One Minute Interviews Archives - Business RadioX ®

Financial Infidelity: The Hidden Threat to Marriages, with Kathy Healy, Healy Wealth Management

March 3, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Financial Infidelity: The Hidden Threat to Marriages, with Kathy Healy, Healy Wealth Management

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Financial Infidelity: The Hidden Threat to Marriages (One Minute Interview, Episode 133)

During her recent appearance on North Fulton Business Radio with host John Ray, Kathy Healy of Healy Wealth Management addressed a growing concern in marriages: financial infidelity.

Healy noted that money consistently ranks as the primary source of conflict between married couples. She defined financial infidelity as behaviors ranging from “squirreling away money” and making undisclosed purchases to more significant financial deceptions.

The solution? Regular, transparent communication.

Healy shared that some of her clients have implemented structured financial check-ins. One couple calls their weekly session the “MOM” meeting—Meeting of the Minds. While Healy acknowledged that weekly might be excessive for many (including herself), she emphasized that monthly financial conversations should be the minimum standard.

Even when one spouse handles the day-to-day financial administration, Healy stressed that both partners must remain informed and engaged with their shared financial picture. This transparency builds trust and ensures both spouses understand their current situation and progress toward goals.

For couples discovering fundamental differences in their financial priorities, Healy offered a practical exercise: Have each spouse separately list their top ten financial goals, then come together to discuss. This approach creates space for both perspectives before moving into the essential work of collaboration and compromise.

The wisdom extends beyond avoiding arguments. Financial transparency builds something far more valuable: a shared vision that honors both partners’ needs and concerns.

By maintaining open financial communication, couples can avoid the damaging effects of financial infidelity and build a stronger foundation for their future together.

Follow this link to listen to Kathy’s full North Fulton Business Radio interview with host John Ray.

Kathy Healy, Healy Wealth Management

Kathy Healy, CFP®, founder and CEO of Healy Wealth Management in Atlanta, Georgia, has been recognized in this year’s Forbes Best in State Wealth Advisors—Atlanta High Net Worth Advisors and Top Women Wealth Advisors 2024, Best-In-State.

Kathy has served more than 20 years in the financial services industry and provides a full range of financial services, including retirement and financial planning, wealth management, and insurance. Her husband, John Healy, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer for Healy Wealth Management. Together they make an amazing team, working to improve each client’s financial well-being.

Kathy’s education and certifications include: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, University of Georgia–Terry College of Business MBA, University of Alabama at Birmingham BBA, University of Montevallo FINRA Series 7 held with LPL Financial, FINRA Series 66 held with IFG Advisory, LLC and LPL Financial Life and Health/Accident Sickness Insurance.

Website | LinkedIn | YouTube

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, and recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

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

The Value of Self-Effacing Humor, with Comedian Jeff Justice

March 3, 2025 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

The Value of Self-Effacing Humor, with Comedian Jeff Justice

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The Value of Self-Effacing Humor, with Comedian Jeff Justice (One Minute Interview, Episode 132)

During a recent interview on North Fulton Business Radio with host John Ray, comedian and humor expert Jeff Justice shared a profound insight about effective communication that many business professionals overlook.

Self-effacing humor—the art of laughing at your own mistakes and missteps—creates an immediate connection with others that polished perfection simply cannot achieve.

Justice explained that audiences don’t want to hear from someone who presents themselves as flawless. They crave authenticity and relatability. When speakers share their stumbles along with their successes, they transform from distant authorities into trusted guides.

He illustrated this with the story of Charles Brewer, MindSpring’s founder. According to Justice, Brewer’s early presentations were painfully self-promotional, focusing solely on achievements. But after embracing self-effacing humor, Brewer’s speaking transformed dramatically. By laughing at his “stupid ideas and dumb assumptions” from his early days, he created genuine audience connection.

Justice compared this to Bill Gates’ famously incorrect prediction that “64K of memory” would be sufficient for computing needs—the kind of humbling admission that humanizes even the most successful business leaders.

The psychology behind this approach is straightforward but powerful. When speakers acknowledge their imperfections, audiences think, “They’re one of us. They’ve made the same mistakes we have.” This creates the foundation for trust and influence that no amount of credential-touting can establish.

For business professionals looking to strengthen their communication impact, Justice’s insight offers a clear direction: don’t hide your missteps—strategically share them with humor and perspective. The vulnerability creates the very bridge that perfection never can.

Listen to Jeff’s full North Fulton Business Radio interview with host John Ray here.

Jeff Justice

Jeff Justice was destined to become a humorist. At an early age, he discovered that if he could make his older brothers laugh, they would stop giving him “Noogies.” Thus, his first realization in humor: You can’t laugh and be angry at the same time.

Jeff spent fourteen years headlining the top comedy clubs across the United States. For the past twenty years, Jeff has focused on empowering corporate Americans to reduce stress in both business and personal life by utilizing our innate sense of humor as a safety valve. Jeff’s true gift is helping people laugh at their mistakes so they can take themselves lightly and their work seriously.

Jeff’s innovative ideas have been featured many times on CNN and CNBC, while his expertise in humor has also been recognized in numerous magazine and newspaper articles plus radio shows across the country.

Jeff’s client list includes IBM, Coca-Cola, Southern Company, Kroger, the Food Marketing Institute, the National Association of Realtors, James Madison University and the list goes on.

His latest book is Laugh More, Stress Less (and avoid getting burned out).

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

The Current State of the M&A Market, with Don Bravaldo, Bravaldo Capital Advisors

August 28, 2024 by John Ray

Don Bravaldo, Bravaldo Capital Advisors, as heard on ProfitSense with Host Bill McDermott

North Fulton Studio

The Current State of the M&A Market, with Don Bravaldo, Bravaldo Capital Advisors

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The Current State of the M&A Market, with Don Bravaldo, Bravaldo Capital Advisors

Don Bravaldo: When it costs more to buy a business, the M&A activity will slow, especially for larger transactions, which involve a lot more debt and banks being more cautious or less willing to lend into those markets. Thankfully, our marketplace of a couple hundred million or less. is characterized with a lot of private equity activity.

And many of those private equity groups are executing on what’s called a buy and build strategy where they’ll buy a platform company and then continue to add onto it by buying smaller businesses. Banks are much more willing to lend to that existing platform business, knowing that there’s another business that’s easy to tuck in.

So the financing is available, and whether a bank actually got interested in funding that or not, there’s been a rise in proliferation of non-bank lending and that’s really supported the M& A market, especially the lower M&A market, and corporations have remained active. It’s difficult to go before the board and justify a billion dollar M& A transaction in this environment.
Maybe by the end of the year those headline-type transactions will start to occur again, but it’s a lot easier to go before the board and get a $50 million or $100 million deal passed that’s strategic in nature.

Listen to Don’s full ProfitSense with Bill McDermott interview here.

Don Bravaldo, Bravaldo Capital Advisors

Don Bravaldo is the founder and President of Bravaldo Capital Advisors, a boutique investment banking firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, which he established in 2006. As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a strong background in finance and accounting, Don has developed a particular passion for mergers and acquisitions. His firm specializes in serving privately held and closely held companies, typically those with revenues between $10 million and $300 million, primarily located in the Southeastern United States.

Under Don’s leadership, Bravaldo Capital Advisors offers a comprehensive range of transaction and advisory services, including sell-side transactions, exit strategy planning, growth through acquisition, debt restructuring, and corporate recapitalization. The firm has developed extensive expertise across various industries, including industrials, information technology, healthcare, and general business services.

Don’s approach to investment banking emphasizes providing independent economic and financial advice, coupled with execution services. His firm’s engagements have a broad geographical scope, ranging from national to international. In addition to his role at Bravaldo Capital Advisors, Don serves as a Board Member for Pandea Global M&A, further extending his influence in the mergers and acquisitions field.

Website | LinkedIn

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

Top Three Reasons People Leave Their Job, with Aaron Wynn, Hunter Recruitment Advisors

November 6, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Top Three Reasons People Leave Their Job, with Aaron Wynn, Hunter Recruitment Advisors

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Top Three Reasons People Leave Their Job, with Aaron Wynn, Hunter Recruitment Advisors

[00:00:00] Aaron Wynn: In the top three, people often think the number one reason is gotta be pay.

[00:00:04] Pay is in the top three, but it’s not number one. But it’s one that, should always be considered. And what I try to tell business owners all the time is that you have to constantly make sure that your position and how it’s being paid is up to market. We usually get settled into a.

[00:00:21] Hey, this is what it got paid, so that’s what it’s going to stay. And the problem is they’ll get wooed by somebody else who’s more current. The second reason why people, in fact, going from three to two, the second reason why people leave their positions is the quality of life.

[00:00:37] Can’t get to Susie’s recital, can’t get to Timmy’s ballgame or they just they’re working hours nonstop and they really just want to be able to take a break, have some balance that becomes more and more important with every generation.

[00:00:50] It doesn’t mean we don’t want people to work hard. But it means that you have to respect that they have a life outside of this business. But the number one reason why people leave their jobs is the managers they work for over and over again. Can they respect them?

[00:01:07] Can they be somebody who listens to them and respects what they have to say? Will they actually, contribute to their development as an individual?

Listen to Aaron’s full ProfitSense with Bill McDermott interview here.

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

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

Two Keys for Agile Business Owners, with Marika Ponton, Office Angels

September 15, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Two Keys for Agile Business Owners, with Marika Ponton, Office Angels

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Marika Ponton: I live it. It is so crucial. When I was a flooring business owner, so many of the other franchisees would come to me because, I was profitable and I was having all these sales. And they’re like, well, what do you do? You know what, tell me how to be like you. Well, I mean, no one can be Marika, but what I can tell you is: how do your financials look?

Dig into your financials. I’m happy to look at them. And I did. And I would just glaringly see things. Hey, why are you spending on this when you know, your sales are down 50% from last month? Ooh, good point. So that’s number one.

And number two, I would say is just same things we’ve been talking about right here is take stock of non critical tasks that you’re doing. Take stock. Write it down. What are things that you are doing that you shouldn’t be doing and aren’t the best use of your time and outsource those. And that’s Office Angels is there to help you with that.

Listen to Marika’s full ProfitSense interview with Bill McDermott interview here.

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

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

Keys to Retaining Talent, with Eric Cooley, Strack, Inc.

August 4, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Keys to Retaining Talent, with Eric Cooley, Strack, Inc.

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Keys to Retaining Talent, with Eric Cooley, Strack, Inc.

Eric Cooley: I think a lot of construction has high turnover and we’re not that different as it comes to that and that’s one thing we’re really focused on.

We’ve had to, as we’ve tried to grow, we’ve also had to replace. But I think, the key things we look at is, we start training from day one. So a lot of folks from an orientation perspective, they may come in, have you just sign some papers. We’re running a four day orientation program right now. Come in, you learn the standard operating procedures for the company, get safety training, you have an opportunity to go through we’ve got equipment simulators to get familiarization with the equipment. And really making that investment starting in day one.

I think living out our core values, that’s something that’s key to trying to retain them. If we’ve sold them on something, it’s important that we live that out. They’re able to see that demonstrated to hold on to them.

I think Jonathan touched a little bit on the training. So we’ve got this frontline leadership training program we built. We’re also building an operator training program where we’ve promoted four guys from inside the business and they’re going to go out and help on the job sites to help train and really bring up the level of experience and understanding to some of the newer employees.

Because part of this, attracting new talent means we might be looking at folks from other industries.

Listen to Eric’s full ProfitSense with Bill McDermott interview here.

The “One Minute Interview” series is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link.

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