Listen Now!

Business Talk 24-7

Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





High Velocity Radio

Uncategorized

Special Edition: Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

Posted on

Podcast: Download

HVR

Lynn Bring / Kelly Bring, Inc. Linkedin

Kelly Bring, Inc. is a consulting firm focusing on process improvement designed to assist businesses expand their existing models and solve pain areas with validated solutions by utilizing Six Sigma methodology with a rigorous organizational change conditioning program. We identify the shared need for change, build the organization’s Strategic Process Framework, baseline existing processes, analyze data findings and provide a conditioning action plan and implementation which includes mechanisms to ensure the change process is controlled and measurable.

Lynn K. Bring is a process and productivity professional that has expertise in project management, information technology, facilitation of high performance teams and operations with experience in consumer products marketing. Lynn is certified in Six Sigma and has utilized the methodology and techniques to drive successful programs to completion over a 20+ year career with the General Electric Company.

Lynn is a member of the National Association of Professional Women and Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she has volunteered her time mentoring students with Jackson High School in south Atlanta. She is an active member in her church community and enjoys the beauty of Georgia’s great outdoors through cycling and hiking.

What makes Lynn unique is her ability to transition best practice enterprise-wide solutions to fit any size operation. Lynn believes in the economic turnaround of America and focuses her time and talent into helping this growing segment of the market to refine, re-tune and refresh their processes enabling growth and sustainability through the future.

I would like to make a special offer: one-hour free consultation for listeners who mention my interview!

Eric Williams / UFC Gym Perimeter  Twitter Facebook

Prior to opening UFC Gym Perimeter, Eric worked in the retail industry, leading individual stores, company divisions, Human Resources, and Sales & Marketing departments for RaceTrac convenience stores. Jenny is a consultant in the talent management industry with Korn Ferry, and has prior experience in investment banking.

Besides their overall passion for fitness, they decided to get into the fitness business for two reasons: 1) to positively impact people’s lives and 2) they felt that the fitness industry is currently more focused on sales than helping people and they would like to help change that model (similar to how CarMax changed the perception of used car sales).

Though he’s a Georgia State University alum, Eric grew up in Alabama and is a huge University of Alabama sports fan. Jenny grew up in New York and is a Cornell University alum. They have lived in Atlanta for over 10 years and currently reside in Midtown with their dog Luci.

Beth Summers/Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

 

 

Desiree Scales Interviews Sander Biehn about his New Book, The 30 Year Paycheck

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Screenshot 2014-07-29 12.24.28

Sander owns and runs Thought Horizon, a B2B social selling consultancy based on principles he learned while working for a major telecom provider for the past 17 years. Sander’s proven approach helps B2B sales and marketing teams work together to create content and engagement with target markets and customers. Sander holds a provisional patent in Social Media and is finishing a book on workplace innovation entitled, “The 30 Year Paycheck”. He has spoken at conferences and on the radio about innovation. Sander loves amateur geology and astronomy. He went to Duke University where he holds a degree in Philosophy and Classical Studies. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two children.

Mark Donnolo with SalesGlobe and Greg Johnson with LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Posted on

Podcast: Download

HVR

Mark Donnolo / SalesGlobe Linkedin Twitter

Mark Donnolo is managing partner with SalesGlobe, a sales effectiveness consulting and services firm that works with leading companies in the areas of sales innovation, sales strategy, sales team coaching and training, and sales compensation. He is the author of “The Innovative Sale” and “What Your CEO Needs to Know About Sales Compensation” and founder of the SalesGlobe Forum, a thought leadership and research group that works with leading business schools.

Mark holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BFA from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He serves on the Board of Trustees of The University of the Arts and the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra.

Greg Johnson / LexisNexis Risk Solutions Linkedin

Greg is the VP of Consulting and Customer Experience at LexisNexis’s Risk Solutions division where he has been a member of the executive team for 9 years. He has held numerous, sales leadership, sales operations, consulting leadership and general operations roles over that time. He has been the driving force with sales and customer facing innovation throughout the organization, while managing execution of the integration of numerous acquisitions and continued global expansion. Prior to LN, Greg spent 16 years in various capacities with EMC Corporation.

 

 

Special Edition: Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

Posted on

Podcast: Download

HVR

Bob Smith / HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Linkedin

I am a certified Health & Life Insurance Agent representing HealthMarkets, one of the nation’s largest health insurance agencies. I represent insurers on and off the Georgia Federal Marketplace and develop personalized risk adverse strategies to shield clients from out-of-pocket expenses. My work experience is of an entrepreneurial nature with having owned/operated a temporary staffing service, Subway Restaurants, in addition to my years as Sales Coordinator with the manufacturer of Now & Later candies working with our broker sales organization.

Damian Cook / Assurance Financial Linkedin

With over 9 years of lending experience in Atlanta. Damian Cook has helped over 650 clients achieve the dream of homeownership. Damian graduated with a BS in Marketing from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Mercer University. A Roswell native, Damian has deep roots in the community. He currently is an active member of Dunwoody Baptist Church, serving on the Finance Committee. He also is on the Committee for YoungLife Perimeter. He lives in Dunwoody and is married with three wonderful children. Damian enjoys reading, running and traveling with his wife. He enjoys being part of the growth in Atlanta and loves helping clients put down roots in Atlanta thru homeownership.

Beth Summers / Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

Justin Tomczak and Brandon Banks with State Farm Insurance and Sarah Siedentopf with The Law Offices of Sarah Siedentopf

Posted on

Podcast: Download

HVR

State Farm Insurance Linkedin

Justin Tomczak / Media Relations Twitter

Justin is responsible for media relations for State Farm Insurance in Georgia and South Carolina. He has worked for State Farm for the past 5 years. Prior to joining the company Justin served as Political Director for a US Senator and Governor of Georgia. Justin received his undergraduate degree from Kennesaw State University and his masters from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Brandon Banks / Human Resources Recruiter 

Brandon is a Human Resources Recruiter with State Farm Insurance. He has worked with the company since joining as a College Intern in 2004. He has experienced working in several different departments including claims, public affairs and now human resources during his career. Brandon is extremely excited to be a part of State Farm’s expansion efforts in the Metro Atlanta Market. He feels that the new opportunities will serve as a great addition to our growing community making it a great place to live and work.

The Law Offices of Sarah Siedentopf, LLC Facebook

Sarah Siedentopf  / Attorney

Sarah opened her office in Atlanta in 2012. Before moving to Georgia, she practiced in Northern Virginia and, although she loved her time there, she was thrilled to be able to move back to the South because it is home. She is currently licensed to practice law in Georgia and Tennessee.

Sarah has gained experience in many different areas of law throughout her practice. She is particularly passionate about helping individuals and families with estate planning, elder law needs, probate, will contests, bankruptcy and debt relief.

Sarah understands how important it to maintain communication with her clients and wants to ensure clients are always informed about what is happening in their cases. She recognizes that clients are entrusting her with a very significant part of their lives and need to stay involved with the process.

 

 

 

Sander Biehn and Desiree Scales Interview Jason Jones about Finance

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Jason Jones

Find Jason at www.finstratsolutions.com

Jason H. Jones, CLU, ChFC, CFP®
Jason H. Johne, CLU, ChFC, CFPJason Jones has been helping individuals and business owners insure their life and income, to help protect their assets since1995.Everyone has a finite amount of income that comes into their family.  You need to be as efficient and effective as you can with your money.  Jason specializes in analyzing your current situation and recommending solutions to eliminate costs and expenses that are affecting your ability to create and build wealth.Jason’s promise to his clients is:  “No one outside of your family will care more about your financial success than I will.”

Professional Designations
  • Certified Life Underwriter
  • Chartered Financial Consultant
  • Certified Financial Planner
Education & Interests
  • University of Colorado at Boulder 1994 BA in Marketing
  • President of the Atlanta Chapter for Society of Financial Service Professionals (2008-2009)
  • Lector at St. Jude The Apostle Catholic Church
  • President of the Cherokee Art Endowment Corporation
Personal
  • Jason Jones and his wife, Jodi reside in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with their children: Hunter and Foster.

Special Edition: Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

Posted on

Podcast: Download

HVR

Beth Summers / Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce 

Zohar Shiff / Don’t Sweat IT Solutions Linkedin

Zohar Shiff, entrepreneur and president of Don’t Sweat IT Solutions, had no intentions of coming to Atlanta – or the United States for that matter – while living in his home country of Israel.

Shiff grew up in a small farming community. While most of his peers worked on the farm, Shiff liked to build stuff and take it apart. So he apprenticed under the local electrician.

After his eventual move to the States, Shiff worked as a support technician for a nationwide medical software company and slowly became passionate about IT support.

It was a time of change in the computer industry. The internet had only just begun to take hold and DSL was the latest thing. The medical offices were suddenly interested in having personal computers, internet, and email. Whenever Shiff came in on support calls, they turned to him with questions that ranged far beyond the official limits of software support.

Shiff realized that most technicians focus on supporting the computers. What drove Shiff, however, was a desire to support the actual people using the computers. In 2001, Shiff co-founded an IT support company with just this aim in mind.

In 2010 Shiff founded a second company to take IT support to the next level for his clients. The name Don’t Sweat IT Solutions (formerly known as Shiff Atlanta IT Services) says it all:

“We’re here to be a solution. We want to take IT off our clients’ worry list: they don’t have to think about how they’re going to manage their IT. Not technically, not financially. We look at each client as an individual and offer him the services that he needs to keep his business running. Then we keep all that IT running smoothly – for a predictable, flat monthly rate. No surprise bills, no being left in the lurch. We’re not here to create headaches – we’re here to solve them.”

Thomas McEachern / The Capital Grille Dunwoody

 

Desiree Scales Interviews Carlton Smith About Search Engine Optimization

Posted on

Podcast: Download

Carlton Smith

Carlton Smith has been focused solely on web since 2000, and has been an internet marketing consultant since 2007.

Career

  • Internet Consultant to businesses in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, & New Jersey, and Tennessee
  • Director of E-Commerce, International Expeditions
  • Senior Editor, Search Engine Optimization, Time Inc.
  • Travel Editor, Time Inc.
  • Concept Writer & Editor, Hecklers.com (RIP), Birmingham, AL
  • Senior Editor, Vulcan Publications
  • Stringer and Fact-Checker, The Sunday Times, London, UK
  • Arts & Entertainment Editor, Vail Trail (RIP), Vail, CO

Accomplishments

  • Exceeded web-enabled revenue by 30% and online bookings by 34% in 2013 with aggressive strategy of SEO, SEM, PPC, and Emarketing
  • Increased organic search referrals by 20%, leading SEO campaign leveraging custom web content from freelance writers.
  • Exceeded organic search traffic +19% in FY12 with aggressive SEO campaign.
  • Launched and project managed Drupal website redesign, hiring external vendors and project managing.
  • Launched online travel portal aggregating content from Southern Living, Sunset, Coastal Living, Cottage Living, and Southern Accents magazines.
  • Led  advertising partnership with travel portal website, 10Best.com.
  • Member of team that won: Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Award; SouthernLiving.com “Byways of the South” web-exclusive feature, 2007 and Honored with the Webby Awards Honorable Mention—“Best Site Redesign” SouthernLiving.com, 2006

Find Carlton at www.flagstonesearchmarketing.com/

 

 

flagstone-vertical-logo-small-300

 

 

Jim Browning with YPN Companies, Inc., Alan Pandiani with The Aspire Group, and Geoff Stella with Sprout Organic Foods

Posted on

Podcast: Download

photo1

Jim Browning / YPN Companies, Inc. Linkedin Dunwoody Chamber TwitterFacebook

Jim is the Chief Profit Generator, CEO and owner of YPNTM Companies, Inc. and CEO & Co-Founder of YPN Strategies, LLC. He is “Dedicated to Your Success”

Jim has over 37 years of diverse business experience in the field of sales, marketing, information systems, training, business development and operations on the national and regional/local levels.

Starting his career as a clerk in retail grocery then onto a career with Coca-Cola in many roles and markets, Jim’s leadership spanned from managing teams from 3 to over 319 and budgets in excess of $295M.

Through this journey, Jim acquired the skills and passion for leadership, team and personal development for his giving role at YPNTM Companies, Inc.

Since leaving Coca-Cola in 2005, he has created seven companies. Throughout this journey, Jim continued to focus on business relationships, personal relationships and networking. Jim is author of “Relationships Matter,” “LinkedIn® for Business” and many more.

Jim is one of the world’s largest and most respected social networkers on such tools as LinkedIn®, SunZu®, Facebook®, Xing and Twitter® with more than 81 million connections overall. On LinkedIn® alone, Jim has over 29,967 1st level contacts with a total network of +34,865,204 people. Jim is a Globally Ranked “Top 25” networker.

He has trained over 29,353 people on the benefits of social media, through church and non-profit “Jobs Ministries”. He is sought after as a lecturer and keynote speaker having spoken at ACPI, Right Management, ASTD, Georgia State University, Emory University, Georgia Tech, CLO, NAAAHR, ASA, Vistage, Execunet, NGA, ROFDA, SHRM and others.

Alan Pandiani / The Aspire Group Dunwoody Chamber Twitter

As Manager, New Business Development, Alan is responsible for acquiring new partnerships to Aspires client base as well as expanding current initiatives for existing partnerships. Alan is charged with diagnosing the needs of current and potential client partners to provide them with a comprehensive recommendation for optimal operation. Alan, originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, became a member of the Aspire family in May of 2011 at Aspire’s Georgia Tech Fan Relationship Management Center (FRMC). During his time at the Georgia Tech FRMC, he was promoted twice and set multiple records for all-time revenue and total revenue in a selling year before transitioning into his current role in July 2013. Alan received both his bachelor’s degree (09′) and MBA (11′) from Providence College where he was also a student-athlete for the Friars on the Men’s track team.

Geoff Stella / Sprout Organic Foods Dunwoody Chamber TwitterFacebook

 

Special Edition: Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

Posted on

Podcast: Download

HVR

Scott Sylva/Farm Burger TwitterFacebook

Scott joined Farm Burger in 2013, to take the helm as GM at the Georgetown Shopping Center location right here in Dunwoody. He came to the job with a background in restaurant management as well as sales and implementation experience on restaurant point of sale systems. He’s excited to be a part of a company that helps local farms while at the same time provides great food to his local community, as he lives right here in the Dunwoody area.

Shannon Ferreira/Seasons 52

Seasons 52 is a fresh grill and wine bar that celebrates living well. Our Executive Chef, Fred Schrock opened Seasons 52 at Perimeter almost 8 years ago. He is joined by Brian Farkas, Managing Partner in providing a level of Service to our guests that is second to none. Shannon Ferreira, Sales Manager is responsible for all private functions and large party reservations. Seasons 52 offers two private dining rooms that seat 30-35 in each space and open up together to seat 70. Seasons 52 also has an intimate Chef’s Table that seats up to 8 guests which is perfect for small meetings.

Beth Summers/Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce