Business RadioX ®

Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell on Estate Planning as Love

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Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, LMB Law Offices PC, on Wills, Trusts, Business Succession, and the Legacy Light Path (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 949) with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell on Estate Planning as Love
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Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, LMB Law Offices PC, on Wills, Trusts, Business Succession, and the Legacy Light Path (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 949) with host John Ray

Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, LMB Law Offices PC, on Wills, Trusts, Business Succession, and the Legacy Light Path (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 949)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, Managing Attorney at LMB Law Offices PC, to discuss estate planning, legacy, and what it actually takes to protect the people and assets you’ve spent your life building.

Lynita reframes estate planning as an act of love rather than a legal chore. She shares her compelling story: an emergency surgery for stage four endometriosis she didn’t know she had, a daughter not yet six years old, a husband out of town, clients with open retainers, and nothing in place. That experience changed how she approaches her work and why she leads every client consultation with education rather than paperwork. Her office offers free consultations so that even clients who don’t hire her walk away understanding what they have, what’s at risk, and what needs to be done.

The conversation covers the overlooked complexity of business succession, including key person insurance, operating agreement gaps left by generic legal templates, and what happens to client relationships, retainers, and intellectual property if you’re gone without a plan. Lynita also argues that most individuals significantly underestimate the value of their estate and that the threshold for requiring a plan is as minimal as possessing “a scrap of paper.”

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

  • Lynita experienced a personal health crisis and emergency surgery while her daughter was under six and her husband was out of town, which showed her firsthand what happens when an estate plan doesn’t exist, even for an estate planning attorney.
  • Most people dramatically underestimate the size of their estate. A house, a boat, jewelry, family property, and a business interest can add up to $2 million or more before you’ve finished the list.
  • Business owners need more than a will: key person insurance, a funded trust, operating agreements with succession provisions, and a clear transition plan for clients and partners.
  • Generic legal templates from online platforms typically leave out the succession provisions that matter most, and documents that aren’t funded or properly completed are essentially useless.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray with Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell
North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray with Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell
02:14 Lynita introduces LMB Law Offices PC and her approach to estate planning
04:23 Why Lynita chose estate planning: her grandmother’s five-year coma and three-year probate
05:59 Lynita’s own emergency surgery and the estate plan she didn’t have
07:37 Reframing estate planning as an act of love, not a legal obligation
09:23 The word “legacy” and what it means in Lynita’s practice
11:41 A client case: a veteran’s properties in multiple states and a multi-year probate process
15:03 Business succession planning: key person insurance, operating agreements, and finding a buyer
18:43 The problem with generic legal templates and what they leave out
20:41 Intellectual property, copyrights, and the cautionary tale of Zora Neale Hurston
22:03 Unique considerations for high-achieving women leaders, including rest and self-care
24:39 Lynita’s book: Live Life on Fire
25:42 Who needs to call Lynita: if you own a scrap of paper, you need a plan
28:03 Client success story: a couple in Covington and an estate plan done right
31:55 How to reach Lynita and LMB Law Offices PC

Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, Managing Attorney

Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell
Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell

Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell is an estate planning attorney, CPA, author, and the founder of Light Legacy Stewardship, a transformational approach to estate planning that blends legal strategy with personal legacy design.

With a background that includes PwC, Deloitte, and building an award-winning law firm, Lynita helps high-achieving professionals, business owners, and families protect their assets while intentionally shaping the impact they leave behind. She believes estate planning is not just about documents; it is about direction.

Through her signature framework, The Legacy Light Path, Lynita guides clients to align their wealth, values, and vision so their legacy reflects who they truly are. Her work sits at the intersection of financial clarity, family harmony, and purposeful leadership.

Based in the Atlanta area, Lynita is also a sought-after speaker and retreat leader, known for helping ambitious leaders build lives and businesses that are legally protected, spiritually aligned, and strategically designed for generational impact.

LinkedIn

LMB Law Offices PC

LMB Law Offices PC is an Atlanta-area estate planning and wealth protection law firm dedicated to helping individuals, families, and business owners build and protect meaningful legacies.

Founded by estate planning attorney and CPA Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, the firm provides strategic, personalized legal solutions designed to preserve assets, prevent conflict, and create clarity across generations. LMB Law Offices focuses on wills, trusts, incapacity planning, business succession planning, and comprehensive estate strategies tailored to each client’s goals and family dynamics.

The firm is known for combining technical excellence with thoughtful guidance, helping clients move beyond basic document preparation to fully aligned legacy planning. At LMB Law Offices, estate planning is viewed not merely as paperwork but as leadership, an intentional act of stewardship that ensures a client’s values, vision, and wealth are carried forward with purpose.

Serving professionals, entrepreneurs, and multi-generational families throughout Georgia, LMB Law Offices empowers clients to protect what they’ve built and shape the impact they will leave behind.

Website

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Retreva of Atlanta on B2B Email Prospecting

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Ajit Kahaduwe and Kevin Moran, Retreva of Atlanta, on Cold Email Prospecting, Warm Leads, and Filling the Small Business Sales Pipeline (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 948) with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Retreva of Atlanta on B2B Email Prospecting
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Ajit Kahaduwe and Kevin Moran, Retreva of Atlanta, on Cold Email Prospecting, Warm Leads, and Filling the Small Business Sales Pipeline (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 948) with host John Ray

Ajit Kahaduwe and Kevin Moran, Retreva of Atlanta, on Cold Email Prospecting, Warm Leads, and Filling the Small Business Sales Pipeline (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 948)

Ajit Kahaduwe and Kevin Moran, co-owners of Retreva of Atlanta, joined North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray to talk about one of the most persistent frustrations in small business: an unpredictable sales pipeline. Their company runs cold email prospecting campaigns for B2B and B2C businesses, handling the outreach so clients can focus on closing the warm leads that come back.

Ajit and Kevin draw on decades of experience in telecom and enterprise sales, including stints at Nokia, Motorola, Bell Labs, and senior sales roles in the tech industry. That background affects how they think about the “feast or famine” sales cycle that smaller teams have to deal with. Retreva’s system sends plain-text, personalized emails to targeted prospect lists, built around each client’s ideal customer profile. It handles follow-up automatically, managing unsubscribes and bounces, and routes only interested replies back to the client’s inbox.

On this episode, the two dig into why email still outperforms cold calling and SMS for generating business conversations, the psychology behind structuring a seven-to-nine-email campaign sequence, and which kinds of businesses see the strongest results. They also share the story of a commercial cleaning client who landed a $4,000-per-month contract within three months of starting with Retreva, a contract that grew steadily from there.

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

  • Email prospecting and email marketing serve different purposes. Retreva’s outbound emails focus on prospects currently looking to buy, rather than nurturing opt-in subscribers for future sales.
  • Persistence without being annoying is a skill Retreva has refined over 12 years. A campaign typically runs seven to nine emails with heavier frequency early on, and one client responded to the 11th email nine months after the first one landed.
  • Past customers represent an overlooked gold mine. Ajit observes that existing customer lists consistently yield higher response rates than cold contacts due to the established relationship and trust.
  • Retreva’s human copywriters, not AI, write all campaign emails, following specific psychological principles about what not to say, including avoiding negative framing and assumptions about the recipient’s situation.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guests Ajit Kahaduwe and Kevin Moran of Retreva of Atlanta
02:33 How Ajit and Kevin came to co-own Retreva of Atlanta after careers in corporate tech and telecom
04:25 The serendipitous origin story: Kevin used Retreva at a prior company, then discovered the founder had once worked for him
05:17 Ajit’s background at Nokia, Motorola, and Bell Labs, and why systematic customer outreach mattered across all of it
06:55 The difference between email marketing and email prospecting, and what Retreva actually does
08:15 Targeting an ideal customer profile and why repetitive, persistent outreach matters
09:29 The narrow line between professionally persistent and annoying, and how Retreva navigates it
10:23 Why business owners are even more prone than salespeople to letting follow-up lapse
11:47 Why past customers are the highest-return starting point for an email campaign
12:51 Why email still works better than cold calls or SMS for generating business conversations
14:09 A client who responded to the 11th email, nine months after the first one
16:24 How Retreva delivers only warm replies to the client’s inbox, not opens or clicks
17:00 Survey data on why email gives prospects a sense of control that phone calls and texts don’t
18:21 How Retreva’s human copywriters craft emails, including the psychology of what not to say
19:54 What makes a bad cold email, and how Retreva’s approach differs
21:55 Which types of businesses work best with Retreva’s system
23:32 How the onboarding process works: content form, list building, campaign launch, and ongoing support
25:16 How Retreva’s writers structure a campaign, and the paragraph-rearranging technique between emails one and two
27:29 Pricing and the no-contract, 30-day-out model
28:39 The under-$300-per-month price point and what it includes
29:48 How Retreva helps clients source and build targeted contact lists using Dun & Bradstreet and Hoovers
35:19 Client success stories, including FastSigns nationally and a local commercial cleaning company

Ajit Kahaduwe, Co-Owner, Retreva of Atlanta

Ajit Kahaduwe, Co-Owner, Retreva of Atlanta
Ajit Kahaduwe, Co-Owner, Retreva of Atlanta

Ajit Kahaduwe is a growth strategist and co-owner of Retreva of Atlanta, a firm focused on solving one of the most persistent problems in business: an unpredictable sales pipeline. With a career rooted in entrepreneurship and technology innovation, including roles at Nokia, Motorola, and two accelerators at Bell Labs and Mire, Ajit specializes in moving companies away from luck-based growth. He has a reputation for transforming chaotic outreach into structured, high-performing systems that turn cold prospects into warm conversations.

At Retreva, Ajit works alongside small and mid-sized teams to build personalized email prospecting engines that respect the prospect’s time while consistently booking meetings. He bridges the gap between high-level analytical strategy and the ground-level reality of how modern buyers actually make decisions.

LinkedIn

Kevin Moran, Co-Owner, Retreva of Atlanta

Kevin Moran, Co-Owner, Retreva of Atlanta
Kevin Moran, Co-Owner, Retreva of Atlanta

Kevin Moran is a veteran sales leader and co-owner of Retreva of Atlanta. With 40 years in corporate America, primarily in technology sales and marketing, Kevin has held roles from frontline sales rep to CEO. He built his career searching for tools that help companies and sales teams find prospects who actually want to talk, and Retreva is the one he found most effective.

At Retreva, Kevin translates his decades of sales leadership into structured outreach rhythms for clients. He helps businesses move away from sporadic, emergency prospecting and toward a steady, personalized system that generates high-quality conversations without draining internal resources. Kevin takes a common-sense approach: no gimmicks, no mass-blasting, just respectful outreach aligned with each company’s values.

LinkedIn

Retreva of Atlanta

Most businesses treat prospecting like a chore, something they do only when the calendar looks thin. Retreva of Atlanta changes that. It is not an email marketing tool or a bulky CRM. It is the engine that turns cold contacts into real, one-on-one conversations.

Unlike automated blasts that read as spam, every Retreva email is sent as plain text from a real person, written by human copywriters using principles drawn from psychology and top sales practitioners. The timing and follow-up frequency are calibrated so clients stay top of mind without crowding an inbox. The system pauses during holidays or sensitive events, protecting each client’s brand reputation.

Retreva functions as a virtual sales assistant that runs around the clock. Whether a business is chasing new clients, re-engaging past customers, or nurturing referral partners, Retreva handles the outreach. Its back-end technology validates email addresses and sorts replies, separating the uninterested from the ready-to-talk and delivering only warm responses to the client’s own inbox. For B2B and B2C owners and teams that need a consistent pipeline without the overhead of additional staff, Retreva provides a steady path to revenue.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LifeKnight on AI Emergency Response and Direct-to-911

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Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, LifeKnight, on AI-Powered Emergency Detection and Direct-to-911 Response for Senior Living and Vulnerable Workers (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 947), with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
LifeKnight on AI Emergency Response and Direct-to-911
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Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, LifeKnight, on AI-Powered Emergency Detection and Direct-to-911 Response for Senior Living and Vulnerable Workers (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 947), with host John Ray

Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, LifeKnight, on AI-Powered Emergency Detection and Direct-to-911 Response for Senior Living and Vulnerable Workers (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 947)

In this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, Founder and CEO of LifeKnight, an AI-enhanced safety platform that detects emergencies, routes alerts to the right responders, and connects directly to 911, bypassing traditional call centers that slow response times.

Avery traces the company’s origins to a personal experience: while working as a real estate broker, she was nearly assaulted by a prospective buyer during a property showing. That experience sent her researching the vulnerability of lone workers and others in high-risk situations, and she was equally surprised by what she found about the 911 system itself. Built on copper-wire landlines from the 1960s, the system is tied to static addresses and does not automatically locate a caller dialing from a cell phone. LifeKnight fills that gap by providing real-time latitude and longitude data to first responders, along with pre-entered information about the person and the event, so that when help is dispatched, no time is lost explaining the situation.

The platform uses three AI agents working in sequence: one detects data signals, a second assesses whether an emergency is occurring, and a third determines how to route the alert. The endpoint is always a human responder, whether that is a 911 operator, a facility’s nursing staff, or a corporate Global Security Operations Center. Avery discusses the senior living market as LifeKnight’s strongest area of product-market fit, including an emerging wearable partnership aimed at people aging in place at home. She also describes an early pilot with social workers, one of whom told her that no one had ever recognized how vulnerable that job made them.

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

Key Takeaways from This Episode

  • The U.S. 911 system was built on 1960s landline technology and does not automatically locate someone calling from a cell phone. LifeKnight addresses that gap by transmitting real-time geolocation and pre-entered personal data directly to first responders.
  • LifeKnight’s three AI agents work in sequence to detect a signal, assess whether an emergency is unfolding, and route the alert, with a human responder always at the endpoint. Bypassing the call center model cuts response time in situations where seconds determine outcomes.
  • The platform integrates with wearables, PERS devices, safety apps, and existing security infrastructure, allowing device manufacturers and senior living facilities to embed LifeKnight as an invisible layer rather than replacing what they already use.
  • Avery’s personal experience as a real estate broker and her earlier career as a social worker in home health shaped the company’s focus on protecting lone workers, seniors, and others whose vulnerability is often underestimated.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:21 John Ray introduces the show and guest Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski
02:17 Avery describes LifeKnight’s emergency detection and direct-to-911 platform
03:03 How LifeKnight detects emergencies through wearables, apps, and PERS devices
04:19 Avery’s backstory: from real estate broker to tech founder after a near-assault
06:28 The surprising limitations of the U.S. 911 system and why cell phones don’t solve them
08:09 How LifeKnight fills the gap between an emergency and first responders
10:35 How AI enhances the platform: three agents that detect, assess, and route alerts
11:55 Routing alerts to 911, nursing staff, or a Global Security Operations Center (GSOC)
13:41 Bypassing call centers to cut response time when seconds determine outcomes
15:11 How the platform learns individual behavioral baselines to flag health changes
16:38 Enterprise customers: senior living facilities, home healthcare, PERS device providers
18:50 Avery’s personal motivation: aging parents and a career that began in social work
20:22 Aging in place: filling monitoring gaps when overnight caregivers are not present
22:39 Who should contact LifeKnight and how the platform can be a revenue driver
24:32 Early success story: protecting social workers in the field
26:11 Silicon Valley Safety Group and the broader case for protecting lone workers

Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, Founder & CEO

Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, LifeKnight
Avery Piantedosi-Petrovski, LifeKnight

Avery Piantedosi is the Founder and CEO of LifeKnight, Inc., an AI-powered safety technology company transforming emergency response through real-time detection, automation, and communication. Since founding the company, Avery has built LifeKnight’s operations from the ground up, establishing infrastructure, securing IP, and scaling go-to-market functions across enterprise, healthcare, and high-risk sectors.

Under her leadership, LifeKnight developed key operations like engineering, compliance, customer onboarding, and internal systems; expanded go-to-market functions by launching B2B pilots, improving sales strategies, and entering important markets; partnered with IBM Watson and NVIDIA to boost AI and biometric detection; led the creation of the LOIS AI-Enhanced Safety App and LifeKnight HUB platform; obtained a U.S. utility patent for the company’s safety detection and emergency response system; and raised two rounds of early funding while pursuing venture and acquisition discussions.

Some key achievements include being chosen for the NASA Technology Docking Program to speed up testing and launch, finishing Stanford’s Global Innovation Catalyst (GIC) to improve product-market fit, completing MSU’s Conquer Accelerator focused on growth and understanding customers, and participating in the NENA Work Group for new ways to communicate with E9-1-1, helping to shape national emergency response guidelines.

LifeKnight’s flagship, the LOIS Safety App, brings Avery’s vision to life, automating emergency response through intelligent detection and integration with wearables and safety systems. Through LifeKnight, she continues to lead innovation at the intersection of AI, safety, and health.

LinkedIn

LifeKnight

At LifeKnight, Inc., the company is redefining what safety means in the modern world, merging health monitoring, emergency response, and AI to create the first real-time detection and direction platform that requires zero user action.

Its main products, the LifeKnight API Platform and the LOIS AI-Enhanced Safety App, identify emergencies as they happen and quickly send the appropriate help, avoiding the usual delays and call centers. From biometric anomaly detection to fall alerts and geo-fencing, LifeKnight automates safety across the environments where it matters most: workplaces, senior care, real estate, and high-risk industries.

Powered by NVIDIA and IBM Watson, LifeKnight uses high-performance computing and AI to deliver precision, reliability, and speed.

What LifeKnight offers: AI-driven detection and direction that detects health anomalies, falls, accidents, and critical safety events in real time, automatically directing response through AI agents; direct connection to 911 and emergency services that bypasses call centers and middlemen, routing emergencies instantly to the right help and saving crucial seconds; seamless wearable and system integration that connects with Apple Watch, Oura Ring, Fitbit, and existing safety platforms to scale protection without disrupting operations; and real-time emergency alerts that deliver targeted notifications for individual incidents, workforce emergencies, and large-scale threats with full visibility via the LifeKnight HUB dashboard.

Who LifeKnight helps: healthcare and senior living facilities that need fall detection, health monitoring, and aftercare for assisted living, hospitals, and home care; companies that require safety solutions for tech campuses, logistics centers, and large organizations; tech companies wanting to improve safety features for their communication, security, or workflow tools; and industrial workplaces that require geo-fencing, alerts for unusual activities, and automated emergency responses in dangerous settings.

Website | LinkedIn

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pineapple and Profits: Kelly Townsend on Business Blind Spots

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Kelly Townsend, Leaders Team, on Pineapple and Profits, Leadership Alignment, Business Blind Spots, and Separating Yourself from Your Business (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 946). with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Pineapple and Profits: Kelly Townsend on Business Blind Spots
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Kelly Townsend, Leaders Team, on Pineapple and Profits, Leadership Alignment, Business Blind Spots, and Separating Yourself from Your Business (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 946). with host John Ray

Kelly Townsend, Leaders Team, on Pineapple and Profits, Leadership Alignment, Business Blind Spots, and Separating Yourself from Your Business (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 946)

Kelly Townsend, with Leaders Team, joined North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray to discuss her newly released book, Pineapple and Profits: Why You Are Not Your Business and Why That Matters, co-authored with financial educator Peter Frampton.

The book grew out of a moment of personal reckoning. Kelly explains that for nearly 18 years she ran her consulting practice as a technician, never separating herself from the business. After sitting in on Peter’s color accounting class, she found herself in tears in the first hour, recognizing that a story she had told herself since age eight, that she was not good at math, had quietly limited the growth of her business for decades. That clarity became the spark for the book and for a wider conversation Kelly is now having with entrepreneurs about the cost of letting personal beliefs and blind spots drive business decisions.

Leaders Team focuses on leadership development and culture alignment, working with organizations whose teams are misaligned, whether that misalignment is visible or not. Kelly notes that most misalignment goes undetected until performance declines, and even then, the instinct is to find fault rather than diagnose what is missing. Among her current client engagements is one of the largest hospital construction projects in the country: a million-square-foot facility that, with Leaders Team’s help aligning contractors, designers, and the health system, is currently seven weeks ahead of schedule and under budget by $20 million.

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

  • Kelly traces her motivation for co-authoring Pineapple and Profits to a personal blind spot: a childhood belief that she was bad at math that quietly kept her practice small for nearly two decades.
  • The central argument of the book is that business owners who conflate their personal identity with their business bring limiting personal conversations into decisions that the business needs made differently, from taking on debt to managing finances.
  • Peter Frampton’s RELAX framework (Revenue, Expenses, Liabilities, Assets, Equity) reframes accounting as a communication model rather than a numbers problem, making it accessible to people who have long avoided the financial conversation.
  • Leaders Team’s engagement process starts by asking clients what is happening now that, if the work is successful, would no longer be happening. Most of what surfaces is a lack of alignment that people have normalized without realizing it.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Kelly Townsend
02:24 Kelly Townsend introduces Leaders Team and their focus on leadership development and culture alignment
02:53 Kelly’s career arc: from IBM and Minolta sales to transformational leadership consulting
04:15 The origin of Pineapple and Profits and Kelly’s partnership with co-author Peter Frampton
05:45 How attending Peter’s color accounting class became a turning point for Kelly
06:55 Why personal conversations and limiting beliefs keep business owners stuck
09:14 The book’s argument that everyone belongs in the financial conversation, with a focus on women
11:27 The cost of seeing yourself and your business as the same entity
13:20 Treating a business as its own distinct organism with its own needs
14:32 Peter Frampton’s RELAX framework for understanding accounting
17:09 Value-generating activity versus value-sacrificing activity
18:22 How Kelly’s personal experience gives her empathy and credibility with clients
20:01 How Leaders Team engages with new clients
22:02 Why misalignment is the most common underlying issue Leaders Team finds
23:36 How misalignment becomes invisible until performance declines
24:35 Symptoms that signal it is time to call Leaders Team
26:14 Client success stories, including a Florida development company and a major hospital project in California
27:54 The meaning of the pineapple in Pineapple and Profits
29:23 How to find the book and learn about the Leaders Team program coming to Atlanta in May

Kelly Townsend, Transformational Management Consultant, Leaders Team

Kelly Townsend, Leaders Team
Kelly Townsend, Leaders Team

Kelly Townsend is a Transformational Management Consultant and co-founder of Leaders Team, a boutique consulting firm specializing in leadership development and culture alignment. With a 35-year history working with both large enterprises and small-to-medium-sized businesses, she brings deep experience across sectors including healthcare, construction, legal, and financial services. Her methodology focuses on helping leaders recognize the blind spots and limiting conversations that constrain organizational performance and on creating the alignment that enables teams to do their best work.

Kelly is also the co-author of Pineapple and Profits: Why You Are Not Your Business and Why That Matters, written with financial educator Peter Frampton. The book draws on the workshops she and Peter have led with small business owners and addresses the personal beliefs that keep entrepreneurs from engaging fully with the financial side of their businesses. She is based in Naples, Florida.

LinkedIn

Leaders Team

Leaders Team is a boutique consulting firm focused on leadership development and organizational alignment. The firm works with leadership teams across a range of industries, including healthcare, construction, and financial services, helping them surface and address the misalignment that quietly limits performance. Leaders Team’s approach draws on the field of ontology, the study of being, to listen for the underlying conversations and assumptions shaping how an organization operates, then opens new possibilities for action and collaboration.

In addition to organizational consulting, Leaders Team co-developed the Pineapple and Profits workshop program for small business owners, now available as a book and as a live program being offered in Atlanta in May 2026.

Website | LinkedIn

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joshua Kornitsky on EOS and Growing Entrepreneurial Teams

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Joshua Kornitsky, EOS Worldwide, on the Entrepreneurial Operating System and Helping Leadership Teams Get Aligned, Accountable, and Healthy (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 945) with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Joshua Kornitsky on EOS and Growing Entrepreneurial Teams
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Joshua Kornitsky, EOS Worldwide, on the Entrepreneurial Operating System and Helping Leadership Teams Get Aligned, Accountable, and Healthy (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 945) with host John Ray

Joshua Kornitsky, EOS Worldwide, on the Entrepreneurial Operating System and Helping Leadership Teams Get Aligned, Accountable, and Healthy (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 945)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Joshua Kornitsky, a Professional EOS Implementer with EOS Worldwide. Joshua works with entrepreneurial leadership teams to help them get aligned on vision, build discipline and accountability, and function as a healthy, cohesive team.

Joshua’s path to EOS is anything but theoretical. Growing up in a family-owned auto dealership business that ultimately failed, Joshua learned that a good product and a strong market alone are insufficient. After years in technology leadership and IT consulting, he became CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of an Alpharetta company that had hit a growth ceiling. That company brought in an EOS implementer and grew by more than 25 percent. Joshua describes the experience as “the lights coming on in a dark movie theater.” He went on to co-found a simulation training software company, ran it on EOS from day one, and eventually became a franchised EOS implementer himself.

On this episode, Joshua explains why EOS succeeds where other programs fall short, walking through its five foundational principles: simplify, delegate, predict, systemize, and structure. He uses the Four Seasons Hotel as a case study in process discipline, explaining Isidore Sharp’s approach to systematizing the predictable to humanize the exceptional. He also addresses the major misconception business owners have about process documentation, that it has to be exhaustive, and explains why getting 20 percent of documentation done can deliver 80 percent of the compliance benefit.

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

  • Joshua came to EOS as a practitioner before becoming an implementer, having lived through both a family business failure and a successful EOS-driven turnaround as a company CTO, which shapes how he guides leadership teams today.
  • EOS addresses three core challenges: getting leadership teams aligned on vision, building discipline and accountability (traction), and developing the trust and openness that make a team genuinely healthy.
  • One of the most common but underappreciated problems in growing companies is a lack of shared language and definitions. When different leaders use different terms for the same concept, communication complexity multiplies across every department.
  • The process documentation hurdle is largely a misconception: EOS targets roughly 20 percent documentation to achieve 80 percent compliance, focused on core processes that touch the whole business, not a comprehensive operations manual.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Joshua Kornitsky
02:13 How Joshua helps entrepreneurial leadership teams with vision, traction, and health
03:16 Joshua’s career arc: family auto dealerships, technology leadership, and discovering EOS
05:03 Experiencing EOS firsthand as CTO and co-founding a company built on EOS from day one
06:31 Common signs that a business needs help: running 90 hours a week with no end in sight
07:48 Why EOS outlasts flavor-of-the-month programs: 25 years of timeless business methodology
09:00 The shared language problem: how misaligned definitions multiply across a company
10:08 The five foundational principles of EOS are simplify, delegate, predict, systemize, structure
12:07 Why entrepreneurs are often blind to process: they master what works and rarely document it
13:43 The 20/80 rule for process documentation: enough to get compliance without writing a manual
16:00 The Four Seasons Hotel and the concept of systematizing the predictable to humanize the exceptional
18:29 Why not every entrepreneur has found EOS yet: they are still in problem-solving mode
20:19 The book Traction and the difference between self-implementing and working with an implementer
21:07 Walking through Vision, Traction, and Healthy as the three pillars of EOS
25:02 A client success story: a 50-plus-year-old accounting firm that graduated from EOS in two years
27:31 How to reach Joshua Kornitsky and connect with EOS Worldwide

Joshua Kornitsky, Professional EOS Implementer

Joshua Kornitsky is a Professional EOS Implementer, business advisor, and leadership facilitator who helps entrepreneurial leadership teams gain clarity, strengthen accountability, and work together more effectively.

With more than two decades of experience across entrepreneurship, technology, and organizational leadership, Joshua brings a practical, operator’s perspective to the challenges growing companies face. Early experience in a family business environment, followed by technology leadership roles, shaped his focus on clear communication, disciplined execution, and healthy leadership dynamics.

Joshua first experienced the Entrepreneurial Operating System as a member of a leadership team, later helped build and scale a company running on EOS principles, and ultimately chose to dedicate his work to guiding other leadership teams through the process. He also hosts business and leadership conversations through Business RadioX, connecting leaders through thoughtful dialogue and shared experience.

LinkedIn | YouTube

EOS Worldwide

Joshua helps people get what they want from their businesses by providing a complete system with simple, practical tools built around three principles: Vision, Traction, and Healthy.

Vision focuses on getting leadership teams fully aligned on where the organization is going and how it will get there. Traction helps leaders build discipline and accountability so they consistently execute on that vision. Healthy centers on developing a functional, cohesive leadership team, recognizing that most business challenges are ultimately people challenges.

When leadership teams are aligned, accountable, and working well together, the entire organization gains clarity, executes more effectively, and moves forward with greater consistency and confidence.

Website

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arthur Spalding with contract research organization TAMM Net

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Arthur Spalding, TAMM Net, Inc., contract research organization, on FDA Approval, Clinical Trials, and Reimbursement for Medical Devices and Biotech (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 944) with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Arthur Spalding with contract research organization TAMM Net
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Arthur Spalding, TAMM Net, Inc., contract research organization, on FDA Approval, Clinical Trials, and Reimbursement for Medical Devices and Biotech (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 944) with host John Ray

Arthur Spalding, TAMM Net, Inc., contract research organization, on FDA Approval, Clinical Trials, and Reimbursement for Medical Devices and Biotech (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 944)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Arthur Spalding, President of TAMM Net, Inc., a boutique contract research organization that helps biomedical inventors and companies navigate the final steps from laboratory to clinic. TAMM Net works with medical device, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical developers to conduct clinical trials, gain FDA authorization, and secure reimbursement from payers, addressing all three stakeholder needs under one roof.

Spalding brings more than 30 years of industry experience, including time at major firms like Pfizer and Parke-Davis, and now applies that large-company perspective to startups and emerging companies that often have brilliant science but limited commercial roadmaps. He shares a vivid example of a neurosurgeon who developed a device to safely rotate heavy patients during surgery, only to discover through Medicare claims data that over 30% of those procedures were performed by plastic surgeons, a market he had never considered. Knowing where the real market is, Spalding explains, is as important as the invention itself.

The conversation also covers the “lone wolf” problem, inventors who try to go it alone too long, and why investors in this space back the jockey, not the horse. Spalding describes how bringing in fractional C-suite executives early can dramatically improve an inventor’s odds of securing funding and completing the development journey before a patent expires.

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

  • TAMM Net serves as the “last mile” bridge for medical device and pharmaceutical inventors, integrating FDA strategy, clinical trial design, and insurance reimbursement planning in a single engagement rather than leaving each to a separate specialist.
  • Inventors frequently overestimate how far along they are in the development process. Spalding’s team conducts gap assessments to help clients understand where they actually stand and what specific steps remain before they are ready to engage the FDA or enter clinical trials.
  • Investors in the biomedical space back the jockey, not the horse, meaning the team matters more than the invention. Statistically, having one experienced team member who has successfully commercialized a product before can more than double an inventor’s odds of success.
  • Rushing to get a device cleared through the FDA’s lowest-barrier pathway can backfire if the product requires stronger reimbursement or clinical evidence to succeed in the market. Strategic planning before going near the FDA often saves significant time and money by ensuring that all necessary documentation, clinical evidence, and reimbursement strategies are in place to meet market demands.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Arthur Spalding of TAMM Net
02:11 Arthur Spalding describes TAMM Net and its role in medical device and pharmaceutical development
03:07 Spalding’s background and the “patient is waiting” mission that drives his work
04:10 TAMM Net as the “last mile” for inventors: bridging from lab to clinic
05:08 Why integrating FDA, clinical trial, and reimbursement strategy together matters
06:05 Lessons from a career spanning Pfizer, Parke-Davis, and hundreds of products
06:35 The neurosurgeon case: how Medicare claims data revealed a 30% plastic surgery market he had overlooked
08:19 The lone wolf problem and why no successful product has ever been built by a single person
10:45 What separates inventors who succeed from those who don’t, and the limits of ChatGPT for FDA reimbursement questions
12:24 Why AI tools can’t reliably answer CPT reimbursement questions: the AMA owns and licenses that data
13:00 Georgia’s biotech ecosystem and what’s missing to retain locally-developed innovations
15:23 When inventors need to start building their team and what that team should look like
16:28 Why investors back the jockey, not the horse, and how experienced team members change the funding calculus
17:20 The value of fractional C-suite executives for startups that can’t afford full-time leadership
18:11 Manufacturing timelines: why pharmaceutical manufacturing is often the longest bottleneck in the FDA process
19:17 TAMM Net’s gap assessment process and why inventors often misjudge how far along they are
21:13 The Texas client case: how a pharma-style clinical development strategy reshaped a medical device approach
25:07 Why thinking about reimbursement and strategy early, not just before approval, is critical
26:19 The most common mistake: rushing to clear a device without considering whether it will actually be used or paid for
28:03 When inventors should pick up the phone and call TAMM Net
30:06 A 2025 success story: helping a radiation-emitting device client get FDA authorization faster than expected

Arthur Spalding, President, TAMM Net, Inc.

Arthur Spalding has over 30 years of experience in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, with expertise spanning market access, reimbursement, clinical trials, distribution, regulatory affairs, market research, hospital sales, forecasting, and sales operations. He held management and director-level positions at companies including Parke-Davis, Pfizer, Solvay, and Columbia Laboratories.

In 2009, he founded TAMM Net, Inc., a boutique contract research organization serving biomedical manufacturers. Spalding holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and an MBA in Health Administration from Temple University in Philadelphia. He also serves as a mentor at the Texas Medical Center, Georgia Tech, and Emory.

LinkedIn

TAMM Net, Inc.

TAMM Net, Inc. is a boutique contract research organization offering comprehensive reimbursement and regulatory consulting services to biomedical manufacturers. The firm conducts clinical trials, including CMS-approved trials with health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) components, helps clients secure appropriate insurance reimbursement, including Hotline and Prior Authorization pathways, and gains FDA marketing authorizations and clearances, including QMS hosting and auditing. With an average of more than 20 years of experience per team member across multiple disease states, TAMM Net works with clients across North America, Europe, South Korea, and beyond.

Website | LinkedIn

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve Reising on Business Contracts, Litigation, and M&A

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Steve Reising, Briskin, Cross & Sanford, on Business Contracts, Litigation, and Selling Your Business (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 943) with host John Ray
North Fulton Business Radio
Steve Reising on Business Contracts, Litigation, and M&A
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Steve Reising, Briskin, Cross & Sanford, on Business Contracts, Litigation, and Selling Your Business (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 943) with host John Ray

Steve Reising, Briskin, Cross & Sanford, on Business Contracts, Litigation, and Selling Your Business (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 943)

On this episode of North Fulton Business Radio, host John Ray welcomes Steve Reising, Senior Attorney at Briskin, Cross & Sanford, LLC in Alpharetta. Steve focuses his practice on corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, franchise law, and business litigation, serving small- and mid-sized business owners throughout the North Fulton area.

The conversation covers how business owners typically land in litigation, from contract breaches and payment disputes to personal injury claims involving company vehicles. Steve explains why a poorly written contract is often at the root of the problem and offers a pointed warning about business owners who have turned to AI tools to generate their contracts. He has spotted several such contracts in his practice and says they tend to look polished but fall apart under scrutiny.

Steve also walks through what the current mergers and acquisitions market looks like, including the role private equity is playing and the phenomenon he calls “the silver tsunami,” as baby boomer business owners approach retirement and look to exit. He outlines what buyers want to see, why business owners often get caught unprepared when interest comes in, and how to start building a business that can stand on its own without the owner at the center of it.

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

  • Steve has reviewed contracts his clients admitted were generated by AI tools and says they tend to contain boilerplate that looks credible but lacks the specific provisions needed to actually protect a business, which can lead to significant legal vulnerabilities and financial risks for the business owners relying on them.
  • When a business owner is being pursued by buyers, having two to five years of runway to prepare is ideal, but that window often surprises owners who weren’t expecting interest so soon.
  • A concentrated customer base, where a single client drives the majority of revenue, raises concerns for buyers and can significantly lower a business’s sale price.
  • Reising settled a $5 million state enforcement claim on behalf of a client for $8,000 and caught a single missing word in a $40 million real estate contract that would have triggered tens of millions in additional liability.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:20 John Ray introduces the show and guest Steve Reising
01:53 Steve Reising describes his practice areas at Briskin, Cross & Sanford
02:22 Why Steve chose business law and litigation
03:04 His background in insurance defense and thousands of litigated cases
04:23 Common reasons business owners end up in litigation
05:14 Personal injury exposure for businesses with vehicles on the road
06:13 How poorly written contracts contribute to litigation
07:04 Why AI-generated contracts are dangerous for business owners
10:58 Debt collection and payment disputes in the current economy
13:40 The M&A market and current activity levels
14:11 The “silver tsunami” and baby boomer business exits
15:20 How private equity is operating in the market today
16:27 PE firms rolling up franchise businesses
18:09 Why business owners get caught unprepared when a buyer approaches
19:21 What buyers look for: customer concentration, contracts, and key person dependency
21:43 When to call an attorney and what triggers should prompt action
23:36 Success stories: the $5 million state claim and the $40 million contract
27:07 Beyond Computer Solutions sponsor segment and cybersecurity discussion

Steve Reising, Senior Attorney

Steve Reising is a Senior Attorney at Briskin, Cross & Sanford, LLC in Alpharetta, bringing more than 16 years of diverse legal experience to the firm. He is licensed in both Georgia and Illinois and is admitted to practice before the Court of Appeals of Georgia and multiple U.S. District Courts. His practice focuses on corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, franchise law, and business litigation.

Before joining Briskin, Cross & Sanford, Reising spent nearly five years at a boutique Chicago firm handling insurance defense litigation and subrogation claims and, earlier in his career, he represented individual plaintiffs in personal injury matters at a well-regarded Chicago firm. He earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law and holds degrees in political science and business administration from Illinois State University.

LinkedIn

Briskin, Cross & Sanford, LLC

Briskin, Cross & Sanford, LLC, delivers full-service legal counsel to entrepreneurs and businesses throughout Alpharetta and the North Atlanta area. For more than 30 years, the firm’s attorneys have advised technology firms and businesses along the Georgia 400 corridor and were founding members of the 400 Technology Connection steering committee, which evolved into a partnership with the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

The firm serves companies of all sizes, from startups to established enterprises, across a broad range of practice areas including business organization, business litigation, mergers and acquisitions, franchise law, employment law, technology and internet law, intellectual property, commercial real estate, and nonprofit law.

Website

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christy Krzyzaniak on Bookkeeping for Small Businesses

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Takeaways from This Episode

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

Topics Discussed in this Episode

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

Christy Krzyzaniak, Founder & Owner/Certified Bookkeeper

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

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

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

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

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ClearLedgers LLC

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

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

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

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Takeaways from This Episode

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

Topics Discussed in this Episode

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

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

Mary Ellen Garrett, Managing Director, Wealth Management Advisor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LinkedIn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LinkedIn

The Garrett Group at Merrill Lynch

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

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

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

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

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

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

Website

Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Beyond Computer Solutions supports North Fulton Business Radio

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

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

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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