Midtown Business Radio Archives - Page 2 of 6

Bowlfreak

December 1, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Bowlfreak

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Bowlfreak

This week I had the opportunity to sit down with long-time friend of mine, Michael Powell, founder of Bowlfreak. Bowlfreak is a web-based app that allows bowlers who participate in USBC-sanctioned leagues simultaneously compete in bracket-style tournaments via the app with opponents they’re matched with based on their sanctioned handicaps.

Most leagues and even professional bowling tournaments will have bracket tournaments going on within the main event. The Bowlfreak app creates very large bracket tournaments against similarly-skilled players, providing for potentially very large prize awards for winning/placing in competitions.

Michael shared how the idea for the app was born out of a conversation with a local league manager who opined that there ought to be an app for bowlers. Given Powell’s previous work as a web designer and creator of numerous mobile apps, he and his colleagues readily possessed the know-how.

The Bowlfreak team is preparing to launch the app to the public for use within the next few weeks. And, it is entirely possible that with the ability to significantly increase the ability to win sizable prize awards, along with a competitively-level playing field, will help increase interest in participating in USBC-sanctioned leagues.

Special Guest:

Michael Powell, Creator of Bowlfreak

Bowlfreak creator, Michael Powell

Midtown Business Radio Spotlights KRG Oil Company – Business RadioX

November 13, 2015 by angishields

ATLANTA, GA–(Marketwired – November 13, 2015) – On November 1, 2015, Midtown Business Radio welcomed to the studio Marie Hunter with KRG Oil Company. NOWaccount CFO Archie Jones introduced Hunter to host CW Hall who spoke with her about being a female entrepreneur and disrupting the industry.

Marie Hunter is the Owner and President of KRG Oil Company, a family and female owned fuel and petroleum products business. The company has positioned itself to serve the needs of small to mid-sized clients that require quantities of fuel and petroleum products that are below what larger fuel companies are willing or able to fulfill. KRG services a variety of customers including general contractors, tree companies, landscapers, trucking companies, grinding/grading companies, recycling companies, hospitals, hotels and many more.

Hunter started KRG with her father, who himself had spent numerous years in the fuel business, after she was laid off from a previous job. “KRG Oil was started because we felt that the fueling industry was missing good, old fashioned customer service,” said Hunter. “Our corporate philosophy is to treat all of our customers with professionalism and respect, no matter how big or small the client company.”

As an entrepreneur, Hunter and her team want the success of this business to be used as a platform to encourage others to “think outside of the box” and to give back to the community.

To learn more about Hunter and KRG Oil Company, listen to the entire interview on Midtown Business Radio.

About Midtown Business Radio:

Each week, from the Business RadioX® studio in Midtown, host CW Hall interviews Atlanta’s top business professionals to learn what makes them the best at what they do. Midtown Business Radio airs on Tuesdays at 11:30am Eastern.

About Business RadioX®:

Business RadioX® interviews dozens of innovative entrepreneurs and successful leaders each week. Its mission is to help local businesses Get the Word Out about the important work they’re doing for their market, their community, and their profession. With a pro-business slant and a long-form interview format, guests don’t have to worry about being ambushed or talking in “sound bites.” Guests have enough time to tell their whole story and to share their insights and experience without interruptions. Business RadioX® hosts are business professionals interviewing their peers, drilling down on the critical issues, and delivering practical information to an engaged business audience. Business topics that are frequently covered include: Law, Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Trade Shows, B2B Marketing, Venture Capital, Training and Development and other issues impacting the business community. For more information, visit: https://businessradiox.com.

Q & A Events

November 10, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Q & A Events

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Q & A Events

A few weeks ago I hosted my friend, Liz Covin, founder of Vivid Salon. As we talked after the show she told me I needed to meet Colleen Wogan and Suzanne Baugh, of Q & A Events. On this week’s episode I had the chance to sit down with Q & Q Events’ CEO, Suzanne Baugh.

Suzanne shared how at 14 years old, she went to an Amy Grant concert and, looking around the venue at the set, the crowd, and the excitement that erupted with the launch of the show, that she knew event planning was what she wanted to do. At the age of 17, she decided to throw her own concert so she booked one of Amy Grant’s back-up singers, secured a sponsor, sold tickets, and put on her first event (and even made a profit).

We talked about the fact that the Q & A Events team views itself as a member of their client’s team, seeking to learn as much as possible about what the goal of the event is, the culture of the client, allowing them to more effectively reflect those details in the execution of the event.

In addition to her work with Q & A Events, Suzanne has also served as president of the Atlanta Gay Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC). We talked about how the organization seeks to serve the LGBT community by providing mentoring, educational offerings, a platform through which to network, and an opportunity to be certified as an LGBT-owned business enterprise. This certification can open doors to serve as a supplier for numerous government and private enterprises.

Special Guest:

Suzanne Baugh, CEO, Q & A Events

BBA, Music, Belmont University
Tuck Executive Education, Dartmouth College The Tuck School of Business
Previous VP Administration & Events, TBA Entertainment

Woman Owned Business

October 27, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Woman Owned Business

00:00 / 01:02:25

business radio — Marie Hunter and Kenzie Biggens join CW Hall on Midtown Business Radio

Woman Owned Business

On this week’s episode I continued my monthly series with NOWaccount. CFO Archie Jones stopped by to talk about woman owned business. He introduced us to two female entrepreneurs who are working on disrupting their respective industries.

KRG Oil Company is a family and female owned fuel and petroleum products business. The company has positioned itself to serve the needs of small to mid-sized clients that require quantities of fuel and petroleum products that are below what larger fuel companies are willing or able to fulfill. Marie described how she and her father, who had spent numerous years in the fuel business, decided to start their own company together after Marie was laid off from a previous job.

They determined their mission is to provide excellent customer service that goes above and beyond their competitors. Marie shared how KRG’s corporate philosophy is to treat all of their customers with professionalism and respect, no matter how big or small the client company. KRG Oil was started because its founders felt that the fueling industry was missing good and old fashioned “customer service.”

We talked about how Marie and her team want the success of this business to be used as a platform to encourage others to “think outside of the box” and to give back to our community.

Kenzie Biggens explained how her earlier work in the social media arena opened the door to an unexpected opportunity to launch her virtual assistant business, Uniquely Virtual. She explained how an executive she had been working with on social media services was retiring and suggested she start the business she had been contemplating for some time.

Kenzie got her business started and began to see a true niche and need for virtual assistants, particularly for executives who are serving in a contractor/consultant role. Eventually, she designed an effective database and client management platform that has empowered her to allow her production partners to work remotely, helping to accelerate scaling and growing the company.

The Uniquely Virtual solution allows executives to gain access to professional assistant services while saving many of the employee expenses that come with employing workers.

My guests shared strategies they have used to help them get a toe hold in their markets and how they chose to distinguish themselves from their competitors, particularly with strict focus on customer service.

Special Guests:

Marie Hunter, President/CEO of KRG Oil Company

BA, Journalism and Telecommunication Arts, University of Georgia
Previous Internet Sales Manager, Lewis & Sheron Textile Company

Kenzie Biggens, CEO/Founder of Uniquely Virtual

MFA, Luxury and Fashion Management, Savannah College of Art and Design
Committee Member, Atlanta Regional Commission, Strategic Implementation Innovation Subcommittee
Member, Board of Directors, ArtsATL

Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin

October 20, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin

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Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin

I hosted Shannon Powell and Ben Hirokawa of Midtown Alliance and Blue Goblin, respectively. Shannon Powell is the COO for Midtown Alliance and Ben Hirokawa is founder and President of Blue Goblin, a plastic foam recycling company.

Created in 1978, Midtown Alliance has been a significant force in the revitalization of Midtown Atlanta, a district that runs from ~Pine St. on the south end to the Peachtree Bridge over I-75 entering Buckhead on the north end, and east-west from I-75 to ~Piedmont Ave.

Midtown Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organization and consists of a coalition of local business and community leaders. Each member is committed to establishing Midtown as a leading destination for commerce, culture, education and living.

Midtown Alliance is led by a 71-member board of the district’s leading private sector executives and their mission is to improve and sustain the quality of life for those who live, work and play in this thriving business and residential district. The Alliance fulfills is mission through a comprehensive approach to planning and development, including numerous initiatives to enhance public safety, improve the physical environment, and strengthen the urban amenities giving the area its distinctive character.

Guided by a visionary master plan – Blueprint Midtown – and in partnership with the Midtown Improvement District, Midtown has become a national model for urban excellence.

Ben Hirokawa has been a leader in three different start-ups, including a recent one in South Carolina focused on recycling a variety of household appliances. That enterprise developed technology that would allow them to dispense with the noxious coolant materials and associated fumes/gases safely, allowing them to reclaim the metals and plastics.

Founded in 2014, Blue Goblin is an innovative, environmentally-sound solution for disposal of plastic foams. These versatile foams – found in products ranging from commercial roofing and wall insulation, to refrigerated transport units, to mattresses and other furniture, to many types of packaging – pose significant challenges at end-of-life: they are bulky and difficult to transport and compact, and they can emit significant greenhouse gasses.

Both the U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board have recognized emissions from PUR, XPS, and ISO foams

as significant environmental challenges, but currently virtually all of these foams are landfilled. Blue Goblin offers a solution:

• Mobile Service: Blue Goblin brings its processing unit directly to its customers, and begins the process of compacting and recycling these foams on-site, significantly reducing transportation and waste disposal costs

• Environmental Responsibility: Greenhouse gasses are captured and properly disposed

• Convenience and Customer Service: Blue Goblin works with each customer to define the scope of the job and maximize convenience and value

Special Guests:

Shannon Powell, COO, of Midtown Alliance

BA, Urban Studies/Affairs, College of Charlston
Master of City Planning, City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology

Ben Hirokawa, President/founder of Blue Goblin

ME, Engineering Management, Dartmouth College-Thayer School of Engineering
Former President/CEO, Reclaim
Co-founder/Previous VP of New Business Development, MicroPore Plastics

Buying or Selling a Business

October 6, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Buying or Selling a Business

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Dave Ragland and Joe Schum talk Buying/Selling Businesses

Buying or Selling a Business

We continued our monthly series with IRC Wealth, talking about buying or selling a business. Dave Ragland and Joe Schum came by with Chet Burgess of Burgess & Associates to share some expertise regarding how to approach choices that arise when coming into a large sum of money through the sale of a business. An example of this was an IRC Wealth client company that was an Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) that sold.

In this case, the employees were seeing pretty sizable amounts of money coming their way from 5 figures to as much as $500,000-1,000,000 or more. Dave and Joe talked about the importance of sitting down with a financial expert to identify the best plan for what to do with those funds to get the greatest value for the employee’s needs.

The group also talked about the importance of establishing a sound operating agreement for partners in a young business that will accommodate the various possibilities for separation for the partners, whether it’s a sale, or a partner opting to leave, or other potential situations.

Chet, a CPA and tax expert, shared how important it is to select a corporate structure that provides the greatest long-term flexibility for a business that will facilitate selling later or transitioning a business to heirs or other partners.

We also discussed options for the business owner who would like to offer rewarding compensation plans that inspire a sense of ownership and increased productivity, without having to give away shares of stock in the privately-held company.

Special Guests:

David Ragland, CEO/Founder of IRC Wealth

Masters of Accounting, University of Georgia, Terry College of Business
Former Manager–Tax, Ernst & Young
Previous CFO, Allied Foods, Inc
Previous CFO, Afterburner

Joe Schum, VP of Business Development of IRC Wealth

Bachelor’s of Science, Economics/Commerce, Niagara University
Previous VP of Sales, Midwest Medical Enterprises, DVT/Lite
Board of Advisors, Safe Haven Museum & Education Center
Board Member, Visions Anew Institute

Chet Burge, Founder of Burge & Associates

BS Accounting, Bob Jones University
Previous Senior Accountant, Price Waterhouse
Former P/T CFO/Partner, Three Taverns Brewery

The Ice Box and Encore Recycling

September 29, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

The Ice Box and Encore Recycling

00:00 / 00:58:30

The Ice Box and Encore Recycling

Guest co-host, Bo Wilkins from SoundRiver Advisors sat in with me as we interviewed one of the founders of The Ice Box, Jordy Gamson, and his good friend, Gary Blase, of Encore Recycling. Learn how valuable the right promotional product can be for keeping your company top-of-mind for your customers. And, learn about technology that can grind a car—yes, a CAR, into bits in 8 seconds.

Check back soon for more info!

Special Guests:

Bo Wilkins, Partner, SoundRiver Advisors

Former Executive Managing Director, Wealth Management, Reliance Trust Company
Former Partner, Nease, Lagana, Eden, & Culley
BA, History & German, Hampden-Sydney College
CLU – Chartered Life Underwriter; ChFC – Chartered Financial Consultant; CAP – Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy

Jordy Gamson, CEO/Co-founder, The Ice Box

Gary Blase, Managing Member of Encore Recycling

Veteran Owned Small Businesses

September 22, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

Veteran Owned Small Businesses

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Veteran Owned Small Businesses

This week I was joined in studio by friend of the show, Lara Hodgson, CEO of NOWaccount. We focused this episode on veteran owned small businesses. Lara introduced us to Kit Walker, a combat-disabled veteran who started his own small business, EBS-4U, after spending several years in the corporate world.

His company provides professional cleaning services for businesses and has begun to expand into construction clean-up. After completing certification as a minority business enterprise and combat-disabled veteran, Kit began to expand his business through fulfilling federal contract opportunities.

We also met Melinda Coker, of Small Business Access Partners, of Gainesville, GA. This non-profit organization works with small business owners, helping them get access to available small business loans for their particular needs.

In our discussion on veteran owned businesses, Melinda explained there are numerous options for business owners today, and shared some information about veteran owned businesses.

Coker explained a resource available through the Veterans Administration. If you go to the VA’s website which is va.gov and click on the resources link and then select businesses, there are several helpful links for veteran small business owners who are seeking financing for their businesses.

VA’s website also allows business owners to customize their search criteria by zip code to find financing options applicable to their area of operation. SBA’s website also has a special tool now for small business owners known as SBA Linc that allows small business owners to fill out a survey for the financing they are looking for and then SBA distributes that information to a network of lenders who can then

respond based on the financing need requested. The applicant is also provided the contact information for the lenders interested in their request.

Special Guests:

Lara O’Connor-Hodgson, CEO of Nowaccount Network Corporation

MBA Harvard Business School
Former Adjunct Professor of Finance, Georgia Institute of Technology
Board of Directors, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority
Owner, Insomnia Group
Chairman of the Board, Atlanta Heights Charter School
Second Language–Japanese

Kit Walker, CEO/Founder of EBS-4U

MBA, Management & Organizational Behavior, Woodbury University
Combat-wounded veteran
Previous VP Relationship Manager, Bank of America
Former Consultant, Migration Project Partner, Wells Fargo Bank

Melinda Coker, of Small Business Access Partners

JR Revelry Bourbon Whiskey

September 15, 2015 by angishields

Midtown Business Radio

JR Revelry Bourbon Whiskey

00:00 / 00:50:25

JR Revelry Bourbon Whiskey

On this episode I featured friend of the show, Rick Tapia, the founder of JR Revelry Bourbon Whiskey. I met Rick last year around this time, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month when he appeared on Let’s Talk Small Business, sponsored by the GMSDC.

We talked about how he spent the early years of his career learning about the business side of the beverage industry with Seagram Company. As his career advanced, the possibility of having to relocate began to appear on the horizon Rick decided it was time to pursue an idea that had been on his mind for a while—he’d start his own brand.

So, Rick began working on developing a recipe that would provide the flavor profile and color he was looking for, found a contract distiller, selected the glass he would use, and JR Revelry was born. When I met him last year he was in the process of contacting distributors through which his bourbon would make it to package store and restaurant/bar shelves.

Tapia shared how challenging it is to forge a relationship with distributors, describing how many new beverage makers are trying to do the same time. He ultimately found a receptive distributor in New York and was able to begin marketing his spirit.

Today, JR Revelry Bourbon Whiskey is available in four states, including Georgia, and he’s continuing to work to expand the footprint of his brand.

I had the opportunity to try his bourbon and I can tell you, it is excellent, particularly for its price point. To find out where you can purchase your own bottle, visit the JR Revelry website to see merchants who carry his product.

Special Guest:

Jesus Ricardo (Rick) Tapia, Founder of La Bodega International, LLC and Creator of J.R. Revelry

17 years of experience in alcohol beverage industry
Successful entrepreneur
Actively involved in the community, supporting Hispanic and Latin American Chambers of Commerce
BA, Boston University
Speaks Fluent Spanish