small business coaching Archives

Cary Matthews, Adam Marshall, and Jonathan Bill on Guiding Family Businesses

September 17, 2025 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Cary Matthews, Adam Marshall, and Jonathan Bill on Guiding Family Businesses

00:00 /

Cary Matthews, Adam Marshall, and Jonathan Bill on Guiding Family Businesses (Family Business Radio, Episode 68)

On this episode of Family Business Radio, host Anthony Chen sits down with three leaders who specialize in helping family businesses grow, plan, and prepare for the future. Cary Matthews of Opal Partners Group draws on his Fortune 50 and small business background to help companies clarify their identity, strategy, and culture. Adam Marshall of Lorium Law explains how his firm combines technical excellence with a human approach to risk management, transactions, and succession planning. Jonathan Bill of SBS Accounting and Advisors shares how his firm frees entrepreneurs from back-office burdens, delivering accurate books, timely financials, and proactive guidance. Together, they show how strategy, law, and financial discipline intersect to build strong family business legacies.

Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. The show is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton affiliate of Business RadioX®.

Key Takeaways from This Episode

Cary Matthews emphasizes clarity on identity and culture as the foundation of strategy.
Adam Marshall shifted from “big law” to client-centered legal practice to focus on relationships and assisting clients in making informed choices.
Jonathan Bill sees accurate, timely financials as essential for growth, lending, and exit planning.
Strategic planning, legal foresight, and sound bookkeeping intersect in family business success.
Host Anthony Chen emphasizes that beyond dollars and cents, family businesses need clarity of purpose and must tie financial planning to personal meaning and legacy.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:00 Introduction to Family Business Radio
00:47 Cary Matthews’ Journey from COO to Business Strategist
02:14 The Importance of Organizational Structure
04:05 Common Challenges in Small Businesses
08:36 The Role of Strategy in Business Growth
12:01 Introducing Adam Marshall and His Legal Journey
14:52 Building Client Relationships in Law
18:50 The Importance of Risk Management and Pragmatism
25:21 The Importance of Foundational Documents
26:56 Preparing for Business Exits
28:20 Family Business Transitions
32:03 Introducing Jonathan Bill
32:10 The Origin Story of SBS Accounting
36:30 Unique Aspects of SBS Accounting
45:54 Legacy and Business Values
50:43 Anthony’s Financial Corner

Cary Matthews, Opal Partners Group

Cary Matthews is the Managing Partner of Opal Partners Group, LLC (OPG), where he helps small business owners and leadership teams get unstuck, achieve their goals, and build businesses they enjoy. As a strategy coach and fractional executive, he draws on more than two decades of experience leading operational improvement and growth in small businesses.

Before founding OPG, Cary served as COO and EVP of Operations for several Atlanta-area companies, overseeing project management, support services, accounting, HR, engineering, and logistics. His leadership produced measurable results, including reducing invoicing time by 80%, boosting gross profit by 10% while managing a 30% increase in sales, and cutting training development costs by 30%. Earlier in his career, Cary worked for Fortune 100 companies and a start-up, experiences that built the foundation for his passion and expertise in small business leadership.

Cary holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Auburn University.

Website | LinkedIn

Adam Marshall, Lorium Law

Adam Marshall focuses his practice on matters dealing with corporations, with an emphasis on corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, and distressed M&A. Adam has represented debtors, creditors, corporations, lenders, funds, and buyers and sellers of assets in numerous industries, including retail, food service, real estate, healthcare, automotive, energy, and financial services.

Further, Adam counsels business owners/C-level executives on general corporate matters, including structuring, financing, operational needs, and liquidity events/strategies. Adam began his career as an attorney with several national and international law firms, including White & Case and Greenberg Traurig, working in the restructuring and distressed M&A practice areas.

He has practiced law since 1999 and lived in Florida for 21 years, until recently relocating to the Atlanta area with his wife Stefanie and two sons, Joshua (Duke ’23) and Alexander (University of Michigan LSA Honors ‘26).

Website | LinkedIn

Jonathan Bill, SBS Accounting

Jonathan Bill owns SBS Accounting & Advisors. Jonathan grew up in a small business and seeing his dad struggle to start a new business is what gave him his heart to help entrepreneurs. As a result, Jonathan started his company in 2006 with a passion to free and empower small businesses—”free” by taking their back-office responsibilities off their plate and “empower” by providing them with the key metrics and coaching in order to meet their goals. Since 2006, Jonathan and his companies have had the privilege of bringing this transformation to hundreds of organizations.

Outside of work, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his family and ministering in his church in the area of music.

Website | LinkedIn

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

Family Business Radio is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services are offered through OSAIC, member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned, and other entities and/or marketing names, products, or services referenced here are independent of OSAIC. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd., Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090, ext. 5075, or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY, in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA, home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long-term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance, Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

Follow this link to access the complete show archive of Family Business Radio.

Sonya Howard, ActionCOACH

August 24, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Sonya Howard, ActionCOACH

00:00 /

Sonya Howard, ActionCOACH (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 381)

Business coach Sonya Howard joined John Ray to discuss her in-depth approach to coaching business owners, why they need to be willing to be coached, why she chose to work through ActionCOACH, the multiple strategies she offers, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH has been helping people and businesses to work through these kinds of issues for over 15 years.

The knowledge and systems developed over that time have brought significant improvements to hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world.

When you’re ready to massively improve your business, your income, and your lifestyle, call to arrange a complimentary consultation. You and Sonya will explore the possibilities for you and your business.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Sonya Howard, ActionCOACH

**Sonya Howard, Business Coach, ActionCOACH**

Sonya Howard coaches business owners and business executives to help them reach their goals with finances/cash flow, building better teams, creating better processes and systems, time management, and much more. Sonya can work with business owners at any phase of their business and offer several options for coaching, seminars, workshops, and classes.

Questions and Topics in This Interview

What is ActionCoach and why did you join them?
What makes you a good business coach?
What options do you offer for coaching business owners?
What is your process at ActionCoach, to determine how to coach a business owner?
Give me an example of how you have helped a business owner in their business?

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.

Jeff Lovejoy, Action Coach, and David McDonough, Modern Image

May 20, 2020 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Jeff Lovejoy, Action Coach, and David McDonough, Modern Image

00:00 /

Jeff Lovejoy, Action Coach and David McDonough, Modern Image (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 237)

Business coach Jeff Lovejoy joins the show to discuss issues businesses are facing in the pandemic, and David McDonough talks document and photo scanning. The host of “North Fulton Business Radio” is John Ray and the show is produced virtually by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Jeff Lovejoy, Action Coach

As one of Atlanta’s leading business coaches, Jeff teach business owners how to run the kind of business they want and deserve. He gets them working ON the business —focusing on marketing, finance, leadership, service delivery—rather than working solely IN their business. And along the way, we achieve dramatic results.

In small and medium size businesses, strategy is frequently lacking but is a cornerstone to success. If you don’t have a strategy or don’t have a strategy that is working, call Jeff. You’ll start with a business growth plan that will be customized with the strategies and techniques that will get you started on what’s needed to launch you towards your vision.

These are the kinds of transformations Jeff’s clients achieve:

–Significant increase in your take-home income from your business, achieved by getting you to spend more time focused ON your business

–Dramatic increase in efficiency, achieved by installing processes that result in your business running more efficiently and smoothly

–Superior team, achieved by building an empowered team to help you achieve your goals

–Make better use of your time, achieved by developing plans, setting goals and holding you accountable

You can visit Jeff’s website, email him directly, or call 404-444-1836.

David McDonough, Modern Image

Modern Image is a local document and photo scanning company. They convert files, photos and media to digital format for compliance policies, easier sharing, enhanced security, or just to get it out of the way! No job is too big or too small and all work is done in-house, locally.

The owner, David McDonough is a native of New Orleans and had a business and family there, during Hurricane Katrina. Having seen the devastation that results from losing business records, personal papers and photos – can be overwhelming. Many businesses closed due to lost records – many people’s entire personal photo collection was lost – as was David’s family. They also offer photo organizing workshops, bootcamps and 1-1 work.

Email David for a DIY guide on how to get started, or visit the Modern Image website.

North Fulton Business Radio” is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® 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, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

MIND MONEY MOTION Cindy Gordon with Business Rescue Coaching and Kathleen Gramzay with Kinessage

August 22, 2019 by Karen

MIND-MONEY-MOTION-Kathleen-Gramzay-with-Kinessage-and-Cindy-Gordon-with-Business-Rescue-Coaching

Phoenix Business Radio

MIND MONEY MOTION Cindy Gordon with Business Rescue Coaching and Kathleen Gramzay with Kinessage

00:00 /

MIND MONEY MOTION Cindy Gordon with Business Rescue Coaching and Kathleen Gramzay with Kinessage

Our mindset and our mind/body connection are key factors that impact our health, success, and happiness in life. Cindy Gordon from Business Rescue Coaching, LLC and Kathleen Gramzay from Kinessage, LLC share tips, tools and strategies as well as research on why and how listeners can act on this Mind, Money, Motion connection. Starting with your “why”, your values, and how it matters to you is the best starting point. Then both guests share specific tools, skills, and new habits you can use to take action on achieving a healthier you whether it relates to Mind, Money, or Motion. In the process, Cindy helps women close the gender income gap and Kathleen helps everyone recognize and move forward with their “stress sandwich.”

Need a nudge or a refresher on why each area of Mind, Money, Motion is crucial to your overall physical and financial health? And looking for practical “ok, I’m motivated so what do I do now to make changes in the right direction?” tips? Listen in to what our guests have to share and challenge yourself to act on one of their tips to make a difference in your own life.

Business Rescue Coaching is a boutique coaching firm focused on helping women earn what they are worth and achieve financial independence. The company offers an array of workshops which builds a community of women to help them gain more self-confidence. The mission of the organization is to provide women with the tools and strategies they need to close the gender income gap. They work with women at all stages of business to become stronger leaders in their careers and communities.

Cindy Gordon is the founder of Business Rescue Coaching. She offers engaging workshops to help women become more confident, see their value and learn strategies to be more financially successful. Cindy offers Executive Club Mastermind groups to seasoned female entrepreneurs who have built 6-figure businesses. She brings them together to share best practices to scale their businesses and reach the next level.

Cindy is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach who has been working with small business owners to build financial wealth for over 30 years. Cindy started her professional career as a Canadian CPA and worked in a public accounting firm with business owners from a variety of industries.

As a CPA, her guidance focused on practical business advice that was useful but didn’t always promote the changes her clients needed to build a thriving business. The training she received as a coach gave her new tools that enabled her clients to change their thoughts and behaviors and make more money.

For the past 2 years, Cindy has focused on supporting women to close the gender income gap. Women can no longer wait for others to make the changes needed to even the playing field. Change must come from each and every woman. Cindy is dedicated in educating women so that they have the tools and strategies to get out of their own way and live the life they desire.

Connect with Cindy on LinkedIn and follow Business Rescue Coaching on Facebook.

Kinessage LLC supports performance and culture-conscious organizations, empowering their leaders and managers to lead more productively, confidently, and collaboratively. Kinessage LLC offers body/mind programs that increase mental resiliency and long-term health, and decrease stress, chronic tension, and pain.

Kathleen Gramzay is a Body/Mind Performance & Self-Care Expert, Speaker, Educator, 20-year Board Certified Massage Therapist, & Developer of the Kinessage® Release Your Pain Self Care System.

For over two decades, Ms. Gramzay has forged her own trail. Prior to the healing arts, her entrepreneurship included real estate development, writing, and international distribution business

Connect with Kathleen on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT MIND, MONEY, MOTION

In order to experience LESS WORRY and MORE LIFE, it’s crucial to recognize the inter- relationship between our mindset, money habits, and the motion of our minds and bodies.

Each episode of MIND, MONEY, MOTION reveals research, insights and practical application takeaways to help you:

Enjoy a positive, engaged MIND which is more likely to lead to a happy life.

Learn how to think about and use MONEY as a tool to avoid feeling confused and overwhelmed.

And stay physically active to keep your body in MOTION therefore be healthier, which is also less costly.

You don’t have to do this alone; let Mind, Money, Motion help you get the money monkey off your back so you can live what you value.

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

The Women’s Enterprise Foundation (WEF) is a 501(C)3 charitable organization that supports and inspires women business owners within the greater Phoenix area. For over 10 years we have sponsored women through scholarships and grant funding. Our monthly scholarship applications and bi-annual grant opportunities have assisted over 20 women in 2018 and 2019. These women continue to develop themselves as business leaders. The grants give them the increased capital to help generate greater revenue in their business. Scholarships help support their business growth through leadership and business training. We know when women grow their businesses, they benefit entire communities.

The first Friday in November each year, we hold our annual fundraiser at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch. This year our featured guest speaker will be Dr. Connie Mariano, the first military woman to serve as a White House Physician to the President. Info for scholarships and grants, as well as our upcoming event may be found at .

WEF is proud to sponsor Marie Burns in her podcasts, Mind, Money and Motion, that will positively educate women about money habits. We are excited for Marie Burns to spread her message, as it is consistent with the success for women in business, as well as their personal financial growth.

Our financial support of Marie’s grant continues to create a foundation that WEF fosters. We believe that women are the glue for their communities as they participate in, orchestrate and mediate relationships, opportunities and business growth. We are confident that her support and success will multiply and benefit many others.

Mind Money Motion is an education business whose mission is to help women worry less about running out of money by keeping their mind and body healthy so they can enjoy LESS WORRY, MORE LIFE.

Money is the number one stressor in American’s lives and one of the main reasons for divorce. Women are often uncomfortable with financial decisions OR don’t have the time or interest to take care of financial matters OR don’t know where to begin or if they are on track.

As the founder, Marie Burns provides tools and resources through her podcast, books, speaking events, website and social media to be the financial advocate women need.

ABOUT YOUR HOST:

Marie Burns, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), has been advocating for clients’ financial health for almost 20 years.

Originally from Wisconsin, she has helped clients with their financial lives in a fiduciary capacity in a bank setting, accounting firm, at Vanguard, at a financial planning firm and now has an independent advisory practice where she offers financial planning and investment management called Focus Point Planning.

She is a volunteer ambassador and board member for The Financial Awareness Foundation, member of the Financial Planning Association, board member for the Senior Advocacy Group of Ahwatukee, author of a financial checklist book series, and podcast host of Mind, Money, Motion, where she strives to help women enjoy LESS WORRY, MORE LIFE!

Follow Mind, Money, Motion on Facebook.

The Unapologetic Voice Founder Carrie Severson Business Coach Nathalie Ekobo and Mompreneur Alison Rand

March 22, 2019 by Karen

Carrie-Severson-with-The-Unapologetic-Voice-Business-Coach-Nathalie-Ekobo-and-Mompreneur-Alison-Rand

Phoenix Business Radio

The Unapologetic Voice Founder Carrie Severson Business Coach Nathalie Ekobo and Mompreneur Alison Rand

00:00 /

The Unapologetic Voice Founder Carrie Severson Business Coach Nathalie Ekobo and Mompreneur Alison Rand

The Unapologetic Voice is a storytelling brand that supports leaders who are on the road of uncovering their unapologetic message, story and voice. Come learn how to craft books, essays, speeches or even launch business with your voice at the foundation.

Carrie Severson is a storytelling coach and the visionary behind The Unapologetic Voice. She works with women locally as well as around the world who want to express themselves in new ways and make an imprint in the world with their zone of genius.

Connect with Carrie on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Nathalie Ekobo International is a ‘leading-edge’ boutique consultancy for high achievers — entrepreneurs and leaders– that are ready to have extraordinary impact.
Services such as Keynotes, Break Out sessions, Workshops, Conscious Leadership Training, Deep- coaching, are offered and customized to the clients’ needs.

For the past 20 years, award-winning intuitive, business and executive coach, thought leader, and speaker, Nathalie Ekobo, has helped more than 10,000 leaders and entrepreneurs across the globe increase their visibility, impact, and income, by removing their blocks, using vibrational marketing, and being aligned with their Expanded Self.

As a visionary CEO of a ‘leading-edge’ consulting and coaching company, Nathalie, takes (mostly) female leaders (and open-minded conscious men) to the highest levels of their success by helping them tap into their inner guidance to achieve their dreams with more ease.

She guides her high-achieving clients on their path of making a difference in the world through their conscious leadership and inspirational impact. Nathalie has shared the stage with Dr. Judith Orloff, Marianne Williamson, and Dr. Rev. Michael B. Beckwith, teaching time-tested tools and practical solutions to accelerate success and greatness.

Connect with Nathalie on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Parenting takes a team and Alison Rand loves connecting with parents. If you are looking for additional tools to add to your parent tool belt she is available on an hourly consulting basis. Alison offers support to parents in the area of adoption, parenting, homeschooling and nutrition to achieve a happy, healthy and heart centered family.

As a mompreneur running a business and household, as well as homeschooling two children, Alison Rand is passionate about sharing insights about her journey maneuvering two adoptions of children with special needs. She hopes her story supports other parents in their heart centered journey.

Connect with Alison on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

MANAGING A SMALL BUSINESS IN A GROWING ECONOMY: Marie Fratoni with Gets Clients Everywhere and Doug Ireland with Freeland Painting

June 10, 2015 by Mike

On the Money

MANAGING A SMALL BUSINESS IN A GROWING ECONOMY: Marie Fratoni with Gets Clients Everywhere and Doug Ireland with Freeland Painting

00:00 /

On this episode of “On the Money”, host Joe Moss discusses managing a small business in a growing economy with guests Marie Fratoni and Doug Ireland.

Marie Fratoni/Gets Clients Everywhere

Get Clients Everywhere is a company that provides events, workshops and coaching for entrepreneurs so they create great programs, find the right clients, and make more money. They teach how to create long-term sustainable businesses with predictable income.

Doug Ireland/Freeland Painting

The mission at Freeland Painting is to bring excellence to their clients through home repairs. Painting, roofing and general renovations are not a unique business, but Freeland Painting & Construction intends to be unique within this industry. They believe that their customer’s fulfillment and happiness is the ultimate goal and their only assignment. They believe that only by serving their customers FIRST can they then serve their employees, suppliers and families.

—————————————————————————————————–

“On the Money” focuses on topics and issues allowing small businesses to better navigate the financial services minefield, with analysis and opinions from today’s industry experts on banking and loans. “On the Money” also introduces you to some of the top small business leaders in the Atlanta market.

Hosted by Joe Moss, the president of Embassy National Bank, “On the Money” airs live every Wednesday at 3:00 PM EST from the Business RadioX studio in Gwinnett.

HELPING ENTREPRENEURS: Marie Fratoni with Get Clients Everywhere

May 20, 2015 by Mike

On the Money

HELPING ENTREPRENEURS: Marie Fratoni with Get Clients Everywhere

00:00 /

Marie Fratoni with Get Clients Everywhere joins host Joe Moss of Embassy National Bank to discuss how entrepreneurs can find success in today’s competitive business world.

Marie Fratoni/Get Clients Everywhere

—————————————————————————

Hosted by Joe Moss, the president of Embassy National Bank, “On the Money” airs live every Wednesday at 3:00 PM EST from the Business RadioX studio in Gwinnett.