John Ray Archives - Page 59 of 69

Diane Weinberg, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

November 16, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Diane Weinberg, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

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Diane Weinberg, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 410)

Interested in the issues involved and lessons to learn from #FreeBritney? Diane Weinberg, Principal at Weinberg Elder Law, joined host John Ray to discuss guardianships, conservatorships (such as the recent case involving singer Britney Spears), protecting the rights of incapacitated individuals, issues to know for families who want to protect their loved ones, how the courts operate in these cases, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

As competent adults, we have the legal right to make both good and bad decisions every day. Unfortunately, some individuals lack the ability to process the information needed to make their own decisions. Their intellectual disabilities may be genetic (e.g., a child born with autism) or they may be the result of a traumatic brain injury, illness, or the development of adult-onset dementia. For these individuals, the law provides protection in the form of guardianships and conservatorships.

WEL can help individuals obtain a guardianship or conservatorship of an individual requiring court protection as well as counsel families as to the varies types of guardianships and conservatorships that are available. WEL manages all aspects of the guardianship and conservatorship, from the inception to the final hearing.

For centuries, the law has recognized individuals occupying this position of trust as “fiduciaries.” Fiduciaries include agents under powers of attorney, trustees, guardians, and conservators, and executors and administrators of estates. Fiduciaries owe the highest standard of duty and loyalty to the individuals or entities they protect, and they can suffer significant liability when they fail to do so. Most fiduciaries do their best to perform their assigned duties. Unfortunately, fiduciaries sometimes fall short because they do not fully understand what is expected of them. For example, they may forget to send the required reports to beneficiaries or fail to properly track expenditures.

Sometimes fiduciaries abuse their position:

They may withhold funds from a trust unless the beneficiary takes a certain action.
They may withhold funds because they become angry with the beneficiaries.
They may steal from the people they are supposed to protect.

Weinberg Elder Law, LLC can help distinguish between overwhelmed fiduciaries from those who are abusing their powers, and WEL can advise the parties as to the appropriate course of action.

Elder abuse cases exist where guardianship or conservatorship and a fiduciary dispute intersect with the criminal statutes. At the center of these cases resides a vulnerable population: an elderly person or an adult with cognitive impairment or other disability. Weinberg Elder Law has developed a special interest in protecting our most vulnerable populations from financial exploitation as well as from neglect and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

The solution for rescuing and protecting an individual who has been subject to exploitation and abuse is complex. Through Weinberg Elder Law’s experience in these matters over the years, they are uniquely qualified to help both individuals who are being abused and the family and friends who want to protect them.

Company Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

Diane Weinberg, Principal, Weinberg Elder Law, LLC

Diane Weinberg focuses her practice on helping families resolve disputes that often impact seniors and individuals with disabilities. Specifically, her practice encompasses guardianships and conservatorships (both contested and uncontested) of adults, conservatorships of minors, fiduciary litigation, and protecting vulnerable populations from abuse and exploitation. A member of the State Bar of Georgia and a Veterans Administration Accredited Attorney, Diane is also a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Academy of Special Needs Planners and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

She serves as the State Ambassador for the Georgia Chapter of NAELA. Diane is a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent-rated attorney and has an AVVO rating of 10/10. In 2020, she was recognized as a Georgia Super Lawyer. Additionally, Diane is a frequent local and national speaker on a variety of aspects of guardianships, special needs trusts, and Medicaid planning and has testified before the Georgia General Assembly.

Because of her special interest in issues involving the protection of vulnerable populations, Diane is the only private practice attorney in Georgia to have earned certification as an ACT Specialist offered through the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services. Currently, she is serving on an unofficial legislative workgroup of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI). Through her work with the GBI, Diane developed an interest in public service.

In early 2020, Diane made the decision to run for the office of Probate Court Judge of Fulton County. Although she was not ultimately successful, she remains involved in community matters and is a charter member of the nonpartisan Senator Jim Tysinger Saturday Morning Breakfast Forum. She also serves as secretary of the Buckhead Business Association and is an active member of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she was recently named “Best Attorney” in Best of Buckhead 2021 by Atlanta Best Media. Diane earned a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from the Emory University School of Law.

Outside of her law practice, Diane lives in Sandy Springs with her husband, Mike, their three sons, and her dogs, Cindy Lou (a rescue) and Sherman. As a family, they are involved in Team Challenge benefitting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Diane has served as a Merit Badge Counselor for the Northern Ridge District of the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and she has walked multiple half-marathons for Team in Training supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America.

A self-proclaimed yarn addict, Diane is a member and past treasurer of the Atlanta Knitting Guild, and she is a founding member and current chair of the Stitch N K’vetch group at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

What is the difference between a guardianship and a conservatorship?
Which one did Britney Spears have and why?
What happens if you become incapacitated and have an ongoing business concern?
Can you create “carve-outs” in a conservatorship?
Is a trust a viable alternative to a conservatorship?
If I own a business and have a family member with a disability, should I put them on my payroll to make them eligible for benefits?

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray, and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Sandy Hansen-Wolff, Sandy Hansen-Wolff Consulting

November 10, 2021 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Radio

Sandy Hansen-Wolff, Sandy Hansen-Wolff Consulting

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Sandy Hansen-Wolff, Sandy Hansen-Wolff Consulting (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Episode 24)

Sandy Hansen-Wolff dove unexpectedly into a leading a business after her husband’s passing, but recognizes now she chose her path and was prepared for it by life. She has evolved her coaching into what she calls an Intuitive Strategy Blueprint, and Sandy helps business owners reconnect with their passion and create tangible leaps forward from those insights. She talked with host John Ray about her coaching practice, persisting through tragedy, and much more. Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is produced virtually by the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX®.

Sandy Hansen-Wolff Consulting

Sandy’s true inspiration comes from her unwavering conviction that the highest results come from digging into what we already have burning inside, just waiting to be ignited into new realities.

Partnering with leaders and entrepreneurs like you to help you bust through barriers (both internal and external) and reach new levels of success is why Sandy loves what she does.

Whether you’re taking your business to a new level or dealing with unexpected or overwhelming challenges, she partners with you in creating a vision for your ideal future and taking aligned action to reach your goals during a short term (3-6 months) or longer-term (12 months+) private coaching experience.

Sandy is your idea accelerator, your expert listener, your collaborative facilitator, your visionary strategist, and your partner in taking your life and business to the next level.

Sometimes, the best way to dream and work towards your goals is to get out of your everyday environment and turn off the distractions.

Sandy offers business and leadership coaching as well as speaking and workshops. Workshops and retreats are powerful tools for reaching new heights in business and in life through inspiring and high-value, rich topics.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Sandy Hansen-Wolff, Owner, Sandy Hansen-Wolff Consulting

Sandy Hansen-Wolff has spent her entire career as a business leader and entrepreneur.

Sandy started her speaking, coaching, and consulting business nearly two decades ago. In this role, she works across industries to partner with leaders and business owners to create and execute high level strategy and aligned actions. She was thrust into entrepreneurship when widowed at a young age.

Although always an entrepreneur at heart, Sandy assumed ownership of her late husband’s company in 2003 upon his death and began sharing her story of crisis leadership and overcoming tragedy. She has worked for nearly two decades in agribusiness ownership as well as launched a new agribusiness e-commerce company and recently and successfully transitioned her company to new ownership.

Sandy now spends her time helping other leaders and companies scale through her leadership coaching, speaking, and consulting business. She is a certified International Coaching Federation executive and leadership coach as well as a certified Emotional Intelligence Assessor. She partners with many brilliant business leaders, owners and teams and facilitates monthly mastermind peer groups of business leaders.

Sandy speaks to groups large and small on topics of pricing, negotiation, business success/scaling strategies, emotional intelligence, employee engagement, and culture, launching new ventures as well as personal strategies for aligning heart-based leadership to profits. She also serves on several boards, is a volunteer wish granter for MakeAWish as well as many other community initiatives.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Tell us how you began in business ownership and how it led to coaching high-level leaders and business owners.
The use of Intuitive Strategy Blueprint for quick clarity & goal setting in business.
What do you feel are the top challenges that leaders and managers face in these changing times?
You turned around a company in very turbulent times and under tragic circumstances. Tell us how your experience is a big attractor for working with clients in your coaching and consulting work.
How is your intuitive strategy coaching unique and different than other methods of coaching?
You also facilitate leadership and business owner mastermind peer groups. What is your passion behind this role and what focus do these groups have for each session?
You have also spoken on stages large and small. What are the hot topics now for business and leadership conferences?

Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX® . You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Jaime Taets, Keystone Group International

November 9, 2021 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Radio

Jaime Taets, Keystone Group International

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Jaime Taets, Keystone Group International (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Episode 23)

Jaime Taets, CEO and Founder of Keystone Group International, shared valuable insights into what is happening in the current business climate. For the first time ever, Jaime noted in this conversation with host John Ray, four generations are in the workforce, and she offered insights on the youngest workers, Gen Z, which will surprise you. She also defined what culture really is and a leader’s role in culture, talked about her new book and her podcast, and much more. Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is produced virtually by the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX®.

Keystone Group International

After working in corporate America for over 13 years, our CEO & founder, Jaime Taets wanted to do something more impactful.

During a family vacation to Keystone, South Dakota, Jaime’s stress was at an all-time high. She wasn’t feeling fulfilled and knew there was something more she should be doing. In 2013, she left her corporate job and launched Keystone Group International, with the goal of leveraging her business experience to help entrepreneurial companies grow and thrive.

Building upon that goal, Keystone came to life as a partner that exists to transform the organizations and leaders they work with on every level. It is their purpose, and it is what gets them out of bed each morning.

Keystone will transform the way you work, the way you lead, the way you grow, and the way you succeed. This purpose influenced their core values—and they’re not just cool words on the website. They live and breathe these values every day.

Together, the Keystone team gives companies and individuals who are ready to change the tools and knowledge to achieve more than they thought they could.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Jaime Taets, CEO and Founder of Keystone Group International

CEO, public speaker, author, podcast host, and thought leader… in every one of these roles, Jaime Taets helps people reach their potential. She isn’t afraid to have “get real” conversations about the things that often limit people from achieving success. Harnessing her own leadership experiences, she inspires frank and sometimes challenging discussions about the crossroads between high-performance and healthy change.

Ultimately, her solution-focused insights help people go from stuck to success every day—at work, home, and in their personal lives. Jaime is CEO of Keystone International Group and a keynote speaker.

Jaime is also the host of the Superpower Success Podcast and author of You Are Here, Kickass Inspiration for Navigating Your Journey to Success.

She, her husband, and their four children live in Mound, Minnesota.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

How are you seeing the business environment evolve over the past couple of years? What trends are you seeing in the business climate?
Tell us more about conscious leadership – what does that mean and how does it impact an organization?
Culture is something that feels very nebulous and complicated for most business leaders. What is your business’s approach to making it less ambiguous?
What are you seeing and what advice would you give to business leaders who are experiencing burnout in their teams and in themselves.
If a leader is listening, where do you suggest they start with the topics we discussed today?

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of Clayton State University

November 5, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of Clayton State University

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Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President of Clayton State University (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 409)

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, recently installed as President of Clayton State University, joined host John Ray to offer his vision for Clayton State University, the students it serves, and the broader Laker Nation. Dr. Stuart also shared the inspiration for his education journey he received from his mother, some of the high points from his recent “State of the University” address, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Clayton State University

Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia. The campus is located fifteen minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The University has 208 full-time faculty and 356 full-time staff.

The institution was founded in 1969 and was originally known as Clayton Junior College. When the school became a four-year institution in 1986, the institute took on the name Clayton State College. In 1996, the Georgia Board of Regents renamed many higher-ed institutions, with Clayton State becoming Clayton College & State University. In 2005, the name was changed to Clayton State University.

University Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, President, Clayton State University

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart assumed the role of Clayton State University’s fifth president on July 1, 2021. As the first African American to hold this position, Dr. Stuart joins the university after serving as the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) in Fort Valley, Georgia.

During his six-year tenure at FVSU, Dr. Stuart led the academic colleges and degree programs, aspects of enrollment management such as retention, and other major administrative areas that included a sponsored research portfolio that was the fifth-largest among 26 institutions within the University System of Georgia (USG).

Under Dr. Stuart’s guidance, FVSU witnessed an average retention rate of 75%, increased enrollment, improved the graduation rate by 15% over a two-year period, and led the USG in the number of first-time, full-time freshmen who enrolled in at least 15 credit hours per semester.

Prior to joining FVSU, Dr. Stuart was a faculty member and administrator at West Virginia State University in Institute, West Virginia. His accomplishments there included developing an engineering 2+2 program, aiding in increasing retention by almost 10% over four academic years, serving on the self-study reaffirmation steering committee responsible for achieving a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation, and helping to increase overall enrollment.

Dr. Stuart is known for his commitment to student success in the classroom and beyond. At the age of 24, he began teaching computer science at West Virginia State Community and Technical College also located in Institute, West Virginia. He excelled in this role and during his second year, peers named him Professor of the Year. Later that year they unanimously elected him to serve as the faculty senate president making him the youngest person to hold that position in the history of the institution. He held that post for two consecutive terms.

Raised in the small coal-mining town of Welch, West Virginia, Dr. Stuart realized at a very young age the transformative impact that education could have on one’s life, one’s family, and ultimately one’s community. That realization has been the driving force behind his motivation to provide opportunities for students to not only obtain their degrees but to excel in their chosen fields.

While serving at FVSU, Dr. Stuart secured over $4 million in grants and scholarship funding to reduce the cost of expenses for students and to help prepare them for careers in coveted STEM fields such as genome engineering, computational data science, and biotechnology.

Identifying the need for talent in the local multi-million dollar film industry and recognizing a shortage of financial technology professionals, Dr. Stuart developed minors in those fields to equip students with the skillsets needed to quickly fill voids in the workforce.

Committed to enhancing community partnerships, Dr. Stuart collaborated with Robins Air Force Base to develop an employment pipeline for students majoring in supply chain management; established an agreement with Georgia Power to create a 100-acre solar farm with a 9,000 square foot demonstration center that serves as a living laboratory for FVSU students and professors; fostered an articulation agreement with Grand Valley State University to offer an engineering transition program; developed 13 articulation agreements with Georgia Technical College System institutions; and worked with Atrium Health Navicent, Houston Healthcare and Phoebe Putney Hospitals to launch health science degrees.

In addition to enhancing their classroom experience, Dr. Stuart recognizes the value in providing students with mentorship and academic coaching to help them overcome challenges which lead to a 6.8% increase in the institution’s six-year graduation rate.

With a focus on the university’s strategic priorities, all steeped in the mission of providing an exceptional student experience, Dr. Stuart increased the number of full-time faculty by 20%, established training to help more than 50% of the university’s faculty develop online courses that met or exceeded Quality Matters requirements and created a Center for Teaching and Learning which increased the number of faculty development opportunities by 127%.

Dr. Stuart received his education in McDowell County Public Schools before going to West Virginia University where he earned undergraduate and graduate engineering degrees from the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources where he was a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Fellow. He later went on to earn his doctorate in higher education administration from the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University where he was the institution’s first Southern Regional Education Board Fellow.

It was from his humble beginnings in McDowell County that Dr. Stuart learned the power of the words that reminds us that to whom much is given, much is expected. Those words stuck with him throughout the years and are at the root of his commitment to student success, in and out of the classroom.

Many who encounter Dr. Stuart quickly recognize his dedication to helping others to be their best selves. A true servant leader, Dr. Stuart embodies the American dream, the belief that regardless of where you are born, you can determine and attain your own version of success.

Dr. Stuart resides in south Atlanta with his wife Jamilah, a graduate of Howard University and general manager of a Hilton Hotel in Macon, Georgia, and their daughter, Kayleigh Grace.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Why did you choose to lead Clayton State University?
How does Clayton State aim to help students find solutions to challenges?
What did you learn in the listening journey of your first 100 days?
Give a sense of what you presented in your State of the University address.
Speak to how Clayton State has evolved since its beginning.
Talk about the students you serve.
How can businesses support the work of Clayton State University?

Dawn Cook Causey, DayBreak Enterprises, LLC

November 5, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Dawn Cook Causey, DayBreak Enterprises, LLC

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Dawn Cook Causey, DayBreak Enterprises, LLC (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 408)

Executive coach Dawn Cook Causey joined host John Ray to define emotional intelligence (EQ) and explain why sharpening your EQ is so vital to business sucess. Dawn also offered practices for developing self-awareness, how she coaches her executive and business leader clients, and much more. She also shared a new e-book, Every Day is an Interview, which debuts soon. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

DayBreak Enterprises, LLC

DayBreak’s mission is to help organizations drive profits by developing their people.

They believe that better emotional intelligence (EQ) leads to better leaders which lead to better business performance. Research shows that leaders and teams with high EQ perform at a higher level, contribute to increased corporate earnings, enjoy higher morale and experience lower turnover. They like proving that research is accurate.

Although DayBreak is based in Alpharetta, Georgia and many of our clients are in Atlanta, we provide executive coaching and leadership development world-wide. Raising the bar for leadership has no limits.

DayBreak offers a variety of tools and assessments to enable you and your team to improve your success.

Developing your team drives business results by increasing skill and motivation. Superstar performance comes from individual contributors leveraging each other’s strengths in addition to their own.

Training your team to increase leadership skills will be six times more effective when it is supported by a strong framework that includes laser-focused objectives, highly engaging content and management-supported follow-up.

Dawn assists clients, teams, and organizations in increasing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management so they are EQuipped to bring about change in themselves and their organizations.

Company website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Dawn Cook Causey, Executive Coach, DayBreak Enterprises, LLC

Dawn Cook Causey is an Executive Coach working with leaders and teams to improve their leadership bench strength, increase the speed/reduce cost of doing business through better work relationships and deliver better results.

Her mission is to help organizations drive profits by developing their people. Better emotional intelligence (EQ) means better leaders which means better business performance. Research shows that leaders and teams with high EQ perform at a higher level, contribute to increased corporate earnings, enjoy higher morale and experience lower turnover. She likes proving that research time and time again. Those ‘touchy feely’ competencies are touching and feeling bottom lines everywhere.

Dawn helps leaders who are intellectually bright and technically strong, yet struggle to maximize their own or their team’s potential because they fail to maximize the power of emotions. Her ideal client is the one who is as passionate about developing themselves as she is about helping them do it. She has an excellent track record helping leaders who need to better balance their strong, results-oriented nature with leveraging relationships.

If you or your executives are in any of these positions, Dawn can help you:

– Executive who blew the doors off their competition and rose quickly to the top, but now having to manage and motivate others is a challenge,

– Chief Information Officer responsible for technical types with ‘black and white’ thinking who need their communication styles to be as scalable and efficient as their enterprise solutions,

– Chief Engineering Officer who recognizes that their engineers need to design a better system for relating to non-engineering folks, or

– VP of Human Resources looking for ways to impact the bottom line through higher employee engagement and morale, lower turnover and recruiting costs,

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

There are lots of coaches out there, we’ve interviewed several on this show. What is your niche or what makes you unique?
How did you get into coaching? What’s your journey?
Who do you coach? Describe your clients and the types of things you coach with them on.
In your bio, you say your motto is, “It’s your choice. Make it count.” Tell me about that.
And how does making a choice tie to emotional intelligence, since that is your specialty?
Can you give us an example of how you’ve worked with a client to make better choices?
You call yourself an Executive Coach. Do you ever do Life Coaching?
How has the pandemic affected your coaching business?
How can people connect with you if they want to start making better, more emotionally intelligent choices?

Toseima Jiles, Creative Arts International, Inc.

November 4, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Toseima Jiles, Creative Arts International, Inc.

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Toseima Jiles, Creative Arts International, Inc. (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 407)

Creative Arts International, Inc., founded by Toseima Jiles, brings performing arts to companies for team-building and strengthening company culture. Toseima joined host John Ray in the studio to discuss her journey, her business consulting practice, the need for arts to support people and business, her work in the community with children who have experienced abuse, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Creative Arts International, Inc.

Creative Arts International is an arts consulting firm founded by Toseima Jiles. They use performing art alongside business consulting to help companies improve not only the lives of their employees but their bottom line as well. CAI starts with a discovery process and applies art processes, coaching, and training to meet the client’s goals.

Company website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Toseima Jiles, Consultant, Creative Arts International, Inc.

Toseima Jiles is the Master Consultant with Creative Arts International Inc. and has been a lover of the arts her entire life. For over 27 years, she has dedicated her life to the love of the arts and alongside the pursuit of that passion, business development consulting has comfortably landed as her business equivalent of ‘Beyonce’ and ‘Sasha Fierce’. She has accepted the fact that providing the experience of both has afforded a great opportunity to impact the lives of people in an authentic and unique way.

As with most people in the world, since the impact of COVID 19, recent events have forced a closer evaluation of ‘why’ in life and that inevitably allows the most essential answers to lead the Creative Arts Consulting team forward. Teaching performing arts alongside business consulting for nearly three decades has been more enriching than could ever have been imagined.

Hundreds of companies over the years have been helped, consulted, and inspired to produce more tangible results within their goals and that is truly what it’s all about.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

How did Creative Arts International Inc. come to be?
What makes your consulting firm unique?
Describe a typical Arts Consulting Service in your firm.
Describe a typical Business Consulting Service in your firm.
What is the most creative thing you have done for a client?
What is your greatest success story as a consulting business?
Why is community involvement so meaningful to you?
Where can people learn about events, partnerships, and ways to connect?

Mark Hutchins, Silverton Mortgage

November 2, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Mark Hutchins, Silverton Mortgage

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Mark Hutchins, Silverton Mortgage (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 406)

The residential real estate market has been moving fast, and Mark Hutchins of Silverton Mortgage provided great guidance on this episode on how to address your mortgage needs. Mark joined host John Ray to discuss renting vs. buying, getting prepared to buy, investment properties, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Silverton Mortgage

At Silverton, they understand that one size does not fit all. Let them help you find the right loan program for your dream home.

Buying a home can be overwhelming. There are so many financing options, offered by so many different banks, lenders, and brokers. Don’t stress yourself out trying to find the perfect product and perfect rate on your own – that’s what Silverton is here for. Contact them today to start a conversation about which loan option is right for you.

They believe that communication is the key to success, which is why Silverton puts communication at the core of their full-service mortgage lending company. Keeping everything in-house keeps them accountable to you through every step of the transaction.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Mark Hutchins, Mortgage Loan Originator, Silverton Mortgage

Mark is a firm believer that offering compassionate care towards service and providing a win-win result for all parties is the best way to do business. He’s passionate about the portfolio of products that he offers and is happy to discuss which option is best for each of his clients. He is dedicated to educating those that he works with on the complex financial issues that they may be facing as well as the options available to best serve their needs. Nothing beats the personal satisfaction that he gets in helping homeowners enjoy the life they deserve.

Mark is honored to work for Silverton Mortgage, one of the most respected firms of its kind in the country, and appreciates how they care for the needs of their clients. As your loan originator, he is more than happy to guide borrowers through a smooth process that a client deserves. His clients receive the education and knowledge to make the best financial decision for their mortgage. He looks forward to serving and helping you experience a better life.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Cost of Waiting
Renting vs Buying
How Student loans are considered in Debt To Income Ratio
Investment Properties and Second Homes
Advantages offered with tools and reports that you can share with Real Agents, Financial Planners and Borrowers

Lutunji Abram, Lutunji’s Palate

November 1, 2021 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Radio

Lutunji Abram, Lutunji's Palate

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Lutunji Abram, Lutunji’s Palate (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Episode 22)

Lutunji Abram, CEO of Lutunji’s Palate and founder of Voices for Effective Change, has a passion for infusing her business with purpose. As an entrepreneur and accomplished pastry chef, the sales of her gourmet desserts support youth and adults in the community with work experiences and mentorship, enabling them to thrive. She and host John Ray discussed her work, her journey, the bakery, and much more. Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is produced virtually by the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX®.

Lutunji’s Palate

Lutunji’s Palate is a social enterprise fueled by love and built with purpose. Back in 2018, Lutunji Abram, M.A. met with the Pastor of a historic church in South Minneapolis to discuss the Charter School for teen parents she developed in partnership with her organization, Voices of Effective Change. Lutunji blessed him with her signature peach cobbler as a sign of respect and gratitude. He took one bite, and Lutunji’s Palate was born.

He loved it so much he insisted she use their commercial kitchen to create a line of gourmet desserts and that his team would provide all the support she needed. This was the divine order manifested. In that powerful moment, Lutunji knew that her passion for delicious treats, and the joy they bring, would be the catalyst for her mission to bring effective change to our community.

Every scrumptious bite of Lutunji’s Palate Gourmet Cakes, Cobblers and More, contributes to youth development, teen parental support, and transition assistance for Men returning to society from incarceration, providing the space, education, resources and experience they need to grow and thrive. Click here to learn more about Voices of Effective Change.

Lutunji’s Palate Gourmet desserts are available at Lunds & Byerly’s (Downtown, Northeast, Uptown, Nokomis and Golden Valley) North Market, Minneapolis Farmers Market Annex, Seasoned Specialty Market, Handsome Hog, and Pimento Kitchen. Brick and mortar bakery and cafe coming first quarter of 2022.

Lutunji’s Palate: built with purpose, fortified with love.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Lutunji Abram, President & CEO, Lutunji’s Palate and Founder of Voices of Effective Change, Inc.

Lutunji Abram is CEO and Founder of Voices of Effective Change, Inc. (a community advocacy and Public Relations company) with the mission to send an effective voice to the masses, stand with young children and their parents using the tools of personal empowerment and community development. She is a gourmet Pastry Chef and, the founder of Lutunji’s Palate offering her famous Harriet’s Escape Buttery Butter and Vegan Peach Cobbler layered with organic coconut oil crust and other gourmet goodies.

Lutunji is a renaissance artist and socially impassioned diversity and inclusion community activist with an eclectic repertoire of works spanning the spectrums of theater, music, education, and civic engagement. Lutunji is armed with a B.A. in Community Development and a minor in Performing Arts Management from Metropolitan State University, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Bethel University, and a DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative fellowship alumnus.

Her skillful blend of arts, education, and advocacy has a far-reaching impact on varying fronts including being a John Lennon Songwriting finalist, an opening act for the late Tupac Shakur, The Goodie Mob, and others, volunteer teaching of poetry to elementary through high school-aged students at Metropolitan State University; penning the theme poem for the 2014 and 2015 City of Minneapolis Peace ceremonies, adjunct professor, and tireless contributions as a former legislative aide and recurring political campaign volunteer.

Lutunji is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Iota Zeta Zeta Chapter, and proud mother of one son, Aaron Lamar Abram, Esq.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Lutunji’s Palate journey
How did Lutunji’s Palate come about?
What is the mission of Lutunji’s Palate?
What’s happening right now?
How is Lutunji’s Palate evolving as you open your facility?
How can someone get involved?

Tiffany Hoeft, Tiff Hoeft Operations Consultant

October 29, 2021 by John Ray

Minneapolis St. Paul Business Radio

Tiffany Hoeft, Tiff Hoeft Operations Consultant

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Tiffany Hoeft, Tiff Hoeft Operations Consultant (Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Episode 21)

Tiff Hoeft has created a thriving business helping entrepreneurs with systems and support so they can grow by focusing on what they do best. As an entrepreneur herself with four kids, she shares with host John Ray not only her business tips but how to prioritize what’s most important, when to say no, client success stories, and much more. Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio is produced virtually by the Minneapolis St. Paul studio of Business RadioX®.

Tiff Hoeft Operations Consultant

After spending countless hours searching for the best systems, trying to do everything by yourself or attempting to outsource and have it go horribly wrong, you’re probably frustrated and overwhelmed.

You’re ready for professional support and a team in your corner to help you as your business runs in the background. You want help working on the RIGHT things that move the needle forward towards your BIG goals.

Struggling to land on a project management or client management tool? Is your schedule a mess and you need help mapping out your fierce week? Does everything feel like it takes forever? Maybe it’s time to get some outside perspective!

Tiff and her team provide an array of services from project management, client management, finance tracking, automation and templates in addition to a bit of social media, CRM buildout, and coaching.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Tiffany Hoeft, Owner, Tiff Hoeft Operations Consultant

Tiff is an Operations Consultant, Fractional COO, and mom of four. She’s spent the last 20 plus years working behind the scenes in businesses as a trusted leopard-loving side-kick. Tiff helps high-level creative entrepreneurs identify, strategize, and implement a solid business blueprint so that they can focus on their zone of genius while the business runs in the background.