Office Angels Archives - Page 11 of 16

Maria Fundora, Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant

February 9, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Maria Fundora, Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant

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Italian Restaurant North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 607)

This month Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant is celebrating 25 years in business, and owner Maria Fundora joined North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray to commemorate this noteworthy milestone. Maria shared the restaurant’s early beginnings, how they treat their employees and dining clients as part of the family, their philosophy of customer service, giving back to the community, celebratory specials they are offering throughout this year, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant

Casa Nuova is a family-owned gourmet Italian restaurant, owned by the Fundora family. Casa Nuova opened in 1998 and it has become a local favorite in the Alpharetta/Cumming and metro Atlanta community. Prior to Casa Nuova, they owned and operated other restaurants in Atlanta including Alfredo’s, Avanti’s, Toni’s Casa Napoli, Antonio’s Bakery and Tony’s Farmer’s Market.

Casa Nuova is known for its astounding number of menu items. It has become an Atlanta staple with intimate seating, semi-formal service and a finely-tuned take on Italian classics.

Website| Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

Maria Fundora, Owner and General Manager, Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant

**Maria Fundora, General Manager, Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant**

Maria Fundora is the owner and general manager of Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant in Alpharetta and founder of nonprofit Purple Pansies.

She opened Casa Nuova in 1998 (now celebrating 25 years) with her late husband Antonio, master chef and founder, and owned five restaurants in Atlanta prior. Their first restaurant was Alfredo’s followed by three Avanti’s restaurants in downtown Atlanta. Avanti’s Pescivino opened in 1988 and was the first open kitchen concept with seating by a kitchen. They also opened one of the first bakeries in Atlanta in 1980 called Antonio’s Bakery. Additionally, the family owned and operated the first ethnic open market in Atlanta proper called Tony’s Farmer’s Market in 1993.

Maria founded nonprofit Purple Pansies in 2008 following her own mother’s death from pancreatic cancer. She felt called to raise awareness and crucial research dollars for this chronically underfunded but deadly cancer.

Her presence in the metro Atlanta area reaches the hearts and lives of hundreds of regular patrons as she infuses inspiration and a welcoming environment to all those who their frequent the restaurant and she gives back to her community through many fundraising efforts.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Casa Nuova
Early history
Challenges presented by the pandemic
Opening Cork & Glass
Giving back to the community
What’s ahead

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

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

Since 2000, Office Angels® has been restoring joy to the life of small business owners, enabling them to focus on what they do best. At the same time, we honor and support at-home experts who wish to continue working on an as-needed basis. Not a temp firm or a placement service, Office Angels matches a business owner’s support needs with Angels who have the talent and experience necessary to handle work that is essential to creating and maintaining a successful small business. Need help with administrative tasks, bookkeeping, marketing, presentations, workshops, speaking engagements, and more? Visit us at https://officeangels.us/.

Joseph Avena, “Insurance Guy Joe”

February 6, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Joseph Avena, "Insurance Guy Joe"

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Joseph Avena, “Insurance Guy Joe” (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 606)

Joseph Avena, “Insurance Guy Joe” with USHAdvisors, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio to discuss what drew him into health insurance, the differences between HMO and PPO insurance plans, applying outside of “Open Enrollment,” how coverage differs, why his services are free to his clients, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

USHAdvisors

USHEALTH Group, Inc. is a fully integrated insurance holding company based in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a UnitedHealthcare company. Its licensed insurance company subsidiaries Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, and Enterprise Life Insurance Company are dedicated to providing innovative Life, Specified Disease/Sickness, Accident and Disability Insurance solutions for self-employed individuals, families, small business owners and their employees. Through its insurance companies, USHEALTH Group has served more than 15 million customers with individually tailored plans for more than 50 collective years.

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Joseph Avena, Field Sales Leader, USHAdvisors

Joe was born and raised in Chicago, IL. His family was relocated to Alpharetta, GA in 1985 and he has lived there ever since. He and his wife have been married for 22.5 years.

Joes has been helping other people every day find affordable health coverage solutions for themselves, their families, and their employees for the last 5.5 years.

He is an active member of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce for the last 3 years.

LinkedIn | Facebook

Questions and Topics in this Interview

Who are you able to help?
How do you help clients?
What are the differences between an HMO and PPO insurance plans?
Can someone apply for coverage outside of “Open Enrollment”?
Is all coverage the same?
How much does it cost for your services?

Lauren Rock, Dynamic Escapes

February 6, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Lauren Rock, Dynamic Escapes

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Lauren Rock, Dynamic Escapes (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 605)

Lauren Rock, Owner of Dynamic Escapes, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio to discuss Dynamic Escapes, her travel planning business. She also discussed why she started the business, how she defines a happy client, the difference between a travel planner and a travel agent, destinations you should consider, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Lauren Rock, Owner, Dynamic Escapes LLC

After 20+ years working as a cultural trainer and relocation counselor, Lauren Rock decided she wanted a change and to focus on her love of travel. Lauren spent a year researching and learning about the professional travel industry, taking classes and earning accreditations, before formally leaving the corporate world behind to launch Dynamic Escapes in 2016.

Her clients have included couples, families, “girlfriend” groups, grandparent/grandchild trips, church groups, school groups, multi-generational family trips, and folks looking for solo time away. They have traveled to places across the US and around the world.

As an independent agent Lauren works for her clients, not the travel industry. Through meticulous research and obsessive planning, she ensures that her clients have a wonderful, memorable trip without having to do the work of arranging it all!

Some of her favorite places to experience are Tanzania, Australia, Costa Rica, Spain, and the National Parks of the western United States and Canada.

Lauren and her husband have two children: one who loves cities, and one who loves nature. Needless to say, she is accustomed to balancing the desires of multiple people into a single trip!

She has two rescue dogs who will happily travel wherever the family can take them!

Website | LinkedIn | Facebook |Instagram | Lauren’s LinkedIn

Questions and Topics in this Interview

Why did you start Dynamic Escapes?
How do you define a happy client?
What is a travel planner and how are your services different from a travel agent?
What makes you and Dynamic Escapes unique?
What is the travel market like now?

Kimberly DeCarrera, DeCarrera Law

January 30, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Kimberly DeCarrera, DeCarrera Law

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Kimberly DeCarrera, DeCarrera Law (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 604)

If you have questions about the FTC proposed regulation to ban non-compete agreements, this episode is for you. Kimberly DeCarrea, Founder and Principal at DeCarrera Law, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio to share how she serves as an Outside General Counsel for her business clients. In addition to her perspective on the FTC proposal, Kimberly shared some steps a business should take in response, as well as different legal trends in 2023, the obligations businesses can have regarding unclaimed property, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

DeCarrera Law

You are looking for a strategic partnership in a lawyer. Anyone can read and advise on your contracts. But who will tell you whether this contract is a good idea or not?

DeCarrera Law brings together the disciplines of law and accounting to provide clients with customized plans to reduce risk, resolve historical liabilities, and ultimately to be profitable moving forward.

The intersection of law and accounting provides a unique balance between corporate legal and accounting departments to find solutions that might not otherwise be available to practitioners of only one discipline.

Website | LinkedIn

Kimberly DeCarrera, Outside General Counsel, DeCarrera Law

Kimberly DeCarrera is an attorney serving clients as Outside General Counsel at DeCarrera Law, LLC. As Outside General Counsel, she does everything that an in-house general counsel would do, but on a part-time or fractional basis. By serving multiple clients at once, you get insights from other businesses and best practices from across different industries. It also doesn’t cost as much as a full-time attorney in-house, which is great for new startups and high-growth mid-market companies that don’t have a need for full-time attorneys.

She has worked in-house in logistics and professional services firms. She is a graduate of Georgia State Law and Georgia State Robinson College of Business with a Masters in Tax. She also has a degree in Management from Georgia Tech.

When not practicing law and advising clients, Kimberly is a big Georgia Tech fan and can be found at football, baseball, or basketball games. Often tailgating in an RV. She runs RV Tailgate Life – a travel and sports website. She also recently adopted a rescue beagle named Layla.

LinkedIn | Twitter

Questions and Topics in this Interview

Non-competes and FTC proposals
Starting and growing businesses in 2023
Legal trends in 2023
Business processes and procedures
Unclaimed property
Running blogs/online businesses

Jason Etheridge, Logic Speak

January 23, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jason Etheridge, Logic Speak

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Jason Etheridge, Logic Speak (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 602)

Jason Etheridge, Founder and President of Logic Speak, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio. He discussed how small businesses typically approach IT strategy and planning, how Logic Speak creates a comprehensive IT strategic plan for clients, how small businesses can stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Logic Speak

For more than 15 years, Logic Speak’s promise to business professionals like you has been to take the stress out of your technology.

Companies of all sizes have IT issues. Whether you need an overall IT plan, better technical support or maybe just updated hardware/software, we are here to help you navigate the complexities of IT. It’s always been their goal to serve as your guide in making sense of all the options to establish the best work environment for your business. They specialize in translating technology into business sense. From the board room to the server room, Logic Speak offers you peace of mind so that you can focus on what you do best.

The key to accomplishing your mission is staying focused on what you do best and delegating the rest. When compared with internal resources, leveraging a managed services provider offers profound cost savings. They get that you want the technology to just work at a reasonable price. Once Logic Speak is engaged, they have the ability to streamline and enhance your company’s technological capabilities while simultaneously cutting costs and reducing the amount of time, stress, and headache you spend in maintaining your company’s networking and telecommunications requirements.

Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

Jason Etheridge, Founder and President, Logic Speak

Jason Etheridge is the Founder and President of Logic Speak, a managed service provider that offers IT support, security, and infrastructure maintenance to clients in the metro-Atlanta area.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology and has over 20 years of experience in the field. Prior to founding Logic Speak, Jason worked as a Technology Consultant for Hewlett-Packard and served as the Director of Information Technology at Extreme Logic, where he received the Extreme Logic Excellence through Results award for his work with Ernst Young.

He has also consulted for small businesses in the Atlanta area and has implemented systems to streamline corporate processes and reduce overall IT costs. Jason serves on the advisory board of Datto and IT Glue. He is also a member of an MSP-Ignite peer group and facilitates another peer group for smaller MSPs.

Jason lives in Johns Creek, GA with his wife Jennifer, two boys Jameson and Jackson, and Harbins, their labradoodle. He is a conflicted 7 – 2 on the Enneagram, was recently voted life of the party by his co-workers, and loves riding his Harley when he is not changing diapers, coaching baseball, or thinking about technology.

Questions and Topics in this Interview

How do small businesses typically approach IT strategy and planning?
Can you walk us through creating a comprehensive IT strategy for a small business?
How can small businesses stay up to date with the latest technologies and trends in the IT industry?
How can small businesses prepare for unexpected IT issues like data breaches or natural disasters?
What two or three things can you suggest that business owners should consider if they aren’t already?

Darlene Drew, Leadership Conditioning, Personal & Professional Development, LLC

January 23, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Darlene Drew, Leadership Conditioning, Personal & Professional Development, LLC

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Darlene Drew, Leadership Conditioning, Personal & Professional Development, LLC (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 601)

Darlene Drew, CEO of Leadership Conditioning, Personal & Professional Development, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio. Darlene discussed her career as a warden in Federal Bureau of Prisons, leadership lessons from that career, women in leadership, the boss versus leader mentality, preparing emerging leaders, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Darlene Drew, CEO, Leadership Conditioning, Personal & Professional Development

Darlene Drew is the CEO/Owner of Leadership Conditioning, Personal & Professional Development, LLC. She is also a Certified & Independent Leadership Trainer, Professional Speaker and Executive Coach with the Maxwell Leadership Team.

Darlene serves businesses, companies and organizations by helping leaders develop leaders. Through her training sessions, she equips, engages and energizes participants with leadership and professional development training by providing them with tools that can immediately be applied in their personal and professional lives.

As an authority in leadership, building relationships and communications, she helps organizations develop their staff in a manner that improves their bottom line of first valuing people which improves the operation of their business and the performance and production of their staff.

She has been recognized in the Maxwell Leadership Team in the Top 20 Nominees for the Maxwell Leadership Team Culture Award. She’s a 2019 Stage Time Winner. Darlene has been featured in the Peachtree City Magazine on two occasions.

Her prior career began in the Federal government at the entry level as a Correctional Officer promoted up to a Senior Executive Service Appointment into the position of Warden. One of her most groundbreaking accomplishments was becoming the first and only female to serve as Warden at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta, GA. She served as Warden of three Federal prisons after being told early on in her career that she would never make it!

These dynamics brought leadership expertise that has positioned her to help those she partners with in their growth.

Website | Facebook | Darlene’s LinkedIn

Questions and Topics in this Interview

Women in leadership
Boss vs. Leader
Preparing emerging leaders
Being a leader other will follow
The essentials of leadership

Marie Davis, Path To Shine, Inc.

January 13, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Marie Davis, Path To Shine, Inc.

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Marie Davis, Path To Shine, Inc. (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 600)

Marie Davis, Executive Director for Path To Shine, joined host John Ray in the studio on this 600th episode of North Fulton Business Radio. Marie described the children they serve, the mentorship model and the meaningful results they see in the program, how to become a mentor, stories that illustrate their impact, how individuals and businesses can help, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Path To Shine, Inc.

Path To Shine®, Inc. is a mentoring and tutoring program for elementary school children in North and Middle Georgia.

Its purpose is to provide academic and social support to encourage children to thrive in school and build self-confidence to achieve their dreams.

PTS’s success stems from its principles to maintain a ratio of no more than one Mentor to two students, to have a flexible structure that adapts to each local community, and to consistently seek collaboration with other organizations.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

Marie Davis, Executive Director, Path To Shine, Inc.

Marie Davis is an Atlanta, Georgia native. After obtaining a Social Work degree at The University of Georgia, she served as a foster care coordinator for the State of Georgia, certifying foster parents and working with foster care children.

After obtaining Series 7 and 63 financial licenses, she worked with a private financial firm as Assistant to the President. While raising her two children, Marie worked for a local developer, forming relationships with County and State officials. Moving to Florida for ten years, Marie served as a Targeted Case Manager with Children’s Home Society of Florida and a certified tutor for autistic children.

Marie also served as the Director of Mentoring for Center Point, a non-profit in Hall County Georgia. She recruited and trained mentors for several school systems. She is also a Technical Assistant for www.mentoring.org, the National MENTOR program; through that program, she works with mentor programs across the country to help them with direction and development. Program innovation and designing ways to serve all children through mentorship is what she loves best about her job.

Marie also serves on the Georgia Mentor Provider Council. Currently, Marie is the Program Manager for Georgia Center for Employee Ownership, directing the opening of the Georgia program.

Questions and Topics in this Interview

Tell us about Path To Shine, Inc.
What attracted you to the program?
Your work as a Technical Assistant for MENTOR National…tell us about that and what that means for Path To Shine, Inc.
Now that you have been in the role for a full year, how have you changed things?
How can people help other than mentor?

Terry Bowser, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage

January 11, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Terry Bowser, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage

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Terry Bowser, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 599)

Terry Bowser, Reverse Mortgage Advisor at Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, joined John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio. Terry discussed the origins of the reverse mortgage product, the profile of individuals most likely to benefit from a reverse mortgage, the changing attitude of financial advisors toward this product, success stories, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Mutual of Omaha Mortgage

The Mutual of Omaha Company has been helping customers since 1909. Inspired by hometown values and committed to being responsible and caring for each other, they exist for the benefit of their customers.

And, like their customers, they thrive on relationships and building genuine, enduring connections. As a mutual company, their focus isn’t on increasing share prices. It’s helping customers reach their financial goals.

What that means is if you’re considering a reverse mortgage loan, you can feel secure knowing Mutual of Omaha Mortgage exists solely to do right by their customers, every time.

They understand that for some companies a loan is transactional. That’s not them, and it never will be. A reverse mortgage is more than a financial decision. It’s the promise of a life you want to build and the memories you want to make. And that’s why before they talk reverse mortgage loan, they focus on you and your needs.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

Terry Bowser, Reverse Mortgage Advisor, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage

Terry Bowser is an Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate who served two years in the US Army in the Medical Services Corps. at Ft. Carson, Colorado. He had a 27-year career as a hospital surgical product marketplace sales representative and 15 years as a Reverse Mortgage Advisor.

He loves helping our senior population effectively use the wealth tied up in their homes as a life changing tool. He and his wife love celebrating life with their five adult children and fourteen grandkids.

Terry has been active as a Special Olympics swimming and baseball coach for twenty plus years.

Questions and Topics in this Interview

How are Baby Boomers handling their retirement years
What are some ways that a reverse mortgage can help a senior homeowner?
What are some myths about Home Equity Conversion Mortgages?
Is the reverse mortgage “refinance” the only type of loan offered?
Have financial advisors changed their view on reverse mortgages?

Jonathan Wilson, FinCEN Report Company

January 11, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jonathan Wilson, FinCEN Report Company

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Jonathan Wilson, FinCEN Report Company (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 598)

Jonathan Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of FinCEN Report Company, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio. He discussed what the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is and when it takes effect, how it affects millions of businesses and will change the way we do business, what businesses should start doing to get ready, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

FinCEN Report Company

Corporate lawyers and experienced technology company executives founded the FinCEN Report Company to help companies file beneficial ownership reports with FinCEN, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

The FinCEN Report Company is backed by investors that include senior partners at major U.S. law firms. The FinCEN Report Company is preparing the first-to-market secure data storage and collaboration solution for the Corporate Transparency Act.

Website | Twitter | LinkedIn

Jonathan Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO, FinCEN Report Company

Jonathan Wilson is the CEO and Co-Founder of FinCEN Report Company, a provider of filing services under the Corporate Transparency Act.

He is also a partner at the Atlanta law firm of Taylor English Duma. Jonathan is a corporate lawyer whose law practice includes mergers and acquisitions, securities, and general corporate law. In addition, he has been the general counsel of two public companies.