Lauren Patrick/PrettySouthern.com and Terminus
Lauren Patrick is the Editor of PrettySouthern.com and the Storyteller at Terminus: Account-Based Marketing. She’s a graduate of UGA’s Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, where she served as Editor of The Red & Black. Since her graduation from UGA in 2007, Lauren worked for Naylor publications, Jezebel magazine, AutoTrader.com, and RaceTrac convenience stores before making her “pivot” to the startup world.
Lauren is passionate about helping early-stage technology companies launch their marketing programs. As Storyteller for Terminus, Lauren manages PR, marketing communications, and social media for the brand. 2016 was a big year for Lauren, as she helped Terminus win Best Place to Work from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Startup of the Year from the Atlanta Chapter of the American Marketing Association, and the TAG Social Savvy award. Terminus is her fourth startup in addition to Pretty Southern, and helping her husband, Kevin, with his car company Exomotive.
Twitter: @Pretty_Southern / @Terminus
Website: www.PrettySouthern.com / www.Terminus.com
Stefanie Diaz/Mastermind Your Launch
Stefanie Diaz has always had a keen ability for developing marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, but it’s her ability to position startups for accelerated momentum through personal branding and content marketing that has become the cornerstone to her professional success. Her background includes being a strategic adviser to CEO’s spanning startup phase to over $100 million in annual revenue. She has led strategic partnerships with global retailers and Fortune 500 companies, as well as facilitated multi-million dollar government contracts. There is something magnetic about the energy of startup founders that draws Stefanie in. They’re hungry, driven, and committed to making positive change for themselves and the greater community. After conducting over 60 interviews to date, Stefanie is excited to bring Mastermind Your Launch to the Business Radio X platform. Learn more at MastermindYourLaunch.com.
Melanie Romanaux/Somedia Solutions
Melanie leads a team of social media specialists who are passionate about connecting brands with their existing audience and reaching new audiences to:
– gain top of mind brand awareness
– provide excellent customer service
– share valuable information and remarkable content
– crowdsource to improve products and services
– develop community and loyalty among fans and followers
– establish credibility, trust, reliability, and consistency as a brand within social communities
– develop and nurture relationships with influential community members and every customer or client
Here’s how it works:
Somedia Solutions helps you form a strategy (based on their Discovery of your brand) that will place you in the right places (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Youtube, etc…) and attract prospects who will not only buy what you’re selling but who also will talk about you and recommend you to their friends, family, and colleagues.
When the strategy has been drafted and your goals are aligned – they help you execute that plan in 1 of 3 ways:
1. Training – they’re passionate about empowering business owners, athletes, entertainers, and authors to successfully and proactively navigate the social media waters
2. Consulting – your marketing team wants to work with Somedia to hear new and innovative ideas and strategies to create an even more engaging and remarkable brand experience for your fans on social networks. Bring them in for the day, pick their brains, and then your team can take those ideas and run with them.
3. Management – they’ll do the heavy lifting for you and manage all the points of a successful social media strategy:
– listening and monitoring
– responding to questions, customer service inquiries, and reaching out to new opportunities
– building your audience
– managing the conversation
– creating and publishing original content
– creating your social media policy
– reporting
Stefanie Diaz/Mastermind Your Launch
Stefanie Diaz has always had a keen ability for developing marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, but it’s her ability to position startups for accelerated momentum through personal branding and content marketing that has become the cornerstone to her professional success. Her background includes being a strategic adviser to CEO’s spanning startup phase to over $100 million in annual revenue. She has led strategic partnerships with global retailers and Fortune 500 companies, as well as facilitated multi-million dollar government contracts. There is something magnetic about the energy of startup founders that draws Stefanie in. They’re hungry, driven, and committed to making positive change for themselves and the greater community. After conducting over 60 interviews to date, Stefanie is excited to bring Mastermind Your Launch to the Business Radio X platform. Learn more at MastermindYourLaunch.com.
Candice Campbell/Nimble. Design Company
With nearly a decade of proven experience bringing connected brands to life in the built environment, Candice brings a strategic, thoughtful eye and holistic, experiential approach to every new engagement. Known for her relentless drive, meticulous attention to detail, and connected design approach, Candice has developed a reputation for delivering powerful brand experiences, and an undeterred level of Client service.
In 2014, Candice formed Nimble. A Design Consultancy to help clients realize and extend brand stories beyond the logo and into the built environment to differentiate, inspire and influence audience behavior.
Since formation, Nimble. has grown from one to an established team of four, producing award-winning, multi-disciplinary brand experiences for clients in real estate and hospitality. In under three years, Nimble. has launched over 75 new brands, led nearly 50 property repositioning campaigns, and traveled 1,000’s of miles to bring innovation and consistent brand exposure to projects in 13 core markets.
With a love for real estate, and a relentless drive to perfect the connection of brand to place, Candice leads strategic vision, art direction, and all signage and interiors work on behalf of Nimble.’s property repositioning projects and key accounts. She directs a growing internal team, and works closely with the firm’s external collaborating creative partners, to craft holistic brand experiences, spanning the gap of branding to built environment.
She is a proud Savannah College of Art and Design grad, holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. Outside of the studio, Candice enjoys spending time with her husband and son, Landon, endlessly renovating her 50’s ranch and experiencing design through travel.
https://www.nimbledesignco.com
https://twitter.com/nimbledesignco
Stefanie Diaz/Mastermind Your Launch
Stefanie Diaz has always had a keen ability for developing marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, but it’s her ability to position startups for accelerated momentum through personal branding and content marketing that has become the cornerstone to her professional success. Her background includes being a strategic adviser to CEO’s spanning startup phase to over $100 million in annual revenue. She has led strategic partnerships with global retailers and Fortune 500 companies, as well as facilitated multi-million dollar government contracts. There is something magnetic about the energy of startup founders that draws Stefanie in. They’re hungry, driven, and committed to making positive change for themselves and the greater community. After conducting over 60 interviews to date, Stefanie is excited to bring Mastermind Your Launch to the Business Radio X platform. Learn more at MastermindYourLaunch.com.
Mark Wyssbrod has intertwined quality of work with small business economics, the importance of financial position and a tax strategy. He is referred to as a Small Business CFO™. As an Eagle Scout, he understands the significance of being prepared and, as an economist; he understands the worth of being efficient.
Mark has lived in the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. This diverse background allows him to communicate well with individuals with different backgrounds, as well as understand their motivating factors. Mark has integrated improv in his business, which allows him to be a better active listener and to think creatively for “outside the box” solutions for his clients.
Mark earned his Bachelors of Science in Business and Economics with a concentration in Accounting at the University of Kentucky. He earned his Certified Public Accounting designation from Georgia in January 2002.
With an entrepreneurial spirit Mark has started several successful small businesses. A past business venture was the award winning Pro@ctive CPA. After attending a retreat in the spring of 2013 he made a decision to sell this company in order to spend more time with his family and community. Mark is a “local capitalist” and is a part owner of a local payroll company, sign company, water-collection and reuse company and development company.
Mark believes it is important to give back to his community and he does so with both his time and resources. Mark has been a temporary foster parent, a volunteer at a halfway house, supporter of numerous community activities and events (including the Alpharetta Veterans Memorial in 2015) and just completed his term as the co-chair of Leadership North Fulton. Prior to 2015, Mark volunteered over 180 hours per year; in 2015, Mark volunteered 494 hours; and in 2016 Mark volunteered over 600 hours. The increase in time invested in his community is a result of following a calling to selling his CPA firm and surviving a near-death event.
Mark has been recognized as a Business Person of Excellence by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce honored him as the 2013 Small Business Peron of the Year. This award was achieved for his focus on quality and commitment to his clients, team members and community. He has also been awarded the Five Star Wealth Manager Award for tax services since 2009 to 2013. In 2015, Mark was honored by the Georgia Society of CPA with the Public Service Award.
Jason Binder is a small business owner and independent financial planner for the firm Acolyte Advisors. He and his wife, Nicolette, have two daughters, Cecilia and Maggie. They enjoy attending local events like Food Truck Alley or taking the girls to the parks and greenway.
Jason has a passion for service within Alpharetta and the greater North Fulton area. Never one to sit back, he takes responsibility and works with others to make a difference for the community. His activities in the areas of community service, civic responsibility and economic development include the following:
- Working with area nonprofits and organizing projects as the Community Service Director for the Alpharetta Rotary Club. Jason was recently honored as the 2014 Alpharetta Rotarian of the Year.
- Appointed to the Alpharetta Design Review Board in 2012. The Design Review Board’s responsibility is to preserve Alpharetta’s historical and cultural character and enhance the city’s aesthetic value.
- Worked to bring Alpharetta’s community together as a co-organizer of multiple Day of Service events. Over 500 volunteers have gathered together to help beautify Alpharetta and support our local non-profit organizations.
- Led the development of the Alpharetta Business Academy for the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce.
- Serves on the Board of the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation to support our city’s First Responders.
- Completed the Georgia Academy for Economic Development in December 2014. Selected by the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce, the Academy’s multi-day regional program provides participants with an understanding of the complexities of economic and community development.
Guest: Brian Srikanchana/WorkReadyGrad
Brian Srikanchana is the Founder and CEO of WorkReadyGrad. He is an Atlanta native, graduate of Georgia Tech (Biomedical Engineering, 2008), and EdTech entrepreneur. While in college, Brian co-invented two medical devices: a piezo-electric gait monitor to help post-stroke patients re-learn how to walk, and a modified bronchoscope for use with quantum dots (quantum dots are fluorescent and bind to cancer cells, helping surgeons know where to cut when removing malignant tissue).
After college, Brian spent four years as an analyst within a long-short equity macro hedge fund. Inspired by his participation in Mentor Jackets, the alumni mentoring program at Georgia Tech, both as a mentee and later as a mentor, Brian founded WorkReadyGrad to scale mentorship to many more students while helping close the US Skills Gap.
WorkReadyGrad connects students with mentors to help them navigate their educational experience. Students will be better able to plan their futures so that upon graduation they are the ideal candidate for the job they’re seeking.
Joining Brian in the studio for the interview is Doug Rhoads, the COO of WorkReadyGrad.
Stefanie Diaz/Mastermind Your Launch
Stefanie Diaz has always had a keen ability for developing marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, but it’s her ability to position startups for accelerated momentum through personal branding and content marketing that has become the cornerstone to her professional success. Her background includes being a strategic adviser to CEO’s spanning startup phase to over $100 million in annual revenue. She has led strategic partnerships with global retailers and Fortune 500 companies, as well as facilitated multi-million dollar government contracts. There is something magnetic about the energy of startup founders that draws Stefanie in. They’re hungry, driven, and committed to making positive change for themselves and the greater community. After conducting over 60 interviews to date, Stefanie is excited to bring Mastermind Your Launch to the Business Radio X platform. Learn more at MastermindYourLaunch.com.
Jonathan Hessing
Jonathan is a firm believer and advocate for manifesting realities through positive thinking and energy. Through his life he has found that faith and confidence… and consistency will bring happiness to the mind, body, and spirit. Using this outlook he works with his co-founders to build a company whose platform enables users to make money, as well as view exciting live-streamed content.
Austin Schmidt
Austin is a creative thinker and marketing innovator. Family and friends play a big part in his life. Surrounding yourself with the right people is necessary. He believes that positive thinking and hustle are the keys to becoming successful. Believe in yourself to achieve something, but put in the work and hustle to earn it. Him and his co-founders are utilizing their complimentary skill sets to change the game in live streaming.
Zunair Ukani
Zunair is wanting to copy and paste Jonathan’s biography #twins. He also believes in the concept that everything happens for a reason, and that every occurrence serves a particular purpose into molding an individual into the way he or she is at in their present state. He also believes that the core of human spirituality stems from universal energy in which the manifestation of a desired reality can actually develop. He, alongside his co-founders, aspire to become one of the largest tech leaders from the East Coast. There are only “W’s” for winning, and “L’s” for learning… there is no “losing”.
On this episode, Stefanie had the pleasure of sitting down with Andrew Egenes and Phillip Naples of Unbrokerage. Listen as they share why Unbrokerage is the easiest way for business owners to purchase and manage their business insurance.
Phillip Naples and Andrew Egenes/Unbrokerage
Phillip is a 15 year veteran of the insurance industry. He has worked with hundreds of companies and realized the challenges they faced when buying commercial insurance. He is now a recovering broker that is redefining the way companies purchase and manage their insurance. When he’s not flipping the insurance industry on its head, he enjoys spending time with his family, riding bicycles, and coaching run club at a local elementary school.
Andrew is a 10 year marketing and technology veteran with experience in a wide range of areas including e-commerce and business process automation. Andrew has an affinity and love for taking on the challenges faced by many of today’s Internet-based businesses. In his spare time, he enjoys obsessing over the Atlanta Braves, traveling the world with his wife and daughter, and disconnecting in the North Georgia mountains.
https://twitter.com/unbrokerage
Stefanie Diaz/Mastermind Your Launch
Stefanie Diaz has always had a keen ability for developing marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, but it’s her ability to position startups for accelerated momentum through personal branding and content marketing that has become the cornerstone to her professional success. Her background includes being a strategic adviser to CEO’s spanning startup phase to over $100 million in annual revenue. She has led strategic partnerships with global retailers and Fortune 500 companies, as well as facilitated multi-million dollar government contracts. There is something magnetic about the energy of startup founders that draws Stefanie in. They’re hungry, driven, and committed to making positive change for themselves and the greater community. After conducting over 60 interviews to date, Stefanie is excited to bring Mastermind Your Launch to the Business Radio X platform. Learn more at MastermindYourLaunch.com
An economist by training, Andrew began his career in financial services sales and marketing. Andrew and his close friend Gareth explored a number of ideas before identifying the unparalleled potential of Trust Stamp. Although Trust Stamp is Andrew’s first startup, he has immersed himself in the lean-startup environment by completing incubator programs through Founder’s Space in San Francisco, QC FinTech in Charlotte and NAR REach in Chicago. Each of these programs has provided a different perspective and honed a different set of startup skills.
Since Trust Stamp founding in November 2015, he has worked with Gareth to develop the core functionality of Trust Stamp as the CEO. His daily focus is on business development. Andrew believes he has fantastic team members who are experts in sales and marketing and it is his task to coordinate them into a cohesive strategy that drives revenue!
He is a firm believer that, “the geek shall inherit the earth” and Trust Stamp has greatly deepened his knowledge of technology including blockchain, machine learning, and cyber security.
In his leisure time, he and his wife are amateur foodies. On Saturday mornings, he can often be found watching Premier League soccer and in the evenings he and Gareth enjoy sampling new whiskeys and cigars.
Website https://truststamp.net/
On this episode host Stefanie Diaz gets a peek at the driving force who is stimulating innovation and investing in the Atlanta and Alpharetta tech communities. Listen as Arul Murugan, CEO of Eleven Eleven Investments, shares his vision for bringing startups, seasoned investors, and new investors to the table to accelerate success for all.
Arul Murugan/Eleven-Eleven Investments
Arul Murugan is the Founder and CEO of the innovation-driven venture capital firm, Eleven Eleven Investments (11-11i). Prior to 11-11i, he founded the technology company Enrich which ranked on the Inc 500 list for 5 consecutive years. During his tenure with Enrich, Arul was named a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award – South East Region. He also received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from B2B Magazine and was named Top 10 Tamil Entrepreneur by The Federation of Tamil Sangams in North America (FeTNA). As the visionary behind 11-11i, Arul created the 50-30-20 model to increase the value and approachability in venture capital investing. Portfolio investments include startup teams in advanced manufacturing, fintech, IoT, and augmented reality who are transforming industries through emerging technologies. Learn more at 11-11i.com
Nick Santora is the founder and CEO at Curricula. Curricula is a cyber security company that helps teach other companies how to not get hacked. The Curricula team develops short animated stories that teach organizations and their people about cyber security. The Aware platform tracks the entire learner experience including analytics on learner behaviors. Curricula’s mission is to put an end to “death by PowerPoint” by providing a turn key cyber security educational experience for its customers.
In today’s podcast we talk to Christian Zimmerman, Founder of Qoins. Qoins is a new way to conquer your debt. Use the spare change from each checking account transaction to automatically pay off your debt. Christian, only 23 years old, has worked in the startup world for the last 2 years. Today he shares his journey to leverage his experience to launch an app of his own.
Not featured in the interview, but another important member of the Qoins team is Co-Founder Nate Washington. Nate is 25 years old and an award-winning programmer.
I had the pleasure of connecting with this dynamic duo at Atlanta Tech Village’s Startup Village where they did an amazing job of pitching and demoing the platform.
Mission: The average household carries nearly $50k in student loan debt alone. With statistics like that, you can imagine that today’s college grads have to be more focused than ever on managing and paying down debt. Christian is no different, except that he saw an opportunity to make it easier to tackle this big problem.
Masterminds: Community is everything. From Atlanta Tech Village to Switchyards, Christian shares the local startup communities that have helped Qoins gain so much momentum so quickly.
Named Top 5 Agent company wide at Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, with awards such as “Best Realtor in Atlanta,” Jereis a highly sought-after real estate agent who speaks and inspires others to reach their full potential. While overseeing her growing real estate business in the prestigious areas of Buckhead and Brookhaven, Jere speaks to, teaches, enjoys and is energized by assisting other real estate agents reach their own goals.
Samantha Hodgkins is Founder & Chief FireStarter of SparkFire Active, a new line of performance activewear clothing designed exclusively for teen girls in just-right styles, colors and custom-sizing to fit & flatter their developing bodies and to support life in motion. From working out to adventuring out, SparkFire Active helps girls move freely and feel strong so they’re always ready to step off the sidelines, get into the game, and PLAY HARD, DREAM BIG! There is a fire within every girl, ready to ignite with strength, confidence and passion. Let that light shine bright and BE THE SPARK!
Mission: Being the mom, Samantha has a front row seat to the challenges teen girls face and just how sensitive their self esteem can be at such a critical time. She also watched as her wardrobe of athletic wear was constantly disappearing into her teen daughter’s closet… It wasn’t long before she soon connected to the mission for SparkFire Active.
Mindset: As her idea began to grow, Samantha knew she needed a sounding board. She approached several people close to her and was encouraged by what she heard. The idea was resonating and that sparked the courage to begin taking real action.
Marketing: The ideal client for SparkFire Active is someone who is as inspired by the clothing as they are the social impact that this company is making. Listen as Samantha shares how she connected and aligned with to international organizations that are giving teenage girls the education that would otherwise be out of reach.
Masterminds: Samantha has quickly placed herself in the middle of the movers and shakers of Atlanta’s startup scene. SparkFire is one of only 15 companies selected to participate in the City of Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative. She is also a member of the consumer-focused Switchyards coworking place.
Mastermind Challenge: I loved Samantha’s story about connecting to the right manufactures and suppliers. She could have easily handed over the reigns to those who were more knowledgeable about the process, but she stayed close to the process and even educated them on what was possible. If you’ve started to let go or outsource part of your process, take some time to check in and make sure things are running as if you you intend them too. Getting help is wonderful, but not an excuse to take your eye off the ball.
Drew Massie is the founder of AttorneyFone, a service for generating new business for lawyers. He has been an entrepreneur for 17 years and is a graduate of the Chicago Booth School of Business. He currently lives in Denver with his wife and 3 children.
Mission: AttorneyFone is the result of an evolution of technology that Drew created many years ago. Seeing the opportunity and value for this new vertical, he launched the new platform.
Mindset: Keep it simple. After working with over 20 startups, Drew has been behind the scenes and had a front row seat to enough successes and failures to know that the biggest pitfall is trying to do too much. Listen as he shares his perspective on where people misinterpret the goal of the minimum viable product (MVP).
Marketing: Content marketing has been key for the growth of AttorneyFone. I love how Drew describes the shift in mindset that’s required here. Rather than keeping all of his experience and expertise hidden, Drew’s found that sharing what he’s learned and accomplished along the way to work in his favor for building relationships and growing the business.
Management: Being a tech guy a heart, it can be a challenge to master all of the aspects of running a business. Drew shares in detail his methods for staying connected to the bigger picture and staying on track execution.
Mastermind Challenge. Keep it SIMPLE. What big project are you working on right now? Take a second look and ask yourself if you’re overthinking it, or making it more complicated. How can it be refined down to it’s more powerful and concise form?...
Kimberly Lexow is an entrepreneur and full-time adventurer. After working in the tech space for a decade, Lexow co-founded Sifted, an experiential lunch provider for startups. Lexow expedites the sales process by identifying destination workplaces like Lyft, Salesloft and Eventbrite that see chef-made lunches as a universal perk. When she's not growing the business or networking at the Atlanta Tech Village, the full-time hustler is centering her work and personal life by backpacking Big Sur or Yosemite.
When Jess Legge co-founded Sifted, she led branding and design. Today, she drives growth by doubling everyone's goals and building models that have allowed the company to hit $1.5M in ARR in under two years. She manages the cash as a bootstrapped company, positioning Sifted to add 20+ employees and enter two markets in 16 months, all while remaining profitable. She's most proud of the team her and partner have created and the tech communities they support.
Mission: The idea for Sifted was still a work-in-progress when Kimberly and Jess began taking it to prospective clients. Listen as they share the story of how one client’s feedback provided the clarity needed to solidify the business model they have today.
Mindset: I was in shock when I heard that Sifted when from concept to first sale in ONE WEEK. It’s obvious that these women are action takers and have a mindset of focused effort to execute on ideas.
Marketing: As you can imagine, food prep and catering can be much more complex than a simple, service-based business. Hear about the early days of Sifted and how they create an M.V.P. model (Minimum Viable Product) in order to deliver an amazing product without a huge upfront investment.
Momentum: Often times the key to getting momentum comes from having the right idea from the beginning. Kimberly and Jess knew just how much startups value company culture. It was the connection to this core focus that made them the obvious choice for companies like Lyft, Salesloft, and Eventbrite.
Mastermind Challenge: Take the fast track. I loved the story of how Sifted went from concept to first sale in one week. Today, they’ve reached $1.5M in less than 2 years. It’s obvious that Kimberly and Jess are ready to roll up their sleeves and make things happen quickly. If you’ve got an idea that’s been rolling around, or a to-do list that never seems to move the needle, take a cue from these incredible women and find the fast track. Get in front of clients and investors, build the systems, and make yourself known. Time is money, so don’t waste one day not giving your business your 100% best.
Brittni Adams is the founder and designer of Whitby Handbags, a socially conscious luxury handbag line dedicated to preventing the exploitation of girls around the world through education, namely: Haiti, Iraq, Peru and Thailand.
Brittni founded Whitby in 2014 after two years of extensive research on the topic of modern-day slavery and its correlation to the widespread problem of girls not having access to educational opportunities due to gender discrimination, religion, or poverty.
Brittni has B.A. in mass communication, public relations from Georgia College and State University, and a master’s certificate in nonprofit management from the University of North Carolina. Brittni lives in Brookhaven (Atlanta) with her husband Jeremy and golden retriever puppy Magnolia. Apart from Whitby she is the co-founder of Atlanta Women Entrepreneurs and mentors high school girls at Passion City Church.
Mission: It’s no small task that Brittni has taken on… I loved her statement about always having the “capacity to dream”. This is so often what holds people back - not being able to visualize the possibilities right in front of them.
Mindset: Can you imagine someone launching a fashion company with no fashion experience? With so many firsts and lessons learned along the way, Brittni shares how she was able to keep moving forward putting one foot in front of the other.
Marketing: “Throw a party”. That was the advice that Brittni implemented during her launch and it turned out to be a great success. Listen as she shares the story of the launch party and why it made all the difference.
Masterminds: Community makes all the difference… Brittni shares the impact that Atlanta’s Plywood People community has made along her journey.
Mastermind Challenge: I love Brittni’s story about the launch party for Whitby and how it really changed the momentum of her business. Having hosted many events for MYL, I know that there’s nothing like the energy of bringing people together. How can you create an event around your business that allows people to enjoy an experience that forever reminds them of you and your mission?
Tres Crow is a Business Consultant with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the CEO and Co-Founder of City Data Company, creators of the event mapping technology Walkabout, writer, and advocate for sustainable design, architecture, and economic policy, and the small businesses that make it all possible.
He’s an experienced professional with 10 years of sales, marketing, and management experience. Tres has a BA in History from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, and finished his MBA at the University of West Georgia, where he was inducted into the prestigious Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society.
Mission: By observing how communities and event organizers and attendees were limited by the functionality of Google Maps, Tres began working on an idea that would make finding event specific information (like parking, concert stage locations, and food options) accessible from your smartphone.
Mindset: Seeing the unique value and opportunity to impact his community, Tres got busy assembling the team to being Walkabout App to life.
Marketing: The challenge with Walkabout App is the many players involved… there is the event organizer, vendors, sponsors and more. Tres and his team have made a focused effort to make the end user experience for the event attendee as seamless as possible in order to drive usage and create a viral element to the app.
Mastermind Challenge: I love that the inspiration for Walkabout App came from noticing the limitations of the platform as big as Google Maps. How can you take a look at what the big guys are doing to carve out your own niche in the marketplace?
In episode 55, we hear from Connor Ford, CEO of Spirit App and soon-to-be freshman at Georgia Tech. That’s right, this edu-tech CEO hasn’t even taken his first college course yet...
Connor share’s his journey to develop the tech company Spirit App at the age of 15 and all of the early signs that predicted his success.
It’s so inspiring to watch a bright, young person like Connor execute his vision with such precision and confidence.
Mission: As a 15 year old high school student, Connor noticed a pain point in the way that his school tracked student participation at events. Connecting the dots, he discovered that he could leverage technology to create an app that would solve the problem. With that, Spririt App was born.
Mindset: Connor attributes his curiosity and love of tinkering with giving him the confidence and base of knowledge to tackle a project like Spirit App at such a young age. Listen to hear a hilarious story of one project that actually had him tearing up the walls in his house. A fun surprise for his mother, no doubt!
Marketing: Being that his demographic of users are school-aged, Connor wisely took to social media is gained an online marketing presence. He’s recently launched a blog as well with hopes that providing value to teachers and administration will lead to increased leads and users.
Momentum: Like so many, Connor marks getting his first client as a big milestone in his journey to launch. There’s definitely something special about getting that first taste of validation and proving that you’re idea has value in the marketplace.
Masterminds: Connor has made an intentional effort to get connected within the Alpharetta tech community. Alpharetta, Georgia is the Technology City of the South and offers incredible resources to local startups, including Alpharetta Technology Commission's Innovation Center.
Mastermind Challenge: I’m completely in awe of Connor’s confidence to take action at such a young age. Do you know a young person that’s revealed a certain talent, leadership ability, or curiosity. What if you carve out some time this week to listen to their ideas and desires and offer insights to help them along the way? Imagine the impact that one conversation could have! Let’s create a world with more Connors :)
Since his adult life Dan has refused to accept the concept of limitation and strives to help others to discover the limitless possibilities that life has to offer whilst assisting individuals and businesses to take charge of their destinies. Dan is recognised for his selfless contribution and ability to motivate and create positive change within individuals and business. His high-energy, passionate delivery inspires and engages audiences to step beyond any perceived limits, empowering them with the motivation to become an UNSTOPPABLE ENTREPRENEUR.
After 7 years of working with one the world’s largest financial services organisations and working alongside thousands of businesses, Dan identified patterns of behaviour that either leads to business success or failure. Dan has also had the privilege of modelling the strategies of some of the global authorities in the fields of network marketing, internet marketing business growth and the psychology of peak performance.
Dan’s experience, coupled with his undeniable thirst for constant and never ending improvement and the most up to date practical knowledge in the areas of business growth, leadership and peak performance, is rapidly making him a trusted and highly sought-after advisor and consultant to a new generation of entrepreneurs, leaders & inspired thinkers.
Mission: Dan is on a mission to push his boundaries and create something innovative. Inspired by trailblazers like Steve Jobs, he’s constantly studying entrepreneurial pioneers to gain inspiration and ideas.
Mindset: It all boils down to how much you believe in yourself. You will achieve as much as your mind believes. Dan shares the story of the moment he realized that he was sabotaging his own success and the root cause was his own lack of belief. Luckily, he also shares he turned it around and how you can too.
Marketing: Dan shares that “Clarity is Power”. Getting clear on your talents, who you serve, and then engage the market to confirm. It’s the part of engaging that will give you the feedback you need to move forward. The answers won’t come from thinking over the plan, they come from taking action.
Momentum: Serving his first clients gave Dan the confirmation and momentum he needed to move forward with full force. Seeing firsthand the impact and shifts he helped his clients achieve, it became obvious that he was on the right path.
Masterminds: Listen as Dan shares his the story behind his first mastermind experience which consisted of a group of men who all thought the same way and within the group felt understood.
Mastermind Challenge: I love Dan’s story about putting pen to paper and being truthful with himself about what he desired and his belief in himself to get there. This is a great exercise for all of us at any point in our lives and business.
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http://www.howtofascinate.com/ - A resource mentioned during the show
Yaystack is word-of-mouth referral marketing in a digital platform that reaches further faster than traditional methods. We simply reward sharing. Our native app and online e-commerce tool enable sellers of nearly any product or service to offer "thank-yous" (promotions, freebies, and discounts) to their buyers only once they have been shared via text or social media. This share-to-get model empowers advertising through buyers to their friends (and their friends, etc.) in an automated viral system. (What business doesn't want to easily reach their buyers' friends?) Gone are the days the age-old discount incentivizes merely one buyer per transaction. With Yaystack, businesses can now leverage the same value to purchase the Holy Grail of marketing (WOM) and get more than 10x return on their investment - now in their buyers, not banners! We monetize trust for both parties. Our mission is to strengthen economy by elevating quality business. Not only do we accomplish this in our model, but we also make it easy to donate to charities that build struggling economies globally.
Mission: As a music producer, Trey found that his business grew organically through referrals. It was actually a Target commercial that reveales to him just how powerful sharing is to marketers; however, no one had a way of rewarded the sharer with a piece of the pie. Enter Yaystack…
Mindset: When Trey first connected to the idea for Yaystack, he knew that in order to pursue the opportunity, he needed to leave the music world behind. Amazingly, when he announced his retirement from the industry, his dream clients began to come forward asking to work with him. His faith was truly tested, but he stuck to his decision and moved forward with developing the platform.
Marketing: Trey actually shares that the name Yaystack came through his work with an Atlanta-based branding company, http://matchstic.com/. The first name, Community Commerce, while fitting of the goal, wasn’t the best marketing play for the long-term growth of the platform.
Masterminds: Hear as Trey reveals a power-packed team that has joined him to launch Yaystack. I think it just goes to show how much potential this platform has to revolutionize how businesses, large and small, market to consumers.
Mastermind Challenge: I loved Trey’s story about being approached by his dream clients just as he was leaving the music industry. I’ve seen it so many times… when we lock onto a big idea, our commitment will be tested. What roadblocks seem to be coming up for you? Do you feel differently when you view them as not a block, but a test of your commitment?
Erez Weinstein is a lifelong entrepreneur in diverse industries, tech and non-tech. Currently, Erez is working on new ways to create hospitality brands in the sharing economy space and a new approach to define schools position in the community. By challenging the current business model and structure of private schools, Erez aims to create a tuition free, self-funded education hub providing new opportunities for students, teachers, investors and entrepreneurs.
Mission: Being a father himself, Erez is invested in the educational system that is molding his children's minds. Seeing a large gap between the way that kids are taught and the skills needed for adults to succeed, Erez connected to an idea for making a shift. Developing a strong base of knowledge for what is currently being done, he connected to the idea for a new educational system and a path to bring that idea to reality.
Mindset: It's easy to see how passionate Erez is about this innovative idea. While he's not blind to the road ahead, he's focused on building a team of like-minded influencers that can share in the vision and bring it to reality.
Marketing: Once launched, Erez envisions that the success of the students will drive demand for enrollment. Imagine a high school graduate accepting a $45k offer from Google upon graduate. That could become, not the exception, but the norm, when project-based learning is implemented on this level.
Masterminds: I love Erez's description of the value and relevancy behind project-based learning. His comparison between the current day focus on individual achievement in school, versus the real-world success of building the right team.
Mastermind Challenge: Project-based learning has a lot of similarity to group masterminds. Do you have a specific goal that your working towards? Revenue target, number of blogs to create, number of clients to onboard... what if you stop leaning on just yourself and your own self-motivation and great an amazing group to hold you accountable and become your sounding board? This is your mastermind, and it will make all the difference. Click the link below to check out our upcoming FREE masterminds happening here in Atlanta.
Kristen Stocks is the founder of Kids Boost, a non-profit organization designed to help kids give back to the world using their gifts, talents and passions.
Mission: To empower kids to give back to the community while learning business skills and experiencing entrepreneurship for themselves. In this episode she shares the story of Jared, a former patient at the children’s hospital where she works, who inspired it all.
Mindset: Kristen actually had the idea for Kids Boost for several years before taking action. Hear her describe how starting small helped her to finally launch her big idea.
Marketing: “What I didn’t think I was ready for was all that I needed and more.” Kristen shares the marketing moment she did quite feel ready for and how it helped get the word out in a big way.
Momentum: Now out of the launch phase, Kristen is enjoying hearing the stories and feedback from some of Kids Boost’s first graduates. Seeing her idea come to life and impact kids is giving her and Kids Boost momentum for the next chapter.
Masterminds: From the inspiration for it all, Jared, to her board members, and friends and family. Kristen shares what it means to surround yourself with a dream team and why it’s so important.
"When they forget about you, you introduce them to something you've been trying to give them the whole time"
Rasa Don, together with former Arrested Development band mate Headliner, are the masterminds behind the artistic experience, Creative Royalty. Bringing together music, art, literature, and so much more to give fans an experience like no other.
Rasa Don is best known as the drummer for the Grammy award winning band, Arrested Development. You will quickly hear that his artistic expression goes far beyond drumming. Ras has spent his career making music and art. In this interview, he shares the lessons learned with Arrested Development and the challenges of launching a new project. Rasa Don says, "Trust me, it's worth the wait".
Ofelia de La Valette, owner and founder of Dance 101 didn’t find her calling to the dance world until the age of 35. A successful insurance agent with her own company in Atlanta, Ofelia had been pounding away on the treadmill at her gym when the sounds of a cardio dance class caught her attention. Though humiliated at her own lack of skill, Ofelia jumped right in. Despite her embarrassment at being the worst in the class, Ofelia found a strengthened sense of self and scorched 20 pounds in the process. She was hooked.
After 10 years of intensive dancing, she was asked to teach a class at Emory University, and after two years there, she took a huge leap. At the request of five of her students, Ofelia dropped her lucrative career and opened the original Dance 101 location off of Miami Circle in Buckhead. The first studio of its kind in the WORLD, Dance 101’s unique offerings and accessibility made it an instant hit.
Ofelia teaches weekly dance classes and manages all aspects of the business. Currently, she is working on expanding her studio both locally and nationally. Driven by a passion for dance and an innate need to make the world a better place, Ofelia has picked up numerous awards in her years at the helm of Dance 101. With the advent of her new Alpharetta location, Ofelia is looking to develop Dance 101 into a franchise—so fellow dance fanatics can reap the benefits of adult beginner classes nationwide.
Her efforts have been featured in several local as well as national publications, webisodes, podcasts and recently in CNN Small Success Stories, Passion to Portfolio, Making It In America (both CNN domestic and International) as well as Headline News. In July, 2011 Ofelia was invited by the White House to deliver the afternoon key note speech at the Atlanta Urban Entrepreneurship Forum and was presented with The Phoenix Award by Mayor Kasim Reed. She was recently featured in the top 10 Atlanta Best Self magazine’s Over 40 and Fabulous Atlantans and was one of 50 women profiled in Marlo Thomas’s book, It Ain’t Over…Till It’s Over.
Ofelia is providing the public with an opportunity to do for themselves what, until now, they could only watch others do on TV: to make their own leap — from their living room to a classroom, from the audience to the stage. Listen and prepare to be transformed by the power of dance at Dance 101!
Calvin Wayman is a social media entrepreneur. He's a sought after speaker, featured guest on business-, entrepreneur-, and social media podcasts, contributor for Entrepreneur Magazine, and founder of Cobbes – a social media management company. He is also the creator of the YouTube show "Millionaire Case Study," where he is documenting his journey from zero to his first one million dollars as it's happening.
After quitting his day job to pursue his dream of working for himself, Calvin Wayman relocated from Salt Lake City to sunny southern California. He sold door to door to stretch his comfort zone, pay the bills, and fund his online business. Calvin’s passion is helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses by taking advantage of modern tools and technology.
Mission: Calvin admits that he knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur, but had no clue exactly what his business would be. Inspired by the success of early adopters on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Calvin saw an opportunity to get in early with Periscope. Just by taking action towards this idea, he gained momentum, earned his first dollar online, and found his calling to help more businesses market in today's digital marketplace.
Mindset: This is a must listen. Calvin shares his incredible perspective on taking action and crushing fear. Listen as he describes with total transparency how he made the decision to take the leap into entrepreneurship.
Marketing: Calvin gives his 4 C's of social media success.
1 - Content: "Without content, you do not exist". Share your story and let people know who you are.
2 - Context: The way you frame a certain message is hugely important.
3 - Consistency: In both your story and your frequency, staying consistent is what will help you to be remembered.
4 - Connection: This is the reason we do social media. Make an effort to build a real relationship with your audience.
Mastermind Challenge: Calvin shares that the magic happens outside your comfort zone. From taking cold showers to laying down on the floor at Starbucks, he is constantly running experiments to test his own limits to go outside his comfort zone. This week, find something that makes you uncomfortable and just do it knowing that your ability to push through fear on the little things will 100% impact your ability to push through fear on the bigger things.