Leadership Archives - Page 26 of 51

MARKETING MATTERS WITH RYAN SAUERS: Dr. Ross Russell with Russell Orthodontics

May 23, 2019 by Garrett Ervin

Gwinnett Studio

MARKETING MATTERS WITH RYAN SAUERS: Dr. Ross Russell with Russell Orthodontics

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Dr. Ross Russell/Russell Orthodontics

Dr. Ross Russell and his staff at Russell Orthodontics are proud to provide their community with personalized orthodontic care. They offer Invisalign, traditional metal and ceramic braces, and many other modern orthodontic treatment options. Getting to know each and every one of their patients is a priority. Russell Orthodontics combines understanding of the patient’s individual needs and lifestyle with orthodontic expertise to provide an exceptional experience and lasting results. Contact Russell Orthodontics today to schedule a complimentary consultation and meet their team.

Ryan Sauers/President of Sauers Consulting Strategies

Ryan T. Sauers has spent over 25 years leading and/or consulting with marketing, media, and related companies. He is also owner of two Our Town Gwinnett monthly magazines. Sauers is a frequent national speaker and global columnist. He serves as an adjunct university professor teaching leadership courses. Ryan is a Certified Myers Briggs, DiSC, and Emotional Intelligence practitioner. Ryan is working on his Doctoral degree in Leadership. He is author of the best-selling books Everyone is in Sales and Would You Buy from You?

Show Overview

Marketing Matters is a radio show discussing topics as they relate to marketing, communications, sales, leadership and more. Host Ryan Sauers, a best-selling author and national speaker, discusses how these topics play a role in every aspect of our lives. Each episode shares tangible nuggets of information that listeners can easily understand and apply to their everyday life, whether personal or business. The show challenges listeners’ current state of thinking so they can grow to new heights and see new opportunities in business, which is rapidly changing, multi-generational. and noisy in nature.

Inspiring Women, Episode 1: Are Your “Nevers” Your Opportunities?

May 22, 2019 by John Ray

Inspiring Women PodCast with Betty Collins

Inspiring Women, Episode 1: Are Your "Nevers" Your Opportunities?

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Betty’s Show Notes

The “nevers” became my opportunities once I chose to consider them. Why do we say “never” first?

1) Youth and inexperience
2) Lack of confidence
3) Easy is easier
4) No guidance
5) Fear is paralyzing

My “nevers” included:
Never going to use my accounting degree.
Never going to be a CPA.
Never going to be the employer, content with being an employee.
Never going to merge.

My “never” became “Maybe, OK, Probably” and finally “Yes” due to influencers and facing my challenges.

What are your challenges?
Do you value who you are – no one will ever value you as much as YOU
Are you leveraging your uniqueness?
Are you paralyzed by fear?
When and how you do say NO – that is not a never!

“Nevers” just may be your opportunities.
Be more aware of the people in your life. Ask more questions versus acceptance. No one will value you more than you. Paralyzed by fear, you will miss your moment. Leverage your uniqueness, it is your journey.

“Inspiring Women” Podcast Series

“Inspiring Women” is THE podcast that advances women toward economic, social and political achievement. The show is hosted by Betty Collins, CPA, and presented by Brady Ware and Company. Brady Ware is committed to empowering women to go their distance in the workplace and at home. Past episodes of “Inspiring Women” can be found here.

Show Transcript

Betty Collins: [00:00:06] So here I am 30 years later and I’m a shareholder and a director of a CPA firm. We’re regional with about 20 owners. We hover in that area. Probably 150 plus employees. I’ve been elected to the board of directors in my company by my peers. And then a year ago I was appointed to be lead of one of our offices. So we have four of those people in our office. But the fun thing probably the energy that fuels me to do what I do is I get to direct a Women’s Initiative. 60 percent of our employees are women in Brady Ware.

Betty Collins: [00:00:56] And so it’s not about entitlement, it’s about empowerment. So that’s why I get a lot of energy from that. I love what I do every day. Probably what makes the “Why” for me is I’m a business owner advising business owners. I wish I would have had that a long time ago in my own life as a small business owner. So it’s really my passion because I believe that the marketplace is huge and the business community plays a role in making sure that employers have employees who are families and households. And so I get to do that every day. And then I get to give back. I support a really great organization, the WSBA, which is about women in business. Small, accelerating, moving along. And then I’m the president elect for NAWBO, which is the National Association of Women Business Owners. And the Columbus chapter is the largest in the country. So that’s 30 years later. So I go “Wow, how did I get here? Why am I here?”.

Betty Collins: [00:02:04] And here’s my story. And really it comes down to all the “Nevers.” Everything I said never to really became my opportunity. And if it would have not been open after I said “Never” I would have never been where I am right now. So what I want to do is is kind of go back 30 years ago and talk about the process of those “Nevers.”

Betty Collins: [00:02:30] You know I’m a practical thinker. My world is really small which a lot of us live in. But the greatest thing along the way was others saw in me what I didn’t see. And that’s a good thing. And it’s a bad thing. But I’ll talk about that later. But generally I would start a sentence “I would never do that.” Now any time I say never I go “I shouldn’t be saying never. What am I missing?”

Betty Collins: [00:02:56] My “Nevers” were this. I was never going to be an accountant. Even though I had a college degree to do that. I was never going to get a CPA. It was “Who cares about that? Right?” I don’t want to take a test and go through all that agony. Let alone own a CPA firm or stay in public accounting or now go to a big company merge into a company. Every one of those things I said no to. Never an accountant. Never a CPA. Never an owner. And never going to merge. And those four things were the catalyst to all my opportunities.

Betty Collins: [00:03:34] So “Never” going to use my accounting degree. I chose accounting because I had to choose a major. It was not a passion. It was a good way to get a job, right?! Fortunately, I did find that when I was 50 that accounting can be passionate and I can be passionate about what I’m doing. I definitely see that in my two kids who at 20 chose college majors because it’s what they wanted to do in life. I didn’t do that till 50. So I took the first job, of course, that’s offered to me. Now I have a job and I have that paycheck every two weeks. And it took me to an upstate New York town called Rochester. And I loved it. Except I was a Buckeye at heart and want to be back in Ohio. So I came back. And how I came back was, my neighbor of my parents owned a CPA firm and said I can give you a job tomorrow. But I go I don’t want to be an accountant. But I need a job to get back to Ohio. So my second choice was that I would come and be an accountant. But I said I’m only staying for a while. This is not what I want to do. So no passion, no dream, everything was logical. Those types of things.

Betty Collins: [00:04:40] So I came back, started working there and I actually kind of liked it. But I was “Never” going to be a CPA. He challenged me over and over to do and I didn’t want to do it. And then he moved on and another owner came into play. And he said, “You act like an owner, why wouldn’t you be one?” I said, “Well, I don’t want to be a CPA.” I didn’t really want to be an accountant. I’m “never” going to be a CPA because I “never” want to own the company. And so he made me a great offer and said, “You act like an owner. I’ll make you one immediately if you just get your CPA.” How do you turn that down? Because most people had to have clients and build rapport. I didn’t have to do that. So I said okay fine, I’m going to be an accountant for a little bit longer and I’ll go get my CPA and maybe become an owner. And so in 2009, I became that owner. And for 10 years we built an amazing business. I was content. It was a good thing.

Betty Collins: [00:05:38] Well then people started calling saying “Hey, would you like to merge?” Of course I “never” going to merge. I’ve got a nice little gig. I know my next 10 years. I live in a small world. Remember I’m a logical person. And so I said this is what I’m going to do. I don’t want to merge. So my partner at that time said I think you need to meet Brian Carr of Brady Ware. I said bring him on. I will be glad to meet him. I’ll see what he’s like. And we immediately had this synergy.

Betty Collins: [00:06:08] And so I said I guess I could merge. I mean, if I can be a CPA and I can own a business, I guess I can merge. And so that’s what I did. So it was those “Nevers” that was like “Wow.” But I didn’t want the pressure of making payroll. I just wanted to be paid. I didn’t want to take risks. That isn’t comfortable for me. And I wanted to work for clients not find clients. That’s two very different things. So all of this went against my little small world. All of this went against the things I didn’t think I wanted to do. But yet I started this podcast with “This is what I’m doing today.” So I’m certainly glad that I now can look back and think if I would have said never and stuck with that I would not have this opportunity that I have right now.

[00:06:58] So you have to go. What are the things I’m saying “Never” to? And I don’t care what age you are. Because the “Maybe,” the “OK,” the “Probably,” and finally the “Yes,” may really just turn into something that’s amazing.

Betty Collins: [00:07:14] So how did that happen for me? Because I look at this as I just evolved into this and now hindsight shows me this along the way. So I want to make sure people know you don’t have to go and evolve and hope it all works out. So influencers are the biggest thing about your “Nevers.” Because there are times you need to say no. There are times it’s just absolutely no.

Betty Collins: [00:07:41] But I have great influencers. So Jane Davis was probably really my first mentor. And she, in the 70s, went through things, like divorce, when it wasn’t popular. And she married a guy named Randy Nipps. He was the first accounting firm that I worked for that merged into Nipps Brown Collins, eventually Brady Ware. But Jane was a big huge influencer. And when you look at the influencers right now in your life. what are they influencing you in?

Betty Collins: [00:08:12] So my first boss was Austin Swallow, who showed me that integrity and faith could be drivers and you could still be a business person and make money. So it’s all OK.

Betty Collins: [00:08:24] The second one was Randy Nipps who showed me the value of your employees. You don’t have that, you can’t continue to grow, you can’t grow at all. They’re your biggest asset.

Betty Collins: [00:08:36] Gary Brown showed me loyalty and focus. Those are the things that drive you to next levels. And he had a passion for his client which are people with disabilities. That was always the underline of everything he did.

Betty Collins: [00:08:49] And then Brian Carr, who is now the CEO I work for. He’s a person of vision. He’s always thinking about something bigger and that there’s always more. And I worked for each one of these men. And I was always the “Never.” And they were going you need to say yes. So I was lucky that I had that. They saw in me what I didn’t see. And while that’s all sounds great, what if I would have seen it? Then I could have had maybe a little more control of my destiny. Not that I needed to but you have to look back and ask that, right? So if I would just say yes on my own instead of yes to maybe what somebody else was saying I should be, I might have gone further and farther. I don’t know. So I look at that and say great, I had these influencers and these were the different things. However, I needed to see in me that I could do this. They saw it. But there were challenges with like anything in any career. And now I want to make sure that people don’t go through the challenges, the things that I went through.

Betty Collins: [00:09:55] You have to value who you are. It can’t be somebody else valuing you. You have to do it. You have to leverage your uniqueness. I’m surrounded by experts. I’m surrounded by technicians. I’m surrounded by people with really big careers. Yet I have things that they don’t. Which is I’m very personable and very passionate. I make sure I find the right technician because they’re everywhere. And I have a relationship with a client because I’m a business owner helping business owners. And I can see that the business marketing community has to have us in order to have those households that form communities. So I have a uniqueness of looking at things differently.

Betty Collins: [00:10:44] Paralyzed by fear will get you nowhere, even if you say yes to your opportunity. When I first came to Brady Ware, the first day I was downtown in my big office I could see The Scioto Mile on one side and the Capitol on the other. And I had the same computer, the same mouse, the same software, the same employees. And I sat there having no idea what to do. I was paralyzed by fear because I’m surrounded by experts and big career and now I’m in a big company. So I said yes but yet I’m paralyzed for the opportunity. So I left that day knowing what to do, which was go to lunch. And I went to lunch and I came back, because I talked to my husband he said, “This is your moment don’t miss it. Are you kidding? This is your moment.” So I didn’t. I did not let fear paralyze me once I said the “Yes.” And so again the opportunity came out. But there are times you have to understand there’s a “Yes” which promotes the opportunity but there’s “No” which means you didn’t go down the wrong path. And sometimes you just need someone to help you understand which ones those are.

Betty Collins: [00:11:51] So hopefully what your takeaway is today from the things of my story to you, because we all have a story, is “Nevers” just may be your opportunity. So take a mental note of when did I say never today. Or just even how many times you’ll say “Never” and “No” in a day. You’ll be surprised.

Betty Collins: [00:12:13] You have to be more aware of the people in your life, the influencers you are with right now. How are they influencing you? Are they the things you really believe? Are they the things that want to drive you? I mean I had great people of integrity and loyalty and vision and big picture. You have to ask more questions before you accept something. And women don’t do that. They just accept the circumstance. Men always ask questions.

Betty Collins: [00:12:39] No one will ever value you more than you. Don’t let somebody dictate your worth. And don’t let somebody take advantage of what you’re worth. Because they will.

Betty Collins: [00:12:51] Don’t be paralyzed by that fear, because you’ll miss your moment. And others saw my value and directed my path. My next 10 years I’m directing my path and I’m never going to say never. Ha. It’s a mindset. I only want opportunity if I choose to take it.

E30 Change Management with Julia Steel and Renee Campisi

May 20, 2019 by Karen

PROJECT-MANAGEMENT-OFFICE-HOURS-Author-Julia-Steel-and-Nimble-Giants-Consulting-President-Renee-Campisi

Phoenix Business Radio

E30 Change Management with Julia Steel and Renee Campisi

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E30 Change Management with Julia Steel and Renee Campisi

Have your struggled with Change Management? In this episode of Project Management Office Hours we have an in-depth discussion with Julia Steel and Renee Campisi on Change Management and Agile for Business.

We often look at Change Management on a per project basis rather than looking at Change as an overall initiative. How are we working within organizations with Managers and Leaders to prepare for change? Julia shares insights from her book, “Buy-in: How to Lead Change, Build Commitment and Inspire People.”

Listen to hear Julia describe the 3 C’s, Confidence, Clout and Courage to lead to successful Change. Renee shares her story which has grown to founding Nimble Giants. Listen to hear her discuss Agile for Business and the experiences that have helped shape her work. She provides great insights with stories, tips and tools which help organizations and leaders implement change.Think of “Change Fitness”, just as athletes need to practice and exercise to improve within their sport of choice we need to practice Change to improve.

Tune in for upcoming shows with Project Management leaders and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, Spreaker or your favorite podcast platform! Our next show will be June 6th at 11:00am PST with Steve Fullmer and Darrel Gardner. Thanks to our sponsors PM Master Prep and THE PMO SQUAD. PM Master Prep is offering 20% off all services by using code PMOJOE at checkout on www.pmmasterprep.com.

Julia Steel is on a mission to help individuals, teams and organisations supercharge progress, navigate change and deliver results that matter.

She is an international speaker, author, facilitator, and coach, offering programs that help you focus on, implement and achieve strategic change.

Julia is the author of “Buy-in: How to Lead Change, Build Commitment and Inspire People,” is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive LEAD program and knows that enrolling the right people, at the right time, is crucial to your success.

Connect with Julia on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Nimble Giants will work with you to figure out exactly what services your business needs to run more efficiently and productively using an agile for business approach. Once that is established, they will work with you to figure out how you can grow your business from where it is now to where you dream of taking it.

Renee Campisi is leveraging her 20+ years of Process, Technology, Operations, Leadership and Change Management experience to bring her clients Nimble Giants Consulting. Renee’s business consulting services are focused on helping her clients unlock additional potential within their teams as well as operate in a strong, flexible and swift manner to remain competitive in today’s ever-changing landscape.

Renee first began her career at Accenture in Process and Technology Consulting for Fortune 100 companies. She credits her passion for business and leadership approach to spending her formative business years at Accenture where she practiced client partnership, consultative solutioning, innovation, technical leadership and project adoption.

Six years later, Renee left Accenture to operationalize a Joint Venture Partnership Program for a Phoenix based startup. This entrepreneurial experience helped round out Renee’s corporate business experience and provided her with a deep appreciation of the commitment and determination needed to succeed as a business owner.

After successfully expanding the Phoenix based entrepreneur’s Partnership Program across the US, Renee returned to her Process and Technology roots where she lead Professional Services for Pearson Education’s School Systems Business Unit. Here she strengthened her Program and Change Management experience and furthered her Operational Leadership and Business Partner Acumen.

After five rewarding years with Pearson, Renee was asked to design and implement an Operations Department for Neudesic, a highly successful and innovative Systems Integrator and Consulting Services Company with 12 offices across the US. Here Renee designed and implemented Business Capabilities focused on Business Performance Analysis and Advisement, Resource Deployment, Internal Process and Systems Development, Strategic Initiative Management, Financial Projections and Capacity Planning.

Currently, Renee is engaged with a Fortune 500 Company headquartered in downtown Phoenix where she is helping her client revolutionize how data driven innovation project work get accomplished using the skills she’s acquired through the years while helping the change she is implementing last.

Connect with Renee on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE HOURS SERIES

Project Management Office Hours is intended to provide Project Management professionals a place to drop in and discuss Success Stories, Best Practices, and Lessons Learned. Project Management Consultant Joy Gumz has shared with us, “Operations keep the lights on, strategy provides the light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward.”

Each of us has a unique story to tell, but collectively we share a message that organizations who embrace Project Management Best Practices perform better than those which don’t. Organizations which align Projects to Strategy perform better. Organizations with Engage Executive Sponsors deliver better results. Organizations which measure Project Management performance outperform those which don’t.

During our Project Management Office Hours, we hear directly from Industry leaders how to make an impact in our profession. How we, collectively, will Advance Project Management Best Practices, One Listener at a time!

Project Management Office Hours is powered by The PMO SQUAD

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Joe Pusz started THE PMO SQUAD to bring real world PMO Leadership experience to the consulting space and to advocate for Project Management through his blog PMOJOE.com. The old saying is “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Following this mindset Joe left Corporate America in 2013 to start THE PMO SQUAD and work with fellow Natural Born Project Managers to advance Project Management Best Practices.

THE PMO SQUAD focuses exclusively on PMO and Project Management consulting. Corporate America is full of Accidental Project Managers running projects who haven’t been trained to be PMs. To help solve this problem THE PMO SQUAD is on the Leading Edge with PMO As a Service. PMO As a Service allows our clients to focus on their respective core competencies while THE PMO SQUAD delivers Project Management expertise. Contact Joe at 678-591-7868. Follow The PMO Squad on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

PM Master Prep^TM is simply the worlds best PMP^® Exam Preparation licensing system. There is no other product available to businesses and independent trainers that can offer the same premium courseware along with the rich feature set of our online exam simulator and study resources.

Our Courseware has been designed to be shorter, easier to learn for students, and easier to teach for instructors. Your students will learn faster, retain more and will pass the PMP exam!

LEADER DIALOGUE: Lessons Learned from Leading Private/Public Partnerships

May 18, 2019 by Garrett Ervin

Gwinnett Studio

LEADER DIALOGUE: Lessons Learned from Leading Private/Public Partnerships

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Ben Sawyer, Lisa Counsell, Sherry Farrugia, Jennifer Strahan, Duffie Dixon

Sherry Farrugia manages the multi-million dollar pediatric research portfolio and the public-private partnership between Georgia Tech and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This episode will provide:

An overview of her current role at Georgia Tech while supporting the Pediatric community, specifically Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Her goals, objectives and burning platforms for her organization for the coming years.
Her challenges in balancing an academic university and a world-renowned healthcare organization dedicated to children in the Age of Consumerism.
An insight into working with non-profit organizations as both Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Tech are non-profit organizations that pose unique challenges to manage as a leader.

Sherry Farrugia/Childrens’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at GT

Sherry Farrugia is the COO and CSO for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center at GT and the Director for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In this dual role she works to build and sustain public-private partnerships in pediatrics and health IT, and manages the partnership’s multi-million dollar research portfolio. She provides executive level leadership for business and operational functions and works to improve the overall execution of key business initiatives to improve efficiency, effectiveness and reduce administrative costs.

This includes providing insight into the innovations, new technologies, and start ups developed as a result of the partnership. Prior to this position Ms. Farrugia was the Managing Director of Health IT at Georgia Tech.

Sherry has over 25 years’ experience in the health information technology (IT) field, consulting with numerous industry partners, and many state agencies including the State of Georgia in the areas of care management systems, health information exchange, and enterprise data governance. She is very active in the Atlanta community serving on multiple health and pediatric related boards.

About SOAR Vision Group

The SOAR Vision Group mission is to: Align People with Purpose to Achieve Exceptional Results. SOAR provides best practice strategy execution, business process optimization services, and a structured organizational development approach for organizations to effectively implement the Baldrige Performance Excellence framework. For more information, contact SOAR Vision Group at (888) 294-3303 or visit soarvisiongroup.com.

About the Baldrige Foundation

The mission of the Baldrige Foundation is to ensure the long-term financial growth and viability of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, and to support organizational performance excellence in the United States and throughout the world. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is presented annually by the United States President to organizations that demonstrate quality and performance excellence. For more information, contact the Baldrige Foundation at (202) 559-9195 or visit baldrigefoundation.org.

LEADER DIALOGUE: Evolution of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program – Deep Dive

May 10, 2019 by Garrett Ervin

Gwinnett Studio

LEADER DIALOGUE: Evolution of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program - Deep Dive

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Bob Fangmeyer, the Director of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), returns for this deep dive episode of “Leader Dialogue”.

Topics discussed include:

Evolution of the Baldrige: This will include Bob’s background and stewardship of this national treasure.
Comparative results: What the research demonstrates when comparing Baldrige National award winners to their peers regardless of economic environment.
Performance Excellence Challenges in the Age of Consumerism: Understanding why customer loyalty is won on the battlefield of customer experience, and how to leverage the Baldrige performance excellence principles to accelerate short term gains, and hard-wire a cultural transformation, creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

Bob Fangmeyer/Baldrige Performance Excellence Program

Bob Fangmeyer joined the Baldrige Program in 1997 and after serving in numerous roles over the years was named Director in November 2013. Since then, Bob has been focused on expanding the reach and impact of Baldrige, providing new and improved products and services, ensuring efficient and effective operations, and planning for strategic capability and capacity needs. Bob has owned and managed small businesses and holds a master of business administration degree from the University of Maryland.

About SOAR Vision Group

About the Baldrige Foundation

Chief Science Officers Program – Regional Conversations Part 2

May 9, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Chief Science Officers Program - Regional Conversations Part 2

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Chief Science Officers Program – Regional Conversations Part 2

Chief Science Officers elevate the student voice by bringing their peers and community leaders together to ignite new opportunities in STEM and innovation. The CSO program gives students a seat at the table as it empowers student voice to make a difference in STEM education.

Teacher, Army Cavalry Scout, Writer, Marketing Director, fire fighter, and medical first responder have all led up to Jake Lounsbury becoming the Director of Global Partnerships for Chief Science Officers International.

Traveling around the globe to make connections, build partnerships and support active programs, Jake works to ensure the success of the program as it Global foot print expands. But even with all the adventure of travel, Jake stays focused on the mission of amplifying student voice and increasing excitement amoungst the future leaders of the world in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Caillou Pena is a senior at Skyline high school and second year CSO. He has been named as an 18 under 18 recipient by Junior Achievement and the Arizona Republic. Through the CSO program he traveled to Washington DC for the international summit and Hermosillo, Sonora, MX to attend Arizona-Mexico Commission’s governor’s signing.

He is passionate about the program because it teaches that any one can do anything, all one has to do is take the initiative. Before Caillou attends Carnegie Mellon University in the fall he will intern at the SciTech Institute working on the Chief Science Officer Organization.

Follow CSO on Facebook and Twitter.

The Intercultural Development Research Association is an independent, non-profit organization. Our mission is to achieve equal educational opportunity for every child through strong public schools that prepare all students to access and succeed in college.

IDRA strengthens and transforms public education by providing dynamic training; useful research, evaluation, and frameworks for action; timely policy analyses; and innovative materials and programs. We are committed to the IDRA valuing philosophy, respecting the knowledge and skills of the individuals we work with and build on the strengths of the students and parents in their schools.

Michelle Martínez Vega is IDRA’s technology coordinator with more than 18 years of experience in designing, developing and administering professional development for educators at the state, regional and district levels. Her focus is driven by the desire to improve academic achievement through the use of technology. She strives to develop technology solutions that create equitable and sustainable learning environments for all students and educators.

Ms. Vega will continue to create and deliver professional technology support with the hope of helping others build their technology confidence and capacity. Key areas of Ms. Vega’s work includes designing, developing and training in technology integration, technical writing, and technology coaching and mentoring. She has served at the fourth-largest public school district in Texas, Northside ISD as a training and development technologist.

She led development, implementation and support of a wide variety of district technology initiatives for the district which comprises more than 100,000 students and 8,000 professional staff. Ms. Vega also served as digital resources specialist for the Texas Education Service Center, Region 20, where she was the official representative for multiple statewide programs, including Texas SUCCESS, TexQuest, Learn421 and Digital Knowledge Central (DKC).

She was responsible for all aspects of program implementation, including working with governing bodies to secure program funding and presenting at conventions, regional conferences and training events. Ms. Vega has a bachelor of science in applied science degree and performance improvement from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, with a concentration in human performance and development improvement in the workplace, project management, web design, and digital and business communications. She also has an associate’s degree in digital media, including web and graphic design, interactive media design and instructional design, from the Alamo Colleges, Northwest Vista.

She was a showcased designer at Northwest Vista for excellence in multimedia design for iPad general user interface (GUI). Ms. Vega has led training and presentations on such topics as: augmented reality, flipped classrooms, Google apps, digital storytelling, Google labs add-ons and extensions, and iPad configuration for shared environments. She was recognized by the Teachers Retirement System of Texas and San Antonio Water Systems in their monthly publications for data conversion project successes and acknowledged by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for excellence in program planning. She also was acknowledged by Texas Education Agency for excellence in website design.

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Atlanta Science Festival Inc. is dedicated to bringing people together through the wonder of science. ASF produces an annual two-week science festival, and year-round programming, including the Georgia Chief Science Officers leadership development program for middle/high school students.

After vowing to never work with youth, Eric Knapp became a camp counselor in 2006. He became a full time program director in charge of facilitating team building experiences for youth before receiving a wilderness leadership certificate through Outward Bound.

He then moved to Atlanta to serve as a program director for C5 Georgia, a five-year youth leadership development program for high-potential youth coming from risk-filled environments.

His work with partner schools helped him understand the influence and impact of classroom teachers and he begin a new professional chapter as an 8th grade science teacher at Tucker Middle School. With DeKalb County Schools, he served as the STEM program coordinator for the first state-certified middle school STEM program in Georgia.

He is passionate about bringing classrooms, communities, and corporations together to create innovative and impactful learning experiences for students. As one of 25 teachers in the country selected as a Northrop Grumman Teachers Academy Fellow in 2015, he collaborated with representatives from NGC to develop lessons and teaching strategies to better prepare students for STEM careers. Furthermore, he has written STEM curriculum for schools in India and is on the design team for two STEM academies in China.

He has presented at several conferences including NSTA, ITEEA, GEETA, Georgia STEM Forum, Georgia Leadership Institute and The Georgia STEM Teacher Academy. Eric is now works with the Atlanta Science Festival and as the Regional Lead for the Georgia Chief Science Officer Program by establishing an environment in which students are continually coached to become effective leaders in their schools and communities.

He hopes to see each CSO that place where their giftings, talents, and passions come together to meet the needs of their community. His career has taught him to never underestimate the impact of a young person can make on the next generation.

Connect with Eric on LinkedIn, follow Atlanta Science Festival on Facebook and Georgia CSO on Twitter and Instagram.

Greater Oregon CSO supports 21 CSOs with nine advisers across the eastern region of Oregon. Our CSOs represent rural and remote communities along with small towns.

Abigail Southgate has a degree in education followed by a career of diverse teaching opportunities. She has substituted, taught with the Headstart program and elementary schools.

She has been a naturalist in our National Park Service, homeschooled her three children, and was a Math teacher for her local Community College.

She loves to facilitate others passions, which makes the position a perfect fit for her!

BEST OF HEALTH St Pauls Towers Executive Director Mary Linde

May 6, 2019 by Karen

Best Of Health

BEST OF HEALTH St Pauls Towers Executive Director Mary Linde

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BEST OF HEALTH St Pauls Towers Executive Director Mary Linde

St. Paul’s Towers is a multi level life plan community in the heart of Oakland California, providing independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled nursing, and short term rehabilitation. SPT is a vibrant community of seniors who live life to the fullest.

Mary Linde is a nurse and nursing home administrator who has been in progressive administration in aging services for the past 21 years. Prior to that she was a neuro critical care nurse.

Follow St. Paul’s Towers on Facebook and Instagram.

WHY BEST OF HEALTH?

I am a Physician Assistant who has been caring for patients for over 20 years and Family Practice (cradle to grave) is my specialty.

Following the footsteps of three generations of family practice physicians (my father, grandfather and great grandfather) this was a natural and genetic calling that I do not regret.

Given this, I have a unique perspective and it’s time to share that perspective through Ask the PA. As a health care provider, teacher, business owner, patient, and advocate for my family and friends throughout the years, it has been painfully apparent there are disconnects within the current state of health care in the US and throughout the world. It can be confusing and frankly very scary.

It is my goal though this series, Best of Health, to bring people together that are passionate about their roles in the business of health care… and yes, whether or not you want to hear that it’s a business, it is — and that’s the fact. I will introduce to you great, dedicated practitioners and people with a passion for getting the word out about their personal journeys and causes. I will provide information about navigating through a confusing system, asking the right questions and share ways for saving money and time along the way.

It’s time to create change by partnering, empowering, and focusing on the patient, their families and their providers of care. It’s time for you to take the driver’s seat rather than leave your health care solely in the hands of entities such as insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry.

Stay tuned. Here’s to your Best of Health.

~ Barb

ABOUT BARB

Barb is a Physician Assistant (PA) and a primary care provider with a passion for education and advocacy. Prior to becoming a Physician Assistant (PA), Barb was an accomplished musician and teacher. In 1992, Barb made the conscious decision to leave teaching and her musical career in pursuit of a career in medicine. She graduated from AT Still University’s first PA class in 1997 with a Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.

Barb has spent several years working in clinics and family practices. Currently, Barb works for Premise Health at Insight Enterprises in Tempe, AZ as a solo practitioner providing primary care to employees and families on campus. She was also a partner in Renaissance Medical Group and Renaissance Medical Properties in Chandler and Maricopa, AZ and had a dual role of Chief Operations Officer and practicing PA for 14 years.

Along with being a PA, Barb is the author of the book Surviving the “Business” of Healthcare, Knowledge is Power! She is a certified Medical Professional Legal Consultant and Patient Advocate, speaker and influencer for change in healthcare for the patient, provider and family members. Barb is also certified by the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants and is an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

In her spare time, she loves to travel, maintaining an active lifestyle that includes running, biking, swimming. She loves to spend time outdoors with her family and friends, whether it’s walking on the beach or hiking in the desert.

For more information about Ask the PA and to connect with Barb:

Askthepa.com

Facebook: Ask the PA

LinkedIn: Barb Regis, M.S.,PA-C

Jeff Orr with InDemand Leadership and Ryan Parker with Xpleo Media

April 16, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Jeff Orr with InDemand Leadership and Ryan Parker with Xpleo Media

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Jeff Orr with InDemand Leadership and Ryan Parker with Xpleo Media

InDemand Leadership helps leaders become the kind of leader they would want to follow. Utilizing cutting edge assessment and tools, IDL works one-on-one with leaders from the C-suite to mid- level managers to give insights and perspective to best practices in leading teams and developing the next generation of leaders.

InDemand Leadership works with Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Benchmark, GE Financial, and Verizon Wireless as well as the individual entrepreneur.

Jeff Orr is an expert in leadership holding two masters degrees in Business and Leadership (MBA, MSL) from Grand Canyon University. He speaks to thousands in the private sector as well as on University campuses about leadership, discovering and leveraging purpose, and the critical importance for developing the next generation of leaders. Jeff’s passion for helping leaders grow comes through in his engaging and energizing keynotes using humor and story as a catalyst for professional and personal growth. His most recent TEDx keynote, Millennial Leadership: The Key to Your Organization’s Success, has challenged thousands of leaders nationwide to rethink how to engage and develop the Millennial leaders in their organizations.

Jeff engages his audiences with practical take- aways that help them implement what they learn into their work. This has increased retention of the material as well as success with increased performance, productivity, and organizational effectiveness. His client list includes Google, GE, NBC, Chase, Verizon Wireless, Paypal, Merrill Lynch, Edward Jones, Grand Canyon University, Ottawa University, Huntington University, and many others.

Jeff is also an accomplished musician and recording artist with three CDs released and has performed on stages across the country. His passion for the arts is a unique part of his speaking delivery as Jeff uses many different art forms – from video to music to lighting and staging – to communicate his message and help audiences internalize what they are learning.

Jeff is the author of Succeed In The New Normal: Winning Strategies in an Unfamiliar World and is currently working on his latest book, Inside the Mind of a Millennial Leader. He resides in the Phoenix, Arizona area with his wife of 29 years and has one daughter. In his free time, Jeff enjoys writing fiction, creating music, mountain biking, and kayaking.

Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Xpleo is extremely passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses grow their ventures. Xpleo creates interpersonal relationships with their clients which reveal the stories, character and authenticity that makes businesses successful. The marketing strategies and consultation that Xpleo offers is geared towards unveiling their clients authentic story in a creative and imaginative fashion.

Ryan Parker is extremely passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses prosper. His goal is to live with character by doing the right thing whether someone is watching or not.

Ryan surrounds himself with like minded entrepreneurs who believe in strong interpersonal relationships that can help create amazing legacies. He believes that through hard work, dedication and the commitment of entrepreneurs, it’s possible to affect individuals and communities in a profound manner.

Ryan thrives when working with character driven, creative, innovative, meaningful, authentic, empathetic and thoughtful individuals.

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn and follow Xpleo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

RHINO NATION Leadership Consultant Jeff Orr with InDemand Leadership

April 9, 2019 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

RHINO NATION Leadership Consultant Jeff Orr with InDemand Leadership

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RHINO NATION Leadership Consultant Jeff Orr with InDemand Leadership

This episode of Rhino Nation hosted by Michelle Faust and Jacob Fann focused on Millennial leadership, culture, skill sets, and how they fit in with the other 3 generations in the workplace. An enlightening hour of discussion with Jeff Orr of InDemand Leadership and his vision for our future generations.

If you work with millennials you won’t want to miss this. Jeff gives great insight into how to set your business up for generational success.

InDemand Leadership works with Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Benchmark, GE Financial, and Verizon Wireless as well as the individual entrepreneur.

Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT RHINO NATION

Rhino Nation is a growing community of influential entrepreneurs and small business owners that share a common trait, they don’t walk, they don’t run, they CHARGE to their destiny. We acknowledge and celebrate their business expertise, leadership and fearless attitude to be victorious in their goals. Rhino Nation is committed to making powerful connections and providing enhanced exposure to broaden the reach and promote the extraordinary talents of our community members.

ABOUT YOUR SPONSOR

Rhino Online Strategies & eCreativity helps you free up your precious and limited time as a business owner, to do what you do best….running and growing your business. Michelle Faust and her partner, Jacob Fann, work with you to identify your content and marketing needs and provide you with fresh, innovative, dynamic copy that will effectively reach your target market, leading to increased customer engagement, a higher conversion rate, and increased sales.

Great content becomes the seeds of a bountiful business harvest, so you can cultivate and grow your business. We take the time to personally understand you and your company’s purpose, so your marketing message reflects who you are and speaks directly to your target market. For good content to be truly effective you need it to reach your ideal audience. A great strategic marketing plan includes the ability to target selectively and capture those targets for increased engagement which results in greater revenue generation. We’ll partner with you to develop powerful messaging strategies that work.

Michelle has an extensive background in sales, marketing and public speaking, primarily in the pharmaceutical industry. When she left her corporate career, she shifted into the entrepreneurial world, combining her experience, talents and passions to reinvent herself. As a marketer and content writer, Michelle thrives on discovering what motivates people into action and what their key emotional triggers are. Michelle and her team create powerful and targeted messaging that improve conversion rates and increase sales. Michelle loves to connect people through the power and beauty of the written word. Her passion is helping people create a road-map to success, so they can fulfill their dreams and live their destiny.

For more about Rhino Online Strategies & eCreativity find them at www.rhinostrategy.com, on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Jacob Fann is the CEO and Founder of Fanntastic Media, which has elevated over 90 businesses to a greater level of success. Gross revenues from his combined clients total over 32 million and that number continues to grow with his customized marketing strategies. He specializes in social media marketing; creating powerful brand presence, capturing new customers and finding untapped markets by optimizing target marketing and social media algorithms that results in higher conversion rates and increased sales.

Jacob first spread his entrepreneurial wings when he set up a lemonade stand in front of his home close to a popular hiking trail. Location, demand and an inherent business savviness netted him enough money to solidify his desire to be a future business owner and master of his own destiny. In 1963 Jacob’s grandfather Floyd and uncle Don founded Fann Toyota. The Fann legacy holds tradition for respected ethical practice, trust, and valued work. As a 22-year-old college graduate from Northern Arizona University, Jacob founded Fanntastic Media based on those same principles, which he learned first-hand by working in the family business.

After graduation he expanded his business knowledge and experience by getting his real estate license and working as a day trader. Since then he has built up an
impressive list of clients, connections, and relationships doing what he loves; helping people thrive in life and in business.