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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





Wendy Kinney: Referral Based Marketing, Capp Scates: Performing Rights, plus Matt Liotta and Brad Bruckman: The Future Of Farming

Wendy Kinney/Ready… Set…Go Make Money

For more than a decade now, Wendy Kinney has focused on referral-based marketing and through this she has given sales people and entrepreneurs the tools they need to build their businesses. Wendy has developed a multi-layered approach for creating a network of relationships and shares the approach through lively, engaging and content-filled workshops and seminars. She can customize training courses, facilitate work sessions, and deliver keynote addresses for meeting planners who want to add more interactivity to their events.

Wendy has also accomplished the incredible feat of reading over 700 books on referral-marketing. To get her “Wendy Kinney Approved Referral Marketing Booklist”, e-mail her at Wendy@WendyKinney.com.

 

Capp Scates/SESAC

Cappriccieo M. Scates is Senior Director of Writer/Publisher Relations for SESAC. SESAC is a performing rights organization. This is an organization (SESAC being one of three in the U.S.) that represents songwriters and publishers and their right to be compensated for having their music performed in public. Prior to joining SESAC, he was Director of Operations for PM Music Group where he represented songwriters whose credits included: Michael Jackson and Beyonce. He is also former Director of National Radio Promotions for Ruffhouse Records and has been responsible for promoting the careers of artists such as: Fugees, and Boyz II Men. In addition, he is author of 10 Steps to Successfully     Managing Recording Artists. He also holds a Masters in Business Administration from Averett University where he was selected to the National Dean’s List for academic excellence.

 

Matt Liotta/PodPonics

Matt Liotta is the Founder and CEO of PodPonics. Matt combines his technological experience with his appreciation for organic products and a desire to source locally-grown produce from his hydroponic growing company. Liotta began developing his technological expertise at an early age, including taking college programming courses at the age of eight. He brings a wealth of knowledge garnered from years of experience in the software and telecommunications industries to his latest start-up organization, PodPonics, LLC.

PodPonics is the future of farming. The Atlanta-based company answers the growing consumer demand for local food by producing it in urban centers, using an approach that does not require arable land. PodPonics utilizes a proprietary system that integrates advanced hydroponics, proprietary lighting, irrigation and nutrient technology with process control. Their growing system reduces cost, improves product quality and creates local jobs while answering the strong and growing demand for locally produced, natural foods.

The PodPonics approach to next-generation urban agriculture provides a number of advantages over traditional farming, including year-round crop production, much higher crop density and predictable results, as well as the elimination of crop failures caused by weather or pests. PodPonics meets these goals using far less water and foreign oil than traditional agriculture and without employing harmful pesticides. The benefits of the approach include providing a healthy, natural product grown in a controlled environment at or near the point of consumption. PodPonics was recently named a Top 40 Innovative Technology Company in Georgia by the Technology Association of Georgia

 

Brad Bruckman/PodPonics

Brad is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of PodPonics. He has worked with a number of companies before starting with PodPonics, including Dominos, PesiCo Restaurants, and Krispy Kreme. The experience he gained working with Krispy Kreme as an Area Developer in northern California is a great addition to PodPonics as he was most successful with the wholesale business.

Mary O’Neill: The Value of Being Connected

On Today’s show, Mary O’Neill described the value of being connected and networking within the business world.

Mary O’Neill / Write2Market
Mary is an accomplished marketing and creative communications professional with extensive experience in consumer packaged goods, brand strategy and positioning, and advertising as well as retail activation and customer management.

She also has a combined organizational development and learning background that allows the broad strategic marketing perspective to be transformed into leadership that “Gets Things Done”, from concept to execution in beverages, food, service, retail and hospitality.

Mary has an integrated Brand/Channel and Consumer Marketing understanding that helps to create results in the marketplace. Her expertise is in Brand Planning from Positioning to Activation at the “street level”. Mary has a passion for building people, cultures and businesses. This passion naturally leads her to the global training programs that she designs, develops and pilots that are geared towards key leadership and personal development.

Presently Mary is the Strategic Account Director at Write2Market which is a business that creates recognizable Industry Leaders through what they call their “Triple A” methodology — Awards, Access, and Awareness. Write2Market’s goal is to help their clients strengthen their brand identities and market presence. Mary is also the founder of On Track Consulting LLC and serves as a board member of Synchronicity Theatre.

Building Business Relationships: Randy Gold With AGH, Al Meyers With TEDx Peachtree, David Duncan With EO Atlanta, and Speakeasy CEO Scott Weiss

Today's Broadcast Brought To You By Business Wise: Better Data, Better Decisions

Today's Broadcast Brought To You By Business Wise

Today we explored exactly what it takes to keep building business relationships, and consistently provide genuine value to the constituencies we serve.

Randy Gold/AGH- CPA and Business Advisory

AGH is one of the most respected boutique accounting and business advisory firms of the southeast. The Atlanta Business Chronicle claimed it to be the fastest growing accounting firm in the last five years as well as the Best Place to Work in Atlanta for the last three years. As a firm it has core values and a commitment to community involvement. Randy Gold brings talent and experience to this firm’s real estate and construction practice as the Principal and Chief Operating Advisor. He has an extensive background representing commercial and multifamily real estate developers and investors through purchase/sale transactions, deal structuring, consulting and reporting. Randy’s responsibilities lie in helping to create the strategy and tactics to support AGH’s long term vision of developing expert team members who provide the foremost client communication and service.

The Jewish Federation of North America named Randy Gold the Jewish Community Hero in 2011 most likely for his founding of  the Atlanta Jewish Gene Screen, a new project for the prevention of Jewish genetic diseases. The project is meant to build awareness of the current nineteen different life threatening, but preventable, genetic diseases affecting Ashkenazi Jews.

 

Al Meyers/ TEDxPeachtree

Al Meyers is the founder and official licensee of TEDxPeachtree which is an independently organized event held annually in Atlanta, Georgia.

TEDxPeachtree seeks to develop and share the TED experience on a regional level by bringing together inspiration leaders, innovators, artists, and entertainers in metropolitan Atlanta, all who believe in TED’s mission of “ideas worth spreading.”

Meyers also consults part time with Georgia Film Credit Consultants, is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Music Project and was previously the President of Saisei Consulting.

 

David Duncan/ EO & Paddywax

David Duncan and his wife Gretchen recently sold their interests in Paddywax, a business that creates and sells hand poured, fragrance infused, soy wax candles. David is now incoming President for Entrepreneurs’ Organization Atlanta, and was kind enough to introduce us to one of their newest members — Speakeasy CEO, Scott Weiss . . .

 

Scott Weiss/ Speakeasy

Scott Weiss is the president and CEO of Speakeasy. He started off as a client and his own experience as a senior executive in broadcast and cable industries was profound enough that he joined the company as an executive VP and later bought the company in 2003.

Whether it’s through sales presentations, speeches, and one-on-one meetings, or your annual report, your sales collateral, or your web presence… your ability to connect with your audience is the last critical link between you and the results you want. And, developing the communication skills you need to make that happen takes more than simple public speaking seminars or presentation training. It’s based on connection, and… it thrives on congruency. And both of those begin with you. With your connection to yourself…With your commitment to connect with others.

That’s where Speakeasy has established its value and reputation for more than 30 years. Communicating, inspiring, and connecting leaders in business: we can do the same for you.

 

Jim Beach, Jack Shaw, And Tammie Bailey-Fults: Three Of Atlanta’s Best Connectors

Today we continued our quest for Atlanta’s Best Connectors, and discovered three more professionals making all the right connections and producing Better Results In Less Time.

 

Jim Beach

Jim Beach’s first book, School for Startups, was published by McGraw-Hill in June 2011. Jim has started businesses and has taught entrepreneurship around the world. At the age of 25, Jim founded American Computer Experience.

From 1993 to 2000, Jim grew the company with no capital infusion to $12 million in annual revenue and to over 60 permanent and 700 temporary employees, operating in 39 states and in three countries. Jim taught entrepreneurship at Georgia State University for nine years and in 2009, Jim founded the School for Startups, www.SchoolforStartups.com, a web resource devoted to teaching his philosophy of low risk entrepreneurship.

Jim has presented in Japan, Korea, India, Dubai, and Egypt and for or on behalf of Wells Fargo, Toshiba, UPS, SunTrust and others on topics as diverse as the “Future of Oil Scarcity,” “How to Export in a Down Economy,” and“Getting to Number One on Google.”

 

Jack Shaw

Jack Shaw is President of Breakthrough Business Technologies and one of the most effective connectorsin Atlanta. He uses personal networking, social media, and web video to connect with clients, prospects, business partners, and to promote the many not-for-profit organizations he supports. Tune in to learnfrom his experience how you can expand your markets and extend your reach through more effective connecting.

During his decades of experience with business technology, Jack has developed deep expertise inmany areas. These include a wide array of industries, business processes, and technologies. He has provided advisory services to leading Technology Solution Providers including IBM, SAP, Oracle and others as well as providing expert guidance and best practices to Fortune 500 Companies such as General Electric, Coca Cola, Allstate, and many more.

 

Tammie Bailey-Fults

The phrase “take your business to the next level” has been popularized and over used. When mostpeople make this claim they are usually talking marketing or something similar. But how do nine (9)zeros sound to you? Sounds like another level right, one that peaks curiosity. Your business can go to the next level and participate in a billion industry called Federal government markets. Tammie Bailey-Fults and NAWOSB are here to show you how.