Business RadioX ®

Christy Krzyzaniak on Bookkeeping for Small Businesses

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Christy Krzyzaniak, ClearLedgers LLC, on Bookkeeping, Financial Clarity, and What Small Business Owners Get Wrong About Their Books (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 941), with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Christy Krzyzaniak on Bookkeeping for Small Businesses
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Christy Krzyzaniak, ClearLedgers LLC, on Bookkeeping, Financial Clarity, and What Small Business Owners Get Wrong About Their Books (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 941), with host John Ray

Christy Krzyzaniak, ClearLedgers LLC, on Bookkeeping, Financial Clarity, and What Small Business Owners Get Wrong About Their Books (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 941)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Christy Krzyzaniak, founder and owner of ClearLedgers LLC and a Certified Bookkeeper based in Alpharetta. Christy built her firm to offer small business owners the attentive, relationship-focused bookkeeping support she saw missing in high-volume accounting firms.

Christy and John dig into why so many business owners put off hiring a professional bookkeeper for as long as possible. Software companies market their tools as user-friendly, attracting business owners to purchase, and before long they realize they are overwhelmed. The result is clients who only reach out to a bookkeeper when desperate, plus the shame owners feel about their books. Christy’s two responses to the shame are: your mess isn’t the first one she’s seen, and the messier the books, the better she likes it.

The conversation also covers what makes a bookkeeper actually qualified. Christy describes the bookkeeping landscape as “the wild west” and walks through the difference between software-specific certifications and the Certified Bookkeeper designation she holds, which is issued by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and requires passing six exams, proctored testing, and a minimum of two years of documented experience. She also shares a story that captures the hidden cost of the do-it-yourself approach: a business owner who called her saying he needed marriage counseling because his wife was managing his books on top of her full-time job.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • Business owners most often reach out to ClearLedgers when they are overwhelmed and out of options, not when they are being proactive. Christy sees this as a pattern driven by the mistaken belief that doing the books yourself is free.
  • The real cost of DIY bookkeeping shows up in stress, missed deadlines, and strained relationships. Christy shared the example of a client whose wife was about to leave him over the burden of managing his business finances on top of her own full-time job.
  • ClearLedgers differentiates itself through communication. Christy sees two or more clients per month who switch firms because their previous bookkeeper stopped responding. Her commitment: a same-day reply, even if just to acknowledge receipt and set a follow-up time.
  • When vetting a bookkeeper, look beyond software badges. The Certified Bookkeeper designation from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers requires real accounting knowledge, proctored exams, and verified experience, not a two-hour online course.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Christy Krzyzaniak
02:11 Christy introduces ClearLedgers LLC and the range of services offered
03:47 Christy’s background and why 30-plus years across operations, HR, and payroll sets her apart
06:32 The difference between basic bookkeeping and controller-level services
07:01 Why so many business owners hesitate to hire a professional bookkeeper
10:39 Why owners think DIY bookkeeping is free, and what it actually costs them
14:49 The value of time: helping business owners calculate what their hours are really worth
16:35 The messy closet problem: owners are ashamed of their books, but they don’t need to be
17:58 What makes ClearLedgers stand out, especially around client communication
20:18 Viewing the client relationship as a true partnership
21:07 The “wild west” of bookkeeping: how to spot a qualified bookkeeper versus an imposter
23:08 What the Certified Bookkeeper designation actually requires and why it matters
26:22 Signs that it’s time to call a bookkeeper
28:13 What the onboarding process looks like from first call to clean books
29:36 The most common thing clients say after ClearLedgers takes over their books

Christy Krzyzaniak, Founder & Owner/Certified Bookkeeper

Christy Krzyzaniak founded ClearLedgers LLC and a Certified Bookkeeper and QuickBooks ProAdvisor known for her personalized and relationship-focused approach to supporting small businesses. With more than 30 years of experience across accounting, operations, payroll, and human resources, she brings both technical expertise and practical insight to every client she serves.

Christy began her professional journey in retail and later in CPA firms, long before earning her associate degree in accounting. Those early hands-on roles shaped her real-world understanding of business operations and sparked her passion for helping business owners gain clarity and confidence in their financial records. Over the years, she expanded her skills through formal education, platform certifications, and experience across multiple industries, including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, e-commerce, nonprofits, and professional services.

Motivated by a desire to deliver bookkeeping that is both precise and personal, Christy founded ClearLedgers to offer business owners the thoughtful, attentive support she saw missing in high-volume firms. Her approach prioritizes clarity, transparency, and genuine care. She believes excellent bookkeeping should keep a business financially healthy and give owners something equally valuable: the time and mental bandwidth to focus on what matters most.

Today, Christy leads ClearLedgers with an ongoing dedication to accuracy, responsiveness, and client success. She works directly with every client, providing services that include historical financial cleanups, monthly bookkeeping, payroll management, sales tax compliance, and controller-level oversight.

LinkedIn

ClearLedgers LLC

ClearLedgers LLC is a boutique bookkeeping and financial support firm serving small businesses across Metro Atlanta and the Southeast. Known for its commitment to clarity, accuracy, and responsive partnership, the company provides certified bookkeeping services designed to help business owners gain financial confidence and stay focused on running their businesses.

Christy Krzyzaniak founded ClearLedgers to meet the needs of small business owners who were overwhelmed by disorganized books and the impersonal nature of high-volume bookkeeping firms. Built on more than 30 years of combined experience in accounting, operations, payroll, and human resources, the firm was created to provide a more attentive, relationship-driven alternative.

ClearLedgers offers a full suite of services, including monthly and quarterly bookkeeping, historical cleanups, payroll administration, sales tax filings, W-9 and 1099 processing, financial statement preparation, accounts payable and receivable support, and migrations to QuickBooks Online. The firm also provides controller-level oversight, giving business owners structured financial management and guidance without the complexity of CFO-style services.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant BankRenasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 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 invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of  North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors
John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio and Owner, Ray Business Advisors

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray, The Generosity MindsetJohn 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, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Lee Ellis: Beating Insecurity to Lead and Price with Confidence

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Retired Air Force Colonel and Vietnam War POW Lee Ellis on How Insecurity Undermines Your Leadership and Your Professional Services Practice (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 162) with host John Ray
North Fulton Studio
Lee Ellis: Beating Insecurity to Lead and Price with Confidence
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Retired Air Force Colonel and Vietnam War POW Lee Ellis on How Insecurity Undermines Your Leadership and Your Professional Services Practice (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 162) with host John Ray

Retired Air Force Colonel and Vietnam War POW Lee Ellis on How Insecurity Undermines Your Leadership and Your Professional Services Practice (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 162)

Insecurity doesn’t announce itself. It appears as overtalking in a client meeting, avoiding pricing discussions, and presenting your credentials instead of listening to the client’s actual needs. Lee Ellis, a retired Air Force colonel and Vietnam War POW, has dedicated decades as an author and leadership consultant to studying why capable individuals undermine themselves, and his framework identifies the underlying causes.

In this second appearance on The Price and Value Journey, he and host John Ray explore what insecurity really is, how it shows up in leaders and practitioners, and what it costs, both in the organizations they lead and in the practices they’ve built.

Lee’s Security Continuum model shows that no one is simply secure or insecure; everyone slides between the two, and the triggers that push capable people toward the insecure end are more common than most will admit. Fear of embarrassment, the need to look strong, and the refusal to acknowledge what you don’t know: these are the same forces that make a consultant overtalk their qualifications, underprice to avoid rejection, or back down from a conversation where their value needs to be clearly stated. Lee didn’t set out to teach a class on professional service pricing, but the framework he’s built from a lifetime of leading under pressure maps directly onto the challenges you face every day in your own practice.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of the Business RadioX® podcast network.

Key Takeaways You Can Use from This Episode

  • Insecurity is not a fixed trait. It’s a position on a continuum. Everyone slides between secure and insecure depending on circumstances. The goal isn’t to eliminate insecurity but to recognize when you’ve drifted and know how to move back.
  • Insecurity shows up in two very different ways: dominating and withdrawing. Some people mask doubt by taking over: overtalking, over-performing, and pushing. Others pull back into silence or avoidance. Both patterns cost you in client relationships and business development conversations.
  • The same dynamics that undermine leaders undermine your practice. Fear of embarrassment, performing strength you don’t feel, and avoiding honest conversations show up in pricing discussions, client meetings, and moments where your value needs to be clearly stated.
  • Humility is an outcome of security, not a substitute for confidence. You can’t manufacture humility by dialing back confidence. Security is what makes it safe to say you don’t know something, own a mistake, and still hold your ground.
  • Adapting to who you’re talking to is a discipline, not a personality trait. Lee’s Platinum Rule, “Do unto others as they would like to be done unto,” requires reading your client or prospect quickly and adjusting. Some people want facts and brevity. Others need a deeper relationship before they’ll trust you. Getting that wrong costs you.
  • Daily reflection compounds confidence over time. Lee critiques his own performance after meetings and conversations the same way fighter pilots debrief after missions: what went well, what didn’t, and what to do differently. That habit is available to anyone.

Lee Ellis, Colonel USAF (Ret), Leading with Honor®

Lee Ellis, Colonel USAF (Ret), Leading with Honor®
Lee Ellis, Colonel USAF (Ret), Leading with Honor®

Lee Ellis is Founder and President of Leading with Honor® and FreedomStar Media®. He is an award-winning author, leadership coach, and expert speaker in the areas of leadership, team building, and human performance. His past clients include Fortune 500 senior executives and C-level leaders in telecommunications, healthcare, the military, and other business sectors. Some of his media appearances include interviews on networks such as CNN, CBS This Morning, C-SPAN, ABC World News, and Fox News Channel, plus hundreds of engagements in various industry sectors throughout the world.

Early in his career, Lee served as an Air Force fighter pilot, flying fifty-three combat missions over North Vietnam. In 1967, he was shot down and held as a POW for more than five years in Hanoi and surrounding camps. For his wartime service, he was awarded two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with Valor device, the Purple Heart, and the POW Medal. Lee resumed his Air Force career, serving in leadership roles with increasing responsibilities, including command of a flying squadron and leadership development organizations, before retiring as a colonel.

Lee has a BA in History and an MS in Counseling and Human Development. He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the Air War College. He has authored or co-authored seven books on leadership and career development. His latest bestselling book is entitled Captured by Love: Inspiring True Romance Stories from Vietnam POWs. Two additional, award-winning books share leadership insights gained from his POW experience. Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton won book-of-the-year awards and was selected in 2013 for the USAF Chief of Staff Professional Reading List. His follow-on book, Engage with Honor: Building a Culture of Courageous Accountability, was selected as best in class for the “Leadership” category. 

In 2014, Lee was inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame, and in 2015, he was a DAR Medal of Honor recipient for a lifetime of patriotic service as a military officer and spokesman for leading with honor. 

Lee and his wife, Mary, reside in the Atlanta, GA, area and have four grown children and six grandchildren.

Website | Lee on LinkedIn | Leading with Honor: LinkedIn | Instagram

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey
John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include business coaching and advisory work, as well as advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, coaches, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is a podcast show host and the owner of North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. John and his team work with B2B professionals to create and conduct their podcast using The Generosity Mindset® Method: building and deepening relationships in a non-salesy way that translates into revenue for their business.

John is also the host of North Fulton Business Radio. With over 900 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in its region like no one else.

John’s book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices

John Ray at Barnes & Noble with his book, The Generosity MindsetJohn Ray is the author of the five-star rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

If you are a professional services provider, your goal is to do transformative work for clients you love working with and get paid commensurate with the value you deliver to them. While negative mindsets can inhibit your growth, adopting a different mindset, The Generosity Mindset®, can replace those self-limiting beliefs. The Generosity Mindset enables you to diagnose and communicate the value you provide to clients, which allows you to price your services more effectively in order to receive a portion of that value.

Whether you’re a consultant, coach, marketing or branding professional, business advisor, attorney, CPA, or work in virtually any other professional services discipline, your content and technical expertise are not proprietary. What’s unique, though, is your experience and how you synthesize and deliver your knowledge. What’s special is your demeanor or the way you deal with your best-fit clients. What’s invaluable is how you deliver outstanding value by guiding people through massive changes in their personal lives and in their businesses that bring them to a place they never thought possible.

Your combination of these elements is unique in your industry. There lies your value, but it’s not the value you see. It’s the value your best-fit customers see in you.

If pricing your value feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, this book will teach you why putting a price on the value your clients perceive and identify serves both them and you, and you’ll learn the factors involved in getting your price right.

The book is available at all major physical and online book retailers worldwide. Follow this link for further details.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Email

Business RadioX®:  LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

The Garrett Group on Retirement, Estate Plans, Long-Term Care

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Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch, on Retirement Planning, Estate Strategy, and Long-Term Care (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 940) with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
The Garrett Group on Retirement, Estate Plans, Long-Term Care
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Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch, on Retirement Planning, Estate Strategy, and Long-Term Care (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 940) with host John Ray

Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch, on Retirement Planning, Estate Strategy, and Long-Term Care (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 940)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend of The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch. Mary Ellen, in her 41st year with Merrill Lynch, and Patsy, her daughter who joined the team after a career-defining moment working in the nonprofit sector, offer a comprehensive view of what it means to get financial planning right across every stage of life.

The conversation covers the big picture issues that too many people overlook: keeping wills and beneficiary designations current, coordinating with estate attorneys and CPAs, and understanding what the new estate exemption thresholds for 2026 mean for their families. Mary Ellen recounted the real-world consequences of outdated paperwork, including a client who still had his second wife listed as a beneficiary when his third wife was very much alive and unhappy about it. The team also addresses business owners facing potential windfalls from private equity transactions who have not done the personal financial planning to match their business success.

The discussion turns to longevity and healthcare, where Mary Ellen notes that The Garrett Group now runs all its planning reports to age 100, a change inspired by her mother, Patsy’s grandmother, who recently turned 101. The message is not to be a miser but to invest appropriately so clients can live a full life, take the trips, and make the gifts, all without running out of money.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • The Garrett Group opens every new client relationship with a Private Wealth Analysis, a comprehensive planning report that must precede any investment recommendations, because context matters more than credentials.
  • Outdated wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations are a common and costly problem; Mary Ellen recommends reviewing all documents at least every five years and any time a major life event occurs.
  • Business owners preparing for a possible sale need to start personal financial planning well before a transaction closes, not after the windfall arrives.
  • Patsy’s advice on when to call a financial advisor: if a dollar sign is keeping you up at night, that is the moment to make the call.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch
Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guests Mary Ellen Garrett and Patsy Townsend
02:24 How The Garrett Group serves clients across all areas of financial life
03:41 Mary Ellen’s 41 years at Merrill Lynch and why she is still passionate about the work
04:26 Patsy’s path from nonprofit work to joining her mother at The Garrett Group
06:17 The big financial picture that most people miss
08:19 The Private Wealth Analysis and why comprehensive planning must come first
10:32 Financial goals and estate planning priorities for 2026
11:18 Keeping wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations current
13:05 Estate planning for blended families and those without dependents
14:01 Business owners, private equity windfalls, and the need for advance planning
16:17 Retirement longevity: planning for a 30-plus year retirement
17:42 Why The Garrett Group now plans to age 100
20:54 Retirement planning for younger clients and new parents
23:31 Healthcare costs, Medicare, and long-term care insurance
28:35 How to know when it is time to call a financial advisor
29:26 Client success stories spanning three generations

Mary Ellen Garrett, Managing Director, Wealth Management Advisor

Mary Ellen Garrett, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch
Mary Ellen Garrett, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch

Mary Ellen’s financial and civic life has been a profile of influence and devotion since she joined Merrill in 1985. Highly regarded in the industry and among a loyal and growing clientele, she has built a reputation for caring deeply and sharing important life lessons with generations of clients and their families.

Mary Ellen’s skills and ability to provide outstanding wealth management have been recognized repeatedly. She has been named to:

  • Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors” List (2018-2025) (Published annually Jan – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 of prior year.)
  • Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors Best in State” List (2022-2025) (Published annually in February. Rankings based on data as of Sept 30 of prior year.)
  • Forbes “Top Women Advisors” List (2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021) (Published annually Feb – April. Rankings based on data as of June 30 – September 30 of prior year.)

Mary Ellen was also recognized by Merrill, from among more than 50,000 employees worldwide, as a recipient of the 2015 Bank of America Corporation’s David Brady Community Service Award.

An active listener, Mary Ellen has long facilitated thoughtful discussions with clients and sought to empower their confidence in making informed financial decisions, educating whenever possible and meeting with entire families to explain how each stakeholder can contribute to positive outcomes.

Known for her candor, Mary Ellen often tells clients “yes” to sensible ways of saving, investing and savoring meaningful outcomes, and “no” to excessive spending that may seem extravagant or short sighted. Encouraging families to ask questions and share any circumstance that could have financial implications, she looks to educate, so that clients are able to develop and sustain wise financial habits.

In the Atlanta community, Mary Ellen currently serves as a Trustee and Vice Chair of Emory St. Joseph Hospital Board and as Trustee of The Parkinson’s Foundation. Mary Ellen previously served as Chair of the Atlanta Catholic Archdiocese Finance and Advisory Council. She also speaks at seminars on many topics including wealth and estate planning strategies.

Mary Ellen and her husband, Scott, have been married for more than 40 years. They have three children and three grandchildren.

LinkedIn

Patricia (Patsy) Townsend, Senior Vice President, Senior Financial Advisor

Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch
Patsy Townsend, The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch

Patricia (Patsy) Townsend has been an integral member of The Garrett Group since she joined Merrill in 2015. Her greatest professional reward is getting to know clients exceedingly well and using that understanding to help craft a strategy that truly reflects their distinctive needs and desires. Patsy’s ultimate objective is to simplify clients’ financial lives, so that they can focus on what brings them joy.

In early discussions and over the course of each relationship, Patsy aims to appreciate what inspires and concerns clients. From there, she can connect the dots in their lives to a strategy meant to address key aspects of their financial picture. She also identifies risk in a way that provokes conversation around topics such as cash flow in retirement, liability management, and having or adding protective components such as long-term care insurance.

Patsy believes that a sound wealth management strategy begins with each client’s vision of the future. Dedicated to being a consistent financial resource and presence, she feels it’s incumbent on her to provide clients with the confidence to make informed decisions, especially when emotions can take hold.

Generous with her time and resources, Patsy served as a founding board member of Most Valuable Kids in Atlanta. She previously served as secretary and board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia and as board member of City Springs Theatre Company.

Patsy earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She resides in Marietta with her husband, Danny Jr., and son, Danny III. The family enjoys cooking together and hiking at Kennesaw Mountain with their Golden Retriever, Hattie.

LinkedIn

The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch

At The Garrett Group, they bring their extensive wealth management knowledge to a diverse clientele that appreciates their competency, care, and consideration. It is with gratitude and respect that they continue to build on these relationships and welcome new clients to their practice.

Results and relationships throughout the U.S. matter to them, and to those they serve in the Atlanta area. The people they serve are active and retired, including male and female executives (many with Fortune 500 companies), successful business owners (many with 401k plans that they administer), attorneys, and physicians. They also assist several non-profit endowments and foundations whose missions they have long supported.

Led by Mary Ellen Garrett, who founded the group at Merrill more than 35 years ago, they have cultivated an approach that places clients at the center of their concentrated efforts. They are proud to engage frequently in thought-provoking conversations that revolve around their clients’ families and interests, not just their finances. They feel it’s important to know what drives clients personally and financially.

Perhaps old-fashioned, they find there’s no substitute for face-to-face meetings and talking to clients on a casual basis, not when the calendar says so. Through honest dialogue with both spouses, whenever possible, where they share their own stories and lessons learned, they work to help clients see around corners to prepare financially and emotionally for what they envision.

Their engagements span investment and retirement planning, tax-minimization and estate planning strategies. In addition, they provide clients with ready access to Bank of America, N.A. for traditional banking services, and in residential lending, treasury management, equipment financing, and other forms of commercial lending. It is also their practice to be a total resource to clients and stay connected with their other trusted advisors, including CPAs and attorneys.

They feel good knowing that their clients’ success has paralleled their own. Many of them have become close friends. These natural connections inspire their best efforts.

Website

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant BankRenasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 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 invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of  North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors
John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio and Owner, Ray Business Advisors

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray, The Generosity MindsetJohn 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, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Bob Littell on NetWeaving for Referrals and Real Relationships

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Bob Littell, Creator of NetWeaving, on Building the Relationships That Grow Your Practice (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 161), with host John Ray
North Fulton Studio
Bob Littell on NetWeaving for Referrals and Real Relationships
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Bob Littell, Creator of NetWeaving, on Building the Relationships That Grow Your Practice (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 161), with host John Ray

Bob Littell, Creator of NetWeaving, on Building the Relationships That Grow Your Practice (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 161)

If your networking efforts feel hollow or one-sided, this episode reframes the whole game. Bob Littell, creator of NetWeaving and author of The Heart and the Art of NetWeaving, joins host John Ray to explain why leading with genuine service, rather than a thinly veiled pitch, builds the kind of relationships that actually generate business. For professional service providers who feel stuck doing traditional networking and wonder why it’s not working, Bob’s framework offers a practical and principled alternative.

Bob lays out the three core skills of NetWeaving: connecting others with their needs in mind, positioning yourself as a resource people know they can call on, and building a trusted referral network over time. He also shares a fourth, often overlooked reason NetWeaving fails: the person doing it simply isn’t yet as referable as they think. From follow-up discipline to the way you present yourself online, Bob walks through how professionals inadvertently undermine their own word-of-mouth.

The conversation also covers Bob’s “GLP” questioning framework, which moves conversations from global to local to personal for moving beyond small talk at networking events; how to host a connection meeting so it actually energizes both parties; and what Adam Grant’s research on givers, takers, and matchers means for how strategic you need to be in today’s business climate. If you’ve been giving without seeing much return, this episode will help you figure out exactly why and what to change.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of the Business RadioX® podcast network.

Key Takeaways You Can Use from This Episode

  • NetWeaving is not a replacement for traditional networking. You need both, but NetWeaving asks you to lead with the other person’s needs, not your own agenda disguised as generosity.
  • The three pillars of NetWeaving are connecting others without keeping score, positioning yourself as a known and accessible resource, and building a trusted referral network you’ve personally vetted.
  • If NetWeaving isn’t producing results, run through the three diagnostic questions: Are you connecting givers or inadvertently serving takers? Is your assistance truly unrestricted, or does it contain a subtle request? Are you following up to make sure you get credit for the connections you make?
  • Being referable is something you have to work at. Your website, your social media presence, and the way you communicate all signal to potential referral partners whether they can confidently send someone your way.
  • Asking better questions is a teachable skill. Bob’s GLP framework, moving from global industry challenges to local company issues to personal focus areas, helps you listen strategically and identify where you can genuinely help.
  • Hosting a connection meeting well means doing your homework on both parties beforehand, sharing bios so neither person shows up cold, and framing the introduction with specific reasons why you think it’s a worthwhile meeting.

Robert S. Littell, Chief NetWeaver

Bob Littell is the creator of NetWeaving and the founder of NetWeaving International, known globally as the Chief NetWeaver. Over a 50-year career in the insurance and financial services industry, he served as Chief Marketing Officer for two insurance companies, ran his own national insurance brokerage agency, and built an independent consulting practice that included expert witness work and writing for publications including the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

In 1999, Bob created the word and concept of NetWeaving, a Golden Rule and Pay It Forward approach to building trusted business relationships. With the blessing of Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book on which the Pay It Forward movie was based, NetWeaving is now recognized worldwide as the business version of Pay It Forward. He has authored three books on the concept: Power NetWeaving, The Heart and Art of NetWeaving, and Raising Your R&R Factor.

His work has drawn endorsements from Jeffrey Gitomer, Bob Burg, Daniel Pink, and Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons.
Bob’s NetWeavers Inspire platform at netweaversinspire.com offers free access to both books, a NetWeaver Aptitude Assessment, a NetWeaver Diplomat certification course, and more than 50 business book summaries, all at no charge.

Website | LinkedIn

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey
John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include business coaching and advisory work, as well as advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, coaches, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is a podcast show host and the owner of North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. John and his team work with B2B professionals to create and conduct their podcast using The Generosity Mindset® Method: building and deepening relationships in a non-salesy way that translates into revenue for their business.

John is also the host of North Fulton Business Radio. With over 900 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in its region like no one else.

John’s book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices

John Ray at Barnes & Noble with his book, The Generosity MindsetJohn Ray is the author of the five-star rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

If you are a professional services provider, your goal is to do transformative work for clients you love working with and get paid commensurate with the value you deliver to them. While negative mindsets can inhibit your growth, adopting a different mindset, The Generosity Mindset®, can replace those self-limiting beliefs. The Generosity Mindset enables you to diagnose and communicate the value you provide to clients, which allows you to price your services more effectively in order to receive a portion of that value.

Whether you’re a consultant, coach, marketing or branding professional, business advisor, attorney, CPA, or work in virtually any other professional services discipline, your content and technical expertise are not proprietary. What’s unique, though, is your experience and how you synthesize and deliver your knowledge. What’s special is your demeanor or the way you deal with your best-fit clients. What’s invaluable is how you deliver outstanding value by guiding people through massive changes in their personal lives and in their businesses that bring them to a place they never thought possible.

Your combination of these elements is unique in your industry. There lies your value, but it’s not the value you see. It’s the value your best-fit customers see in you.

If pricing your value feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, this book will teach you why putting a price on the value your clients perceive and identify serves both them and you, and you’ll learn the factors involved in getting your price right.

The book is available at all major physical and online book retailers worldwide. Follow this link for further details.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Email

Business RadioX®:  LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Graham Kuhn on Business Growth Through Strategic Video

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Graham Kuhn, Focus Films, on Using Authentic Storytelling and Neuroscience-Based Video to Drive Business Results (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 939), with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Graham Kuhn on Business Growth Through Strategic Video
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Graham Kuhn, Focus Films, on Using Authentic Storytelling and Neuroscience-Based Video to Drive Business Results (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 939), with host John Ray

Graham Kuhn, Focus Films, on Using Authentic Storytelling and Neuroscience-Based Video to Drive Business Results (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 939)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Graham Kuhn, Owner of Focus Films. Graham brings a unique background as a classically trained singer turned video production expert, using his performance experience to help business owners communicate authentically on camera. Focus Films takes a documentary-style approach to corporate video, avoiding scripts and teleprompters in favor of genuine storytelling that connects emotionally with viewers.

Graham discusses the neuroscience behind effective video content, explaining how authentic storytelling activates multiple parts of the brain to make messaging more memorable and persuasive. He shares success stories of clients who have experienced dramatic results, including a concierge medical provider who woke up to find $6,000 in her account after a prospect watched her brand story video at 1 AM, and a home remodeler who closed a $150,000 project in two days instead of weeks by using video to fast-track the sales journey. Graham also reveals the best times to invest in video production, such as during website updates, rebrands, or when lead generation needs a boost.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • Authentic, unscripted video content builds trust faster than traditional corporate videos because it shows the human behind the brand and creates emotional connections with viewers
  • Strategic video placement can shorten sales cycles dramatically, with clients reporting projects closing in days instead of weeks when prospects watch brand story videos early in the buyer journey
  • Video improves website SEO by increasing time on site, while also serving multiple internal purposes like employee onboarding and training that reduce long-term costs
  • The best times to invest in video are during website redesigns, rebrands, or when lead generation needs improvement, as these moments provide natural opportunities to tell your story freshly

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Graham Kuhn
02:00 Graham Kuhn introduces Focus Films and the documentary-style storytelling approach
03:00 How neuroscience and psychology inform authentic video production
04:00 Graham’s journey from classically trained singer to video production entrepreneur
05:00 Starting Focus Films as a side hustle while working at a church
06:00 Quitting his job three days before the COVID shutdown and surviving as a solopreneur
08:00 Why most business videos fail and the importance of showing emotion on camera
10:00 Common mistakes business owners make when creating video content
11:00 The psychology behind neuroscience-based storytelling in video
14:00 How authentic video stimulates multiple brain regions for better persuasion
16:00 The trust deficit in industries like roofing, legal, and healthcare
18:00 Why skeptical audiences need authenticity, not scripted pitches
21:00 Types of videos Focus Films creates including brand stories and testimonials
25:00 The best times to invest in video production for maximum ROI
28:00 Success story: concierge medical provider closes $6,000 client at 1 AM
29:00 Success story: home remodeler closes $150,000 project in two days using video
31:00 Success story: roofer sells $20,000 cash job within 24 hours
32:00 How to connect with Graham Kuhn and Focus Films

Graham Kuhn, Owner

Graham Kuhn is the founder and owner of Focus Films, a strategic video production company that helps businesses stand out through emotionally driven, results-focused storytelling. With a background that blends blue-collar grit and artistic finesse, from wrestling mats to performance stages as a professional singer, Graham brings a rare mix of work ethic, creativity, and empathy to every project.

Since launching Focus Films in 2019, Graham has built a reputation for creating powerful brand story videos, testimonials, and evergreen video assets that drive real business growth. His mission is to amplify the voices of good people and good companies so they can change the world.

Graham’s psychological approach to video taps into neuroscience-backed storytelling techniques that engage more parts of the brain, making content more memorable and persuasive. Whether working with attorneys, homebuilders, franchises, or healthcare providers, he tailors each video to both move audiences emotionally and convert them strategically.

Named Best of Georgia for Videographers in 2024, Graham is a trusted advisor to growth-minded business owners across the U.S. who want more than just a pretty video; they want results.

When he’s not behind the camera, Graham is passionate about local community, mentoring business owners, and coaching clients on how to implement video into their overall marketing strategy.

LinkedIn

Focus Films

Focus Films is a strategic video production company that helps businesses grow through authentic, results-driven storytelling. Founded by Graham Kuhn, Focus Films specializes in creating high-impact video content, from brand story videos and customer testimonials to process explainers, video ads, and evergreen social media assets.

Unlike traditional video vendors, Focus Films doesn’t just “make videos”; they partner with clients to craft compelling narratives aligned with their business goals. Their process is deeply collaborative yet hands-off for clients, allowing business owners and marketing leaders to stay focused on their message while the Focus team handles every detail from concept to delivery.

What truly sets Focus Films apart is their psychological, neuroscience-based approach to storytelling. Instead of relying on flashy visuals or rigid scripts, they prioritize emotional connection, unscripted authenticity, and story structures proven to engage the brain. Their videos are more memorable and persuasive because they stimulate up to seven brain areas (compared to just two with facts).

Most importantly, Focus Films is laser-focused on ROI. Focus Films crafts every video to help clients stand out in crowded markets, build trust with their audience, and drive real, measurable business results. Whether it’s increasing conversions, shortening sales cycles, or strengthening brand loyalty, their goal is simple: make video an investment that pays off.

The company serves a wide range of service-based industries, including healthcare, construction, legal, homebuilding, and franchise brands, with a particular expertise in helping businesses build trust in skeptical markets. Whether working with small businesses or national brands, Focus Films is known for turning complex ideas into clear, engaging video assets that create long-term brand equity.

Named “Best of Georgia” for Videographers in 2024, Focus Films continues to raise the bar for professional video production that’s not only beautiful but also strategic, story-first, and ROI-focused.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant BankRenasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 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 invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of  North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors
John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio and Owner, Ray Business Advisors

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray, The Generosity MindsetJohn 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, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Michelle Wilson on Love Legacy Letters and Estate Plans

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Michelle Wilson, Wilson Legal, on Estate Planning, Love Legacy Letters, and Why DIY Wills Fail (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 937), with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Michelle Wilson on Love Legacy Letters and Estate Plans
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Michelle Wilson, Wilson Legal, on Estate Planning, Love Legacy Letters, and Why DIY Wills Fail (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 937), with host John Ray

Michelle Wilson, Wilson Legal, on Estate Planning, Love Legacy Letters, and Why DIY Wills Fail (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 937)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Michelle Wilson, Owner and Founder of Wilson Legal. Since establishing her firm in 2008, Michelle has assisted families in intentionally planning their legacy instead of relying on chance.

Michelle shares the pivotal case early in her career that drove her to estate planning. A judge’s decision in a life insurance dispute, despite Michelle being right on the facts and the law, destroyed her sense of justice in probate court. That experience convinced her that helping people plan proactively was the only way to protect families from leaving their futures to the mercy of the courts.

The conversation explores Michelle’s “love legacy” concept, born from her own health crisis when she learned she carried genetic markers for breast and ovarian cancer. Before surgery, she wrote letters to her daughter explaining what she believed about life’s big questions. These letters became a template for clients to share the “why” behind their planning decisions, preventing family insecurity and assumptions from filling the void after death. Michelle explains why estate complexity comes from relationships rather than assets, why online legal forms create dangerous false security, and why families should review their plans every three years instead of treating estate planning as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • A pivotal life insurance case where the judge ignored the facts and law convinced Michelle that proactive estate planning beats leaving families to navigate probate court
  • Love legacy letters explain the “why” behind planning decisions and create warm memories rather than letting family insecurity and assumptions define relationships after death
  • Estate planning complexity stems from relationships, not just assets, and families benefit from reviewing plans every three years as circumstances change
  • Online legal forms like LegalZoom don’t back up their own documents as valid legal instruments and often create expensive problems that cost families tens of thousands to fix

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Michelle Wilson
02:00 Michelle Wilson introduces Wilson Legal and helping families plan intentionally
03:00 The pivotal life insurance case that drove Michelle to focus on estate planning
06:00 Why intentionality must be paired with action in estate planning
08:00 The stepfather whose verbal promise to stepchildren failed without proper documentation
09:30 Michelle’s love legacy concept and how her health scare inspired letters to her daughter
13:00 How love legacy letters prevent assumptions and insecurity from defining family relationships
16:00 Why clients don’t need to understand every technical detail to make good decisions
19:00 The problems with LegalZoom and online legal forms that don’t back up their own products
21:00 Georgia’s line of sight rule for signing wills and common mistakes people make
23:00 Why reviewing estate plans every three years creates healthier planning habits
24:00 The Colgate toothpaste pioneer story and creating healthy estate planning habits
25:00 The cost of fixing DIY mistakes versus working with an attorney from the start
26:00 The Schwinn bicycle and Corvette tire analogies on value versus price
28:00 The sandwich generation and when families typically seek estate planning help
31:00 Success stories from families who’ve worked with Wilson Legal across multiple generations

Michelle Wilson, Owner and Founder

After founding Wilson Legal PC in 2008 in a room above her parents’ garage, Michelle Wilson has been changing the way families and individuals plan by creating planning tools and teaching clients how to use the tools, which are a part of their estate plan. Her educational and practical approach to estate planning leaves clients empowered to deploy the tools in their planning toolbox to ensure the legacy they leave is intentional and by design, and not an accidental one.

After discovering that she carried the gene for breast and ovarian cancers, she wrote a book of letters to her daughter, Z, so that Z would know what she believed about big things in life in case she did not wake up after surgery. This heart message was published in May of 2023 as an example for others to read, borrow from and use as inspiration to write their own love legacy for their loved ones. Michelle believes that this love legacy, written or recorded, explains the “why” of a plan and helps to prevent conflict after loss.

Michelle has been a member of the South Forsyth Rotary Club since 2015 and leads her firm and her life by the same 4-way test, choosing service above self. At Wilson Legal, they only allow you to hire the firm if it makes sense for you to do so. Michelle and her team are also active in the local community and actively support many local nonprofits, including the Bald Ridge Boys Lodge, Jesse’s House, Family Promise, the United Methodist Church Food Bank, Keystone Village and many others.

Michelle and her team have always sought the best next step for anyone entering or calling their office, serving as trusted advisors and sources of comfort in times of stress and grief for Georgians for the past 18 years. If you know someone looking for support in a time of loss or direction and clarity on the best plan to ensure things go smoothly for their loved ones, send them to Wilson Legal for a consult or one of the free community workshops available each month in person or online.

LinkedIn

Wilson Legal, PC

Created in 2008, Wilson Legal, PC has been a source of support and peace of mind for Georgians facing the incapacity or loss of a loved one or looking for a way to make sure things go smoothly after they pass away. The team at Wilson Legal offers solutions that encompass the necessary tools, education on how to use those tools, and assistance in implementing them.

Some of the tools they create and use for their clients are revocable trusts, wills, asset protection trusts for Medicaid avoidance, irrevocable trusts for high-net-worth individuals, LLC formation; and business succession.

Each family or individual is unique in that no situation is exactly the same as another. At Wilson Legal, plans are drafted to fit the unique needs and desires of the client and then put to work to achieve the desired result. In other words, they don’t just sign a trust; they teach clients how to use the Certificate of Trust, and they walk to the bank with their clients and help them add the trust as their Pay-On-Death Beneficiary. This hands-on approach significantly increases the likelihood of a client’s family avoiding the disappointment of an unfunded plan and an unintentional legacy.

Wilson Legal loves hearing from clients who have had a parent or family member who used a plan which was well organized and want to set up the same plan for their family. Wilson Legal is truly where planning meets peace of mind.

Website | LinkedIn

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant BankRenasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 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 invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of  North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors
John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio and Owner, Ray Business Advisors

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray, The Generosity MindsetJohn 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, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Paul Knowlton: Bad Theology Kills Your Pricing

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Paul Knowlton on Bad Theology, Plantation Economics You Practice on Yourself, and Why Mars Built a Trillion-Dollar Legacy on Mutuality (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 159), with host John Ray
North Fulton Studio
Paul Knowlton: Bad Theology Kills Your Pricing
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Paul Knowlton on Bad Theology, Plantation Economics You Practice on Yourself, and Why Mars Built a Trillion-Dollar Legacy on Mutuality (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 159), with host John Ray

Paul Knowlton on Bad Theology, Plantation Economics You Practice on Yourself, and How Mars Built a Trillion-Dollar Legacy on Mutuality (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 160)

In Part 2 of a two-part conversation, Paul Knowlton, attorney and partner at Stanton Law in Atlanta and co-author of Better Capitalism: Jesus, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, and MLK Jr. on Moving from Plantation to Partnership Economics, joins host John Ray on The Price and Value Journey podcast to explore the mindsets that kill sustainable pricing and what you can do about it.

Paul saw a tattoo on a pastor friend’s bicep that read “bad theology kills.” That phrase captures why so many professionals severely underprice themselves. Whether from explicit religious backgrounds, leftist political thinking, or just generational poverty stories, we carry beliefs that profit is evil, poverty is noble, and loving your neighbor means sacrificing yourself. Paul shares his painful story of starting a low bono law firm after selling his intellectual property boutique firm. He had to shut it down when his patient wife finally said they literally couldn’t afford his generosity. The lesson is that you cannot afford to be generous if you don’t have the resources to be generous.

This conversation covers the Mars candy company (family wealth of $1.7 trillion built on mutuality since the early 1900s), why practicing plantation economics on yourself means extracting your own time by not charging or not charging enough, the Rotary Four-Way Test Herbert J. Taylor created during the Great Depression to save a company from bankruptcy, and how to stay committed to mutual benefit when bad actors seem to be winning. Paul and John discuss firing bad clients, finding your herd of like-minded professionals, and why the economic system should serve humans rather than humans serving the economic system.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of the Business RadioX® podcast network.

Key Takeaways You Can Use from This Episode

  • Bad theology kills your pricing. Whether from religious background, political thinking, or generational poverty stories, many professionals believe profit is evil, poverty is noble, and loving your neighbor means only loving your neighbor. These beliefs lead to severe underpricing and unsustainable practices.
  • You cannot afford to be generous if you don’t have the resources to be generous. Paul started a low bono law firm after selling his intellectual property boutique. His wife finally told him they literally couldn’t afford it and were heading toward bankruptcy. If you don’t engage your brain, your heart will lead you down the wrong path.
  • Practicing plantation economics on yourself means extracting your own time by not charging or not charging enough for your services. Paul caught himself waving off payment from a client who stopped by with quick questions. The client insisted on paying because he needed someone with 20 or 30 years of skills to give him the fast answer.
  • Mars candy company built $117 billion in family wealth on mutuality since the early 1900s. Their stated contract principle: they will not have contracts that are detrimental to the other party. Mars chocolates are not the cheapest option available, but consumers are willing to pay a higher price due to the perceived value and their comfort with the company.
  • The Rotary Four-Way Test saved a company from bankruptcy during the Great Depression. Herbert J. Taylor wrote it as a way of doing business: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? This was the ethical framework that people adhered to before Milton Friedman’s 1970 article on shareholder value changed the business landscape.
  • Bad actors get the headlines for a while but don’t last long-term. Your reputation is your most valuable asset. If you can be trusted in your work, your word-of-mouth reputation will feed your client base. It’s the long game, the marathon, not the sprint that matters.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Recap of Part One
01:10 Exploring Mutual Benefit in Professional Services
04:16 The Impact of Bad Theology on Pricing
05:12 Better Capitalism: Bridging Anti-Capitalism and Dog-Eat-Dog Capitalism
11:55 Mars Inc.: A Case Study in Mutuality
17:25 Practicing Plantation Economics on Yourself
24:26 The Importance of Community and Ethical Business Practices
32:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Paul Knowlton

Paul Knowlton
Paul Knowlton

Paul Knowlton, JD, MDiv, is a pioneering Atlanta attorney, ethicist, and co-founder of the Institute for Better Capitalism, where he champions “partnership economics” as an antidote to exploitative “plantation economics.” Holding a JD from Georgia State University and an MDiv from Mercer University, he transitioned from forensic engineering at Georgia-Pacific to IP law, building a robust practice at firms like Kilpatrick Stockton, co-founding another serving Fortune 500 clients, and teaching as an adjunct professor. This foundation in business law informs his holistic critique of capitalism, blending legal acumen with theological insight to advocate for profitable, ethical systems.

Knowlton’s landmark 2021 book Better Capitalism: Jesus, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, and MLK Jr. on Moving from Plantation to Partnership Economics, co-authored with Aaron Hedges, reinterprets economic giants to propose reforms in finance, corporations, government, and culture. Endorsed by figures like Walter Brueggemann and David Gushee for its data-driven, values-rich challenge to extremes like laissez-faire absolutism or socialism, the work has sparked dialogue via Cato Institute reviews and Amazon bestseller status. His legal background enables practical proposals, such as relieving sectors for mutual flourishing and making abstract ethics actionable for executives and policymakers.

Today, as Partner Emeritus at Stanton Law LLC, Knowlton integrates his capitalism vision into IP, business succession, nonprofit law, and coaching, while advancing the Institute’s mission through resources, testimonials, and calls for imagination and courage. His efforts—praised for originality by economists and theologians—aim to humanize markets, fostering common good without sacrificing innovation, as seen in his Ubercounsel practice and Georgia Bar wellness initiatives. This balanced legacy positions him as a unique voice at the nexus of law, faith, and economics.

Website | LinkedIn

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey
John Ray, Author of The Generosity Mindset and Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include business coaching and advisory work, as well as advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, coaches, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is a podcast show host and the owner of North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. John and his team work with B2B professionals to create and conduct their podcast using The Generosity Mindset® Method: building and deepening relationships in a non-salesy way that translates into revenue for their business.

John is also the host of North Fulton Business Radio. With over 900 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in its region like no one else.

John’s book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices

John Ray at Barnes & Noble with his book, The Generosity MindsetJohn Ray is the author of the five-star rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

If you are a professional services provider, your goal is to do transformative work for clients you love working with and get paid commensurate with the value you deliver to them. While negative mindsets can inhibit your growth, adopting a different mindset, The Generosity Mindset®, can replace those self-limiting beliefs. The Generosity Mindset enables you to diagnose and communicate the value you provide to clients, which allows you to price your services more effectively in order to receive a portion of that value.

Whether you’re a consultant, coach, marketing or branding professional, business advisor, attorney, CPA, or work in virtually any other professional services discipline, your content and technical expertise are not proprietary. What’s unique, though, is your experience and how you synthesize and deliver your knowledge. What’s special is your demeanor or the way you deal with your best-fit clients. What’s invaluable is how you deliver outstanding value by guiding people through massive changes in their personal lives and in their businesses that bring them to a place they never thought possible.

Your combination of these elements is unique in your industry. There lies your value, but it’s not the value you see. It’s the value your best-fit customers see in you.

If pricing your value feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, this book will teach you why putting a price on the value your clients perceive and identify serves both them and you, and you’ll learn the factors involved in getting your price right.

The book is available at all major physical and online book retailers worldwide. Follow this link for further details.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Email

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Jon Wilhoit on EOS and Building Business Traction

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Jon Wilhoit, EOS Worldwide, on Vision, Traction, and Team Health for Growing Businesses (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 936), with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Jon Wilhoit on EOS and Building Business Traction
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Jon Wilhoit, EOS Worldwide, on Vision, Traction, and Team Health for Growing Businesses (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 936), with host John Ray

Jon Wilhoit, EOS Worldwide, on Vision, Traction, and Team Health for Growing Businesses (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 936)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Jon Wilhoit, Professional EOS Implementer at EOS Worldwide. Jon helps business owners and leadership teams strengthen their companies through the Entrepreneurial Operating System, focusing on three core areas: vision, traction, and health.

Jon brings over 30 years of business experience, including running his own executive search firm for 12 years. He shares how many business owners work hard to grow their companies but find themselves stuck, working 70-hour weeks instead of the freedom they envisioned. Jon explains how EOS provides tools and disciplines that help leadership teams step back from working in the business to working on the business. He discusses the importance of 90-day priorities, holding teams accountable through measurables, and addressing people issues that create friction. Jon also explains how implementing EOS can increase company valuation by demonstrating operational excellence to potential buyers.

In the interview, Jon mentioned “A Hidden Valuation Gap.” an article he wrote for Middle Market Growth, the official publication of the Association for Corporate Growth. The article examines how business owners can command higher valuations by pointing to well-run operations rather than relying solely on financial metrics.

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • EOS helps business owners transition from working in the business to working on it by aligning leadership teams on vision, executing with traction through 90-day priorities and weekly measurables, and improving team health.
  • Over 80% of companies working with EOS face significant people issues, either employees who don’t fit company culture or who lack the skills to deliver in their roles.
  • Jon emphasizes that EOS is simple but not easy, requiring real discipline and commitment to the process rather than trying to augment it with other systems.
  • Implementing EOS can create a hidden valuation advantage when selling a business by demonstrating a repeatable, scalable operation that can run without the owner.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Jon Wilhoit
01:51 Jon Wilhoit introduces EOS Worldwide and his work with business owners
02:28 Jon’s background in executive search and entrepreneurial software companies
04:02 The difference between starting a business and developing a company
06:49 Shifting mindset from working in the business to working on the business
08:22 Why EOS differs from traditional consulting and coaching
09:50 The three core components: vision, traction, and health
13:28 Traction: executing with discipline and accountability through 90-day priorities
16:51 Team health and addressing people issues in organizations
19:25 Why EOS is simple but not easy, and the importance of trusting the process
22:24 Jon’s article “A Hidden Valuation Gap” and how EOS increases business value
24:24 How to know when you’re ready for EOS
28:14 Success story: architectural firm growing from 15 to 120 people in four years
30:17 How to connect with Jon Wilhoit

Jon Wilhoit, Professional EOS Implementer

Jon Wilhoit has spent over 30 years helping companies elevate their performance. After receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and MBA from the University of Texas, Jon helped small and medium sized Atlanta businesses with their commercial insurance programs. From there, he leveraged his insurance experience in providing technical staffing solutions to insurance industry carriers and agencies (EDS, Syntel, and IMR Global).

Jon felt the call to entrepreneurship and launched Elite Sales Professionals, an executive search firm that pulled all his experiences together. The firm specialized in high-level sales and sales management positions for boutique insurance software companies. He ran the company for 12 years before being recruiting himself to join the sales performance management solution leader CallidusCloud.

Jon was an award-winning leader with Callidus until they were acquired by SAP. Jon worked with three other entrepreneurial software companies (Medallia, Varicent, Uptempo) providing sales and marketing solutions to enterprise and mid-market clients.

Ultimately the desire to run his own show came roaring back and Jon started the company acquisition process. After evaluating many different opportunities, Jon had multiple people suggest he explore EOS, indicating his business, finance, insurance, staffing, and management experience could be valuable to SMB business owners. Once Jon dove into the EOS evaluation, the decision was easy and he launched his EOS practice.

LinkedIn

EOS Worldwide

EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) provides growth-oriented businesses with a complete system (think operating model, not software) for orchestrating and harmonizing all the moving parts of their business, enabling them to get better at three things: Vision, Traction, and Health.

Getting better at Vision means aligning the entire leadership team on where the company is going and how it’s going to get there. Even small deviations in leadership alignment mean teams working on divergent priorities or even in conflict with each other.

Traction means executing on the Vision with discipline and accountability so that everyone is pulling their weight and delivering the dependable performance all team members expect.

Improved Health means teams are more open, honest, and collaborative. Company culture thrives and friction, stress, and poor communication evaporate.

As a Professional EOS Implementer, Jon uses a proven process, now deployed in over 30,000 companies across the U.S., to guide clients through the EOS journey. Jon acts as Facilitator, Teacher, and Coach to help clients’ leadership teams install EOS tools customized for their unique company and then press those tools down into their organizations to elevate performance from top to bottom.

Website

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

Renasant BankRenasant Bank has humble roots, having started in 1904 as a $100,000 bank located in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown into one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, boasting over $26 billion in assets and more than 280 offices offering banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from the commitment of each banker to invest in the communities they serve, which in turn helps them better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, their banking professionals understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

Whether you’re a law firm, medical practice, or manufacturer, there’s one headline you don’t want to make: “Local Business Pays Thousands in Ransom After Cyberattack.” That’s where Beyond Computer Solutions comes in. They help organizations like yours stay out of the news and in business with managed IT and cybersecurity services designed for industries where compliance and reputation matter most.

Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, they are well-versed in HIPAA, secure document access, written security policies, and other essential aspects that ensure your safety and well-being. Best of all, it starts with a complimentary security assessment.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 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 invites a diverse range of business, non-profit, and community leaders to share their significant contributions to their respective markets, communities, and professions. There is no discrimination based on company size, and there is never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.

John Ray, host of  North Fulton Business Radio, and Owner, Ray Business Advisors
John Ray, host of North Fulton Business Radio and Owner, Ray Business Advisors

John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, which is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The studio is located at 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

You can find the entire archive of shows by following this link. The show is accessible on all major podcast apps, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.

John Ray, The Generosity MindsetJohn 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, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

John is the author of the five-star-rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.

Our Mission

We help local business leaders get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession.

We support and celebrate business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignores. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.

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