book, The 5 Simple Truths of Raising Kids, as an “urgent ‘must-read.’”

Titles from his What Every Child Needs To Know children’s book series (…About Elvis Presley, …About Cancer, …About Punk Rock, …About The Economy, …About Pizza and …About Coffee), which he coauthors with Dr. Marc Engelsgjerd to explain adults to children, have received numerous accolades, including being a “staff pick” at the Museum of Modern Art bookstore in New York City.

Brandon Clarke is a Co-Founder of CRADL. Brandon is a passionate entrepreneur and advocate of the startup founder experience. As co-founder and director of the StartupAZ Foundation, he’s led an effort to empower Arizona founders with the resources they need to level up; helping them grow and give back.

His previous business ventures include real estate acquisition and development, hospitality, outdoor media, and consumer web. His latest venture, CRADL, is a research and design lab focused on the youth and family market. Brandon is a Phoenix native, married with three children and avid youth sports coach.

Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn and follow CRADL on Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT AZ BRANDCAST

Branding isn’t just for companies. In fact, Arizona is its own brand. Every month, Mike Jones and Chris Stadler tap into Arizona’s rich community of thought leaders and business owners to find out how the state is developing that brand. Join them as they interview business and thought leaders from in and around Arizona about higher purpose in their companies and Arizona’s development as a brand. AZ Brandcast is powered by Conscious Capitalism AZ and Resound Creative.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

It’s Mike Jones‘ mission to see brands grow and succeed – to reach their full potential. He believes every brand, like every person, has DNA that’s remarkable, but not every brand knows how to act like it (and communicate it to the world). It’s not about what’s trendy, whatever consumers are demanding, or whatever will turn the fastest profit. It’s about the long game – building real relationships with your customers and your community.

Chris Stadler likes to see great plans executed. In a world looking for magic formulas, his stoic outlook tends to point people back to doing the basics really well. Accountability and measurement are his tools. In the past, Chris served as the staff copywriter for a large credit union, UX/human factors researcher at the University of Iowa and full-time teaching faculty, teaching design, copy and strategy at the University of Oregon.

Tips to Have a Meaningful Meal From The Family Dinner Author Laurie David

November 23, 2010 by angishields

Dr. Fitness & the Fat Guy

Tips to Have a Meaningful Meal From The Family Dinner Author Laurie David

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On today’s show Dr Fitness and the Fat Guy had on Laurie David, producer of the Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient truth and author of the new book The Family Dinner – Great Ways To Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time (recipes by Kirstin Uhrenholdt). Laurie explained that dinner time is the number one place that family history is passed on. The food part of dinner can be almost anything – the key is sitting down together and spending time together. Some of her rules are: no cell phones or electronics at the table; no phones are answered during dinner; one meal for everyone – no special orders; and everyone tries and tastes everything. Have your kids get involved in the dinner process – from setting the mood, to helping prepare the meals to even cooking dinner as they get older. Her book gives families tools to have more meaningful moments – she has games, recipes, conversation starters and great anecdotes by families who do these things. A game she plays at her dinner table is the “pet peeve” or “idiosyncrasy” – where everyone goes around the table to share their most annoying pet peeve or idiosyncrasy. She even shared some stories about her dinners with Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David. She explained that rituals like family dinners become that much more important when their is a family crisis like a divorce. This wonderful book is a must have this holiday season. You can find it at bookstores everywhere – go to www.lauriedavid.com for more information.