Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard, LIVE from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 895)
Beth Quinlan of Smith + Howard, co-chair of the BOLD Women Committee at the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, joined host John Ray live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit to share her journey as a CPA, her work in business development, and her leadership role in organizing the summit.
Beth discussed the growth of Smith + Howard, from its roots in Atlanta to its national expansion and broad range of services that include tax, accounting, M&A advisory, cybersecurity, sales tax, and executive search. She explained how the firm’s philosophy of growing with its clients has driven its evolution.
She also reflected on the importance of community service, mentorship, and her personal involvement with the BOLD Committee, including work with The Drake House and efforts to create meaningful connections through intentional networking. Beth shared how the idea of a “broken circle” guided the event’s structure, ensuring that conversations remained open and inclusive.
This interview was originally broadcast live from the 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit held on August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia. John Ray Co. and North Fulton Business Radio were the Media Sponsors for this year’s Summit.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Welcome to the GNFCC BOLD Leadership Summit
00:42 Meet Beth Quinlan: Co-Chair of the Bold Women Committee
01:02 Beth Quinlan’s Journey with Smith + Howard
02:01 Smith + Howard: A Legacy of Growth and Service
03:18 Expanding Services and National Reach
07:06 The Importance of Chamber Involvement
08:36 Beth Quinlan’s Personal Commitment to Bold Women
10:19 Highlights from the Bold Leadership Summit
12:15 The Power of Networking and Community
15:40 Closing Thoughts and Future Events
Beth Quinlan, Smith + Howard
Beth Quinlan joined Smith + Howard in 2015 and is a Senior Business Advisor in our Business Development team. During her time with the firm, she has worked with clients across a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, professional services, medical services, as well as nonprofit organizations. Beth has worked with clients on back-office accounting services, including bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, federal grant compliance reporting, and much more.
Prior to joining Smith + Howard, Beth was hands-on in the operations of her family’s local chain of pet food stores and national pet food distribution business with warehouses across the United States. It was here that she found her interest in accounting and decided to return to school for her Master of Business Administration degree. Beth also served as a consultant with an emphasis in marketing and management, where she focused on B2B communications for software companies and productivity and performance management for financial institution retail operations.
Beth received her Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University and earned her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University. She is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
LinkedIn | Smith+ Howard website
2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit
The 2025 GNFCC BOLD Women’s Leadership Summit was held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.
The mission of BOLD—Businesswomen Organizing for Leadership and Development—is to connect businesswomen to build outstanding networks and spheres of influence, to collaborate with each other and with partner organizations to develop their businesses, and to celebrate and recognize the women of North Fulton.
Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC)
The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1,400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell, and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth, and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.
As a five-star accredited chamber, GNFCC’s vision is to be the premier organization driving member and community success across the region, and they are dedicated to pursuing this vision based on the guiding principles of advocacy, inclusivity, and operational excellence.
GNFCC promotes the interests of their members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play, and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision-makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.
For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events, follow this link.
Connect with GNFCC: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 890 episodes and having featured over 1,300 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 market, community, and profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates businesses by sharing positive stories that traditional media ignore. Some media lean left. Some media lean right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. John and the team at North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®, produce the show, and it is recorded inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
You can find the 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, and many others.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
Renasant Bank supports North Fulton Business Radio
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $17 billion in assets and more than 180 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices throughout the region. All of Renasant’s success stems from each banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way to better understand the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they 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
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Whether they serve as your complete IT department or simply support your internal team, these professionals 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.
