north fulton business community Archives

GSU Student Journalist Zahra Pacheco Interviews John Ray

November 17, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

GSU Student Journalist Zahra Pacheco Interviews John Ray

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GSU Student Journalist Zahra Pacheco Interviews John Ray (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 913)

In this special episode of North Fulton Business Radio, the roles flip. Zahra Pacheco, a journalism student at Georgia State University and a team member of WRAS Album 88, the GSU radio station, transforms a class assignment into a live podcast interview with host John Ray.

Zahra talks about her path into journalism, her show Play It Again, and what she hopes to bring to the future of news and storytelling. She also reflects on growing up in the North Fulton business community as the daughter of Gloria Mattei and Sergio Pacheco, co-owners of Nothing Bundt Cakes; her “beanbag at the bakery” childhood; and what it was like to be the nervous teenager doing a 30-second pitch at an early morning chamber breakfast.

Then Zahra turns the questions on John. He shares how a corporate layoff led to his advisory practice, how North Fulton Business Radio got started, and why podcasting is less about ad revenue and more about relationships, community, and giving others a platform to tell their story.

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

Key Takeaways from This Episode

How Zahra is using GSU, Album 88, and her show Play It Again to build real-world journalism experience
What she learned growing up inside the North Fulton business community through Nothing Bundt Cakes and the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce
How John’s layoff and career pivot led to both an advisory practice and the launch of North Fulton Business Radio
Why podcasting works best as a relationship and community builder instead of a quick play for ad revenue
How shows like North Fulton Business Radio gives business owners a platform to tell their story

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
00:37 Meet Zahra Pacheco
02:18 Zahra’s Background and Interests
03:56 The Journey into Journalism
07:57 John Ray’s Podcasting Journey
10:13 Career Transitions and Business Insights
11:15 Community Connections and Personal Stories
23:45 Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Podcasters
24:01 The Reality of Podcast Monetization
25:51 Building Relationships Through Podcasting
26:52 Favorite Podcast Episodes
32:02 Zahra’s Talk Show and Career Aspirations
38:58 Reflections on Family and Business
43:54 Closing Remarks and Promotions

Zahra Pacheco

Zahra Pacheco is a junior journalism major at Georgia State University and a member of WRAS Album 88, the GSU radio station. She serves as assistant promotions director and hosts Play It Again, a live talk show where she and her co-host create a new “mixtape” each week and often interview guests. Raised in the North Fulton business community as the daughter of Nothing Bundt Cakes co-owners Gloria Mattei and Sergio Pacheco, Zahra is blending her love of storytelling, radio, and dance as she builds a career in promotions and creative media work after graduation.

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

With over 900 episodes and having featured over 1,400 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!

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

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

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

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

You can find the complete 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, and many others.

John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

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

John Ray, North Fulton Business RadioX® and host of “North Fulton Business Radio” and “Alpharetta Tech Talk”

March 21, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

John Ray, North Fulton Business RadioX® and host of "North Fulton Business Radio" and "Alpharetta Tech Talk"

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Show Transcript

Hello, everyone, I’m John Ray. I’m the owner of the North Fulton Business RadioX® studio and host of “North Fulton Business Radio” and “Alpharetta Tech Talk.” I just wanted to give you an update on what’s happening with us here in North Fulton. I’ve spoken with all the hosts of our various shows and they agree with me that there is important work for us to do right now in the current environment we find ourselves in. We need to be sharing the stories of the courageous and tireless work that business owners and entrepreneurs are doing. And we need to share advice and help and encouragement and inspiration and do so in the way that Business RadioX® has always done, giving folks a forum to tell their stories without interruption and unfiltered, and allow our listeners to hear the warmth and passion in their voice when they do that. So you’ll be hearing from us, and as we capture these stories, it’s just our “new normal,” if you will, that’s a little bit different.

A couple of days ago, we decided that from a safety point of view, we needed to relocate the studio out of Renasant Bank and operate virtually. And since that time, Renasant, like quite a few other banks has announced appointment only access to their branches for bank customers. Their drive-ins, by the way, continue to be open for business. We’ve got a couple more shows to post that were done prior to relocating, but from here on, we’ll be doing virtual interviews with our guest. We’ve already done several, which we’ll be posting soon. So we will continue to fulfill the mission that my other Business RadioX studio partners and I are committed to, and that is serving as the voice of business in our community. So stay in touch with us. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Let us hear from you. Comment if you like what we’re doing. You know, friends, hope is not false optimism. Hope does not discount challenges. Hope is clear-eyed realism, I think, mixed with the knowledge that opportunities to pivot and to grow present themselves in challenging times. So stay hopeful, be engaged, encourage each other and be safe. God bless you.

North Fulton Business Radio” is normally broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®, located inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

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.

Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond, North Fulton Poverty Task Force

December 5, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond, North Fulton Poverty Task Force

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“North Fulton Business Radio,” Episode 181: Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond, North Fulton Poverty Task Force

Jack Murphy and Nancy Diamond of the North Fulton Poverty Task Force discuss the rising problems of financial vulnerability, home affordability, homelessness, and hunger in North Fulton, and how those problems affect the area’s business environment. Hosted by John Ray, “North Fulton Business Radio” is broadcast from the Business RadioX® studio inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

North Fulton Poverty Task Force

The North Fulton Poverty Task Force was formed in 2014 and emerged from an assessment conducted by a team of nonprofits, corporate and other business partners, academics, spiritual leaders and their stakeholders. Independently, and collectively, they recognized a rise in people seeking services. Most notably was an increase temporary housing arrangements following evictions and foreclosures. They realized that our collective capacity couldn’t keep up with demand. They needed to find ways engage the broader North Fulton community in a response strategy.

Hence the work of the North Fulton Poverty Task Force began, and several critical actions emerged from this leadership team. Most notably, the Task Force determined that it was critical to establish a benchmark to identify whether the discoveries in North Fulton were anomalies or are factors underpinning this shift a potential threat to the labor market and familial stability or our community. Efforts included outreach to various national agencies whose work was professionally and scientifically confirmed and could serve as a credible sources to examine the shifts in our dynamics in North Fulton.

The report that follows demonstrates that the anecdotal information first seen by independent agencies and policy makers was in fact reality and widespread. What emerged is a series of drivers that impact the creation of financial vulnerability leading to temporary housing solutions and in some cases, to homelessness. Through an economic lens, this is concerning as these residents are our employees, our neighbors and the children attend schools with ours. While NO direct solutions are advanced, this purposeful approach articulates the data discovered and presents a case for rational consideration.

For more information, go to the website for the North Fulton Poverty Task Force. You can also read and download their 2019 report, Our Invisible Neighbors: Financial Vulnerability in North Fulton, here.

Jack Murphy

Jack Murphy is a volunteer with The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and is Chair of the North Fulton Poverty Task Force. He also is in his 17th year of working for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to the Chamber, Jack worked for and with Fortune 500 companies in operations, human resources, training, and quality areas. Jack was a senior adjunct profession for Quality & Operations Management at Keller Graduate School for 14 years.

He has served on both the National and Georgia Boards of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, responsible for Diversity, Advocacy, & Systemic Change. Jack currently is national SVDP chair of Systemic Change and Advocacy.

Jack received a BA in psychology from Belmont Abbey College and a MEd. from the UNC-Greensboro. Jack and his wife Nancy, a retired elementary school principal, have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. They live in Alpharetta, GA.

Nancy Diamond

Nancy Diamond is a Project Manager with Schmit & Associates, a real estate development firm, creating town center revitalization in communities all around the metro area.

Nancy served 8 years as a Roswell City Council Member, including a term as Mayor Pro Tem, with liaison positions with Community Development, Transportation, Recreation & Parks, and Public Safety.

She has been active in area non-profit organizations, including board leadership positions in the STAR House Foundation, WellStar North Fulton Hospital, Roswell Rotary Club, and the North Fulton Poverty Task Force.

A native of Atlanta, and 38-year North Fulton resident, Nancy worked at Turner Broadcasting in the early years of CNN, then became a freelancer in sports television graphics. While raising her two daughters, she worked from home, first developing a corporate gift service, and later as a mortgage loan originator.

Nancy and her husband, Glenn, now relish the role of grandparents to 4-year old Owen.

North Fulton Business Radio” is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®, located inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. 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 approximately $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.

Tracy Jardine, Tributes by Tracy, and Jack Spicer, Kitchen Tune-Up Atlanta/Roswell

October 15, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Tracy Jardine, Tributes by Tracy, and Jack Spicer, Kitchen Tune-Up Atlanta/Roswell

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**John Ray, Tracy Jardine, Jack Spicer**

North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 170: Tracy Jardine, Tributes by Tracy, and Jack Spicer, Kitchen Tune-Up Atlanta/Roswell

Choosing thoughtful executive gifts and upgrading your kitchen were just two of the topics featured on this edition of “North Fulton Business Radio” as we welcomed Tracy Jardine, Tributes by Tracy, and Jack Spicer, Kitchen Tune-Up. “North Fulton Business Radio” is hosted by John Ray and is broadcast from inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Tracy Jardine, Tributes by Tracy

Tracy Jardine is the Owner of Tributes by Tracy – Executive Gifting & Holiday Giftables. Tracy guides business owners, human resource directors, marketing directors and other professionals to the perfect message and products that set them apart from competition. Their style of executive gifting helps companies increase referral streams and positively effect client/employee retention. Outsourcing executive gifting functions allows Tributes’ clients to focus on areas where they make the biggest impact – revenue generating tasks.

To learn more, go to the Tributes by Tracy website, or call Tracy directly at 678-836-1558.

Jack Spicer, Kitchen Tune-Up

Jack Spicer owns Kitchen Tune-Up Atlanta/Roswell. The business offers five different levels of kitchen and bathroom remodeling with five different price points. Kitchen Tune-Up’s services range from cabinet/wood restoration to cabinet painting, cabinet redooring (changing out the existing doors and drawer fronts), cabinet refacing (putting on new doors, drawer fronts, and new veneers to give a brand new look to the kitchen while using the existing cabinet boxes) to installing completely new cabinets.

Services also include replacing countertops and backsplashes. Jack has emphasized that Kitchen Tune-Up differentiates itself from competitors by providing a much higher level of professionalism and customer service than the industry is known for.

In volunteer work, Jack has provided cabinetry for Habitat for Humanity for more than 20 years.

For more information, call Jack at 404-594-5050 or go to the Kitchen Tune-Up website.

“North Fulton Business Radio” is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®, located inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. 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 approximately $12.9 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.

Jason Moccia, OneSpring LLC

April 9, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jason Moccia, OneSpring LLC

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**Jason Moccia, CEO of OneSpring LLC, and John Ray, Host of “North Fulton Business Radio”**

Jason Moccia, OneSpring LLC

Jason Moccia has over 20 years of experience in the digital strategy and software fields and is the founder and CEO of OneSpring LLC. Jason has worked with numerous Fortune 1000 companies and Federal Agencies including but not limited to Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ernst & Young, General Electric, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), SAIC, Florida Power & Light, InterContinental Hotels, Deloitte, Veteran Affairs (VA) and SunTrust.

OneSpring is an Alpharetta-based experience design firm focused on helping companies and government agencies understand how design thinking can solve their most complex problems. Their team is well versed in Human-Centered Design and Customer Experience which they utilize to streamline the way in which software is designed, validated, and launched to market.

“North Fulton Business Radio”

Each week, host John Ray interviews the area’s top business leaders, spotlighting companies and entrepreneurs from across the region. Tune in each week, live at 11:30 EST, to hear the live broadcast. An archive of past shows can be found here.

David Maradiaga, Maradiaga Media, and John Mitchell and Randy Hasslinger, Slingshot Product Development Group

March 12, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

David Maradiaga, Maradiaga Media, and John Mitchell and Randy Hasslinger, Slingshot Product Development Group

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**John Ray, David Maradiaga, John Mitchell, and Randy Hasslinger**

David Maradiaga, Maradiaga Media

David Maradiaga is the CEO of Maradiaga Media. Maradiaga Media is a video production and marketing agency that helps business owners express their passion and mission, all while reaching more clients. From wedding videos to television commercials, Maradiaga Media has the experience and expertise to deliver your story to the masses. Visit MaradiagaMedia.com for more information.

John Mitchell and Randy Hasslinger, Slingshot Product Development Group

**Randy Hasslinger and John Mitchell, Slingshot Product Development Group**

John Mitchell is Chairman of the Board and Randy Hasslinger is Vice President, Business Development with Slingshot Product Development Group. Slingshot Product Development Group, founded in 2001, develops new products for customers in consumer, medical, military/security, and industrial markets. It is driven by the knowledge that new products are the life blood of companies, large or small, and that clients will lead their markets with innovative solutions that meet their customer’s needs. From napkin sketch to manufacturing, Slingshot applies a comprehensive and seasoned set of skills for impactful results through each phase of development. For further information, go to http://www.slingshotpdg.com/.

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Jennifer Finkelstein Hall with MatchKey Consulting and Bonnie Mauldin with The Mauldin Group

January 15, 2019 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Jennifer Finkelstein Hall with MatchKey Consulting and Bonnie Mauldin with The Mauldin Group

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Jennifer Finkelstein Hall, Kali Boatright, and Bonnie Mauldin

Jennifer Hall with Matchkey Consulting

After spending 22 years with SunTrust Bank and over 4 with Atlantic Capital Bank, both in Atlanta, Jennifer Finkelstein Hall started MatchKey Consulting in June 2017. MatchKey Consulting is a professional development consulting firm that works with business owners to develop their internal teams and external networks. Internal development happens when team members feel empowered, equipped and educated. External development is the result of connecting with the best resources to accomplish corporate goals and objectives. The right MATCH is KEY.

During Jennifer’s career, she has been a commercial relationship manager, credit administrator, sales director, training program developer, premium finance company sales leader, sales process trainer and curriculum designer. She has developed new lines of business, corporate referral programs and new business client portfolios from scratch on several occasions. She has never met a stranger.

Bonnie Mauldin with The Mauldin Group

Bonnie Mauldin is the Founder and CEO of The Mauldin Group. The Mauldin Group is an award winning 5-star rated internet marketing and public relations agency focused on helping small businesses generate new leads online and getting positive media exposure in the local community. Bonnie and her team have helped many small businesses grow and be profitable.

North Atlanta’s Bizlink is produced by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions and individuals. Our service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. We provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806.

Alicia Butler Pierre with Equilibria and Evaz and Jalil Fanaian with Dark POS

December 18, 2018 by Mike

North Fulton Business Radio

Alicia Butler Pierre with Equilibria and Evaz and Jalil Fanaian with Dark POS

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John Ray, Alicia Butler Pierre, Evaz Fanaian, and Jalil Fanaian

Alicia Butler Pierre/Equilibria, Inc.

Alicia Butler Pierre is the founder and CEO of Equilibria, Inc., an operations management consulting firm. Here she formulated a methodology for business infrastructure in fast-growing small businesses. Alicia has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Louisiana State University, an MBA from Tulane University and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. She blends scientific, business and mathematical principles to solve complex operational problems enabling her to bring a unique perspective to her clients and her audience on the Business Infrastructure podcast. Combined, there are over a quarter of a million views of her content on SlideShare.net alone. She is the author of Behind the Façade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success, which debuted on Amazon as a #1 New Release.

Evaz and Jalil Fanaian/Dark POS

Dark POS specializes in point of sale (POS) technologies, specifically in vertical markets such as dry cleaners, restaurants, and hospitality businesses. POS software should never be a one-size fits all solution; every industry has specific requirements of their Point of Sale software. For this reason Dark POS has built its reputation on creating POS software that is targeted to specific industries so they can better meet the needs of those clients.

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Jeff Petrea with Georgia Power and Bill Bland with Choate Construction

December 4, 2018 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

NORTH ATLANTA’S BIZLINK: Jeff Petrea with Georgia Power and Bill Bland with Choate Construction

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Bill Bland, Kali Boatright, and Jeff Petrea

Jeff Petrea/Georgia Power

Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, GA. It was established as the Georgia Railway and Power Company and began operations in 1902 running streetcars in Atlanta as a successor to the Atlanta Consolidated Street Railway Company.

Georgia Power is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company. Georgia Power is an investor-owned, tax-paying public utility that serves more than 2.4 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties. It employs approximately 7,500 workers throughout the state.

Bill Bland/Choate Construction

Choate Construction Company is one of the largest general contractors in the Southeast specializing in Preconstruction, Design-Build, LEED Programming / Implementation, and Construction Management services for multiple market sectors. Choate is a 100% employee-owned company and proud to hold an 85% rate of repeat clients. Due to financial strength and depth of expertise Choate’s annual volume has continued to grow, topping $1.2 billion in 2017. Additionally, Choate has received many notable distinctions including being named the 2017 Southeast Contractor of the Year by ENR magazine. Choate’s employees are members of various professional and personal organizations with a strong backbone of charitable involvement. Choate is continually recognized as one of the top corporate fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation having raised over $3 million to date.