John Ray, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

Bruce Orr, ProNovos

October 31, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Bruce Orr, ProNovos

00:00 /

Bruce Orr, ProNovos (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 557)

Bruce Orr, Founder and CEO of ProNovos, joined host John Ray in-studio to discuss his company’s difference making data analytics software for construction contractors. Bruce discussed how and why he formed the company, the problems construction companies have which ProNovos solves, why he partners with CPA firms to deliver their services, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

ProNovos

Bruce Orr founded Atlanta-based ProNovos in 2012 after hearing a construction CFO recount her frustration at running 40 different siloed applications, with missed opportunities for higher-order analysis.

Having filled data analytics roles at Citibank, AT&T, P&G, Kronos, and WiPro Technologies, Orr knew there was a better way.

The construction intelligence cloud he created now empowers contractors nationwide to rely on real-time information rather than guesstimates. In the field, they use ProNovos to record and share photos, drawings, submittals, daily reports, RFIs, crew and equipment resources, and more. Back at the office, they gain insights by pulling data into the platform from a wide array of project and financial apps.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Bruce Orr, CEO and Chief Data Scientist, ProNovos

Bruce Orr is the founder and Chief Data Scientist of ProNovos Construction Analytics. Following his passion for data, problem-solving, and construction, he launched the Atlanta-based tech startup with the sole mission of helping contractors embrace Business Intelligence best practices.

Orr had previously filled analytics-related positions such as Chief Data Architect for Citibank’s Singapore operations; Principal Information Architect/Senior Consultant for Wipro Technologies; Analytics Architect for the software giant Kronos; and Data Warehouse Manager for Procter & Gamble Co. Orr has contributed to industry research by Dodge Data & Analytics and periodically speaks about the subject for CFMA and other organizations. He has authored analytics-related columns for the likes of Construction Business Owner, Retrofit Magazine and AEC-Business.com.

Orr continues to seek constant improvement and is on the leading edge of academic research into construction data analytics, having signed a research partnership agreement with Colorado State University in 2019. Orr is a member of CFMA, the Data Warehouse Institute, the American Subcontractors Association and the Associated General Contractors of America. Orr is deeply involved in ongoing efforts to improve construction industry performance and resilience through greater Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

He is the current Chair of CFMA’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and previously served on the organization’s D&I Task Force, launched in 2020. In recognition of this work, Orr was awarded a 2020-21 CFMA Chairman’s Challenge Coin.

Questions and Topics in the Interview:

Why build a data analytics startup in construction?
What were/are your biggest hurdles in the process?
How are you navigating the issues with recruiting and retaining good people?
Tell us about your strategy for partnering with CPA firms. Why did you decide to do that?

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.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked-from-scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Pricing and Self-Limiting Beliefs

October 31, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Pricing and Self-Limiting Beliefs

00:00 /

Pricing and Self-Limiting Beliefs

One of the biggest problems solo and small firm professional services providers have with their pricing is self-limiting beliefs. What’s the solution? Value pricing.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

John Ray: [00:00:00] Hello, I’m John Ray on The Price and Value Journey. In my work, I find that the problems low and small firm professional services providers have with their pricing often starts with the narratives that they carry around internally.

John Ray: [00:00:18] Pricing for services providers is a very personal thing. When the factory floor is essentially between the years, it gets personal. You’re not pricing a can of green beans. You’re pricing yourself whether you’re a web designer, an accountant, or a consultant. Pricing yourself by pricing the service you produce draws that more emotions than just what’s on the surface. Services providers can be affected by self-limiting beliefs that are a result of the narratives which have been poured into their head, sometimes all the way back to childhood.

John Ray: [00:00:56] Here’s one example, “I’m not good enough.” Maybe you heard that from a parent or a teacher or some other adult authority figure in your childhood, and it’s shouting at you today. Maybe you’re even hearing it today from a spouse or some other person in your life that you listen to more than you should. You’ve internalized that messaging and it feels like it’s deep in your bones, because it is.

John Ray: [00:01:25] Then, while you have enough confidence to go ahead and start your business, you do so with the notion that you need to discount to attract clients. You’ll be able to put up your prices later, you think, when you’re “established”. Well, that strategy doesn’t work out the way you thought it would, and the business stalls out. You end up attracting clients who aren’t the best fit and you don’t know what to do. Maybe it gets to the point where you start blaming yourself and reinforcing the negative self-talk that was there to begin with.

John Ray: [00:02:02] So, what’s the solution? Well, I think it starts with value pricing. Value pricing is setting your price to capture just a small piece of the value that clients recognize for themselves and are therefore willing to pay for. Understand that value pricing has nothing to do with what you believe your service is worth. It’s not about you or what you consciously or subconsciously think. It’s about the client and their perception of the value of the outcomes you deliver.

John Ray: [00:02:34] One way to think about value pricing is that it allows you to evade and cancel out whatever self-talk hold you back. Shifting instead toward a client-based perspective on the worth of your services. That shift takes you from what you do to what the client needs, hopes, dreams about for themselves in their business and their family.

John Ray: [00:03:01] And then, if you and that client work together and bring about that lasting change, what’s the value of that transformation? When you price to receive just a small piece of that perceived value the client has visualized and agreed to, then you’ll invariably end up with better pricing for your service’s business. And your confidence changes because you’ve shifted toward allowing clients to determine your value instead of the voices in your head.

John Ray: [00:03:33] I’m John Ray on The Price and Value Journey. Past episodes of this series can be found at pricevaluejourney.com. And I’d be honored if you’d subscribe to the show, you can find it on all the major podcast platforms. You can also email me, john@johnray.co. Thank you for joining me.

About The Price and Value Journey

The title of this show describes the journey all professional services providers are on: building a services practice by seeking to convince the world of the value we offer, helping clients achieve the outcomes they desire and trying to do all that at pricing which reflects the value we deliver.

If you feel like you’re working too hard for too little money in your solo or small firm practice, this show is for you. Even if you’re reasonably happy with your practice, you’ll hear ways to improve both your bottom line as well as the mindset you bring to your business.

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray The Price and Value Journey — **John Ray, Host of “The Price and Value Journey”**

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneur and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their “grey matter,” such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.

In his other business, John is a Studio Owner, Producer, and Show Host with Business RadioX®, and works with business owners who want to do their own podcast. As a veteran B2B services provider, John’s special sauce is coaching B2B professionals to use a podcast to build relationships in a non-salesy way which translate into revenue.

John is the host of North Fulton Business Radio, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Radio, Alpharetta Tech Talk, and Business Leaders Radio. house shows which feature a wide range of business leaders and companies. John has hosted and/or produced over 1,600 podcast episodes.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Greg Freuler, FreeForm Brush

October 28, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Greg Freuler, FreeForm Brush

00:00 /

LIVE from HAVEN 2022: Greg Freuler, FreeForm Brush (Organization Conversation, Episode 46)

Greg Freuler, Founder and President of FreeForm Brush, joined host Richard Grove live from HAVEN Conference 2022. Greg discussed the development of the FreeForm Brush, how he grows his business, recent supply chain issues, the next exciting product coming, and much more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the 2022 HAVEN Conference held at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia.

Organization Conversation is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Greg Freuler, Founder and President, FreeForm Brush

FreeForm Founder and President Greg Freuler, an industrial designer, discovered the one job he dreaded most was painting. The centuries-old paintbrush design caused his hand to cramp and eventually led to carpal tunnel syndrome. He set out on a mission to redefine the paintbrush.

Two-and-a-half years and nearly 100 prototypes later, the patented Grip-Free Paintbrush was born.

Why Use a Grip-Free Paintbrush?

Holding a conventional paintbrush with a pinch grip causes a chain reaction of tensing muscles all the way from your fingers to your neck. It’s like driving your car with the emergency brake for hours. With a Grip-Free Paintbrush, your fingers are relaxed, allowing the arm and shoulder to relax. This means a steadier hand for superior control and greatly reduced fatigue.

With a Grip-Free Paintbrush, as you apply more pressure to the work surface with the bristles, it locks tighter to your hand, requiring virtually no grip pressure. The brush is elevated, providing visibility to the work surface without compensation and without pain.

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

About Organization Conversation

Organization Conversation is hosted by Richard Grove 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.

About Richard Grove

Richard Grove, Host, *Organization Conversation*

Richard Grove‘s background is in engineering but what he enjoys most is brand building through relationships and creative marketing. Richard began his career with the Department of Defense as an engineer on the C-5 Galaxy Engineering Team based out of Warner Robins. While Richard found this experience both rewarding and fulfilling, he always knew deep down that he wanted to return to the small family business that originally triggered his interest in engineering.

Richard came to work for the family business, Dekalb Tool & Die, in 2008 as a Mechanical Engineer. At the time Wall Control was little more than a small ‘side hustle’ for Dekalb Tool & Die to try to produce some incremental income. There were no “Wall Control” employees, just a small warehouse with a single tool and die maker that would double as an “order fulfillment associate” on the occasion that the original WallControl.com website, which Richard’s grandmother built, pulled in an order.

In 2008, it became apparent that for the family business to survive they were going to have to produce their own branded product at scale to ensure jobs remained in-house and for the business to continue to move forward. Richard then turned his attention from tool and die to Wall Control to attempt this necessary pivot and his story with Wall Control began. Since that time, Richard has led Wall Control to significant growth while navigating two recessions.

Outside of Richard’s work at Wall Control he enjoys helping other business owners, operators, and entrepreneurs along their own paths to success by offering personal business coaching and advising through his website ConsultantSmallBusiness.com. Richard has developed an expansive and unique skillset growing and scaling Wall Control through a multitude of challenges to the successful brand and company it is today. Richard is happy to share his knowledge and experience with others who are looking to do the same within their own businesses.

Connect with Richard:

Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Richard’s Website

About Wall Control

The Wall Control story began in 1968 in a small tool & die shop just outside Atlanta, Georgia. The first of three generations began their work in building a family-based US manufacturer with little more than hard work and the American Dream.

Over the past 50+ years, this family business has continued to grow and expand from what was once a small tool & die shop into an award-winning US manufacturer of products ranging from automobile components to satellite panels and now, the best wall-mounted tool storage system available today, Wall Control.

The Wall Control brand launched in 2003 and is a family-owned and operated business that not only produces a high-quality American Made product but sees the entire design, production, and distribution process happen under their own roof in Tucker, Georgia. Under that same roof, three generations of American Manufacturing are still hard at work creating the best tool storage products available today.

Connect with Wall Control:

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

IT Due Diligence in a Merger

October 28, 2022 by John Ray

Advisory Insights Podcast

IT Due Diligence in a Merger

00:00 /

IT Due Diligence in a Merger (Advisory Insights Podcast, Episode 15)

In this episode of Advisory Insights, Stuart Oberman with Oberman Law Firm discussed the importance of cybersecurity in today’s business world. He stressed the need for businesses to do their due diligence in evaluating potential acquisition targets, why he recommends a cybersecurity risk assessment, and cautioned IT and HR professionals to be aware of the risks involved in handling sensitive information.

Advisory Insights is presented by Oberman Law Firm and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®. The series can be found on all the major podcast apps. You can find the complete show archive here.

TRANSCRIPT

Outro: [00:00:01] Broadcasting from the studios of Business RadioX, it’s time for Advisory Insights, brought to you by Oberman Law Firm, serving clients nationwide with tailored service and exceptional results. Now, here’s your host.

Stuart Oberman: [00:00:21] Hello, everyone. Stuart Oberman here for Advisory Insights, your host. Hey, I want to talk about a couple of things here in mergers and acquisitions. In a previous podcast, we covered material risks that involved governmental reimbursement, fraud and abuse, and licensure. But I want to sort of digress a little bit. So, I mentioned before in some of our podcasts that we had really a 2021 extraordinary year, mergers and acquisitions, that we did about 135 acquisitions and probably $330 million worth of revenue in those acquisitions.

Stuart Oberman: [00:00:59] So, one, as I digress and looked at some of those acquisitions that we are involved in, some of them are fairly big. One of the items that was, I could tell you, significantly overlooked is I.T. and what due diligence is required in a merger and acquisition for I.T. So, look, when you get – the first thing you can do is you ask for financials, then you ask for account receivables and you ask for the customer database, then you ask for the products and services. Then, you ask for facilities. What we don’t see a lot of requests for is I.T. Now, I.T. is sort of one of those things where, “Well, I’m not worried about I.T. Everyone knows I.T. I got an I.T. guy.” Your I.T. guy will send you right down the river if you don’t understand some of this stuff.

Stuart Oberman: [00:01:47] So, let me tell you. I want to take a look at a couple of things, a couple of bullet points. If you’re contemplating a merger and acquisition, big or small, does it matter? I.T. I want to know how their sensitive data is stored. I want to know that. I want a specific outline of how that occurs. I want to know all their software licenses. I want to know what I’m paying for. I want to know what I’m committing to. I want to know what I’m assigning myself to. I want to know what’s being purchased. I want to know what can be canceled.

Stuart Oberman: [00:02:16] So, another thing I want to look at is, is my equipment I’m going to purchase out of date? Is it end of its life cycle? Is it ready for the big waste bin in the sky? Is my Windows application up to date? Or is my license up to date?

Stuart Oberman: [00:02:36] Also, we talked previously in a podcast regarding health care. Health care. Health care. If you’ve got a – if you had – well, first you want to do is ask that particular seller, “Have you ever had a breach?” And, if they have and they are a health care industry, you want to go, “Are you under investigation? Have you received notice from HHS or any other state or federal agency?” So, otherwise, you really don’t know if there has been a breach or if there’s still a breach you’re ready to purchase and you don’t even know about it.

Stuart Oberman: [00:03:16] One thing you want to take a look at is, have your I.T. person as well versed in this area, see if there’s been a breach before with the software. I would always recommend a complete cybersecurity risk assessment. The last thing you need is a hack. And all of a sudden you’re asked to go to the nearest Bitcoin station and transfer $25,000 in Bitcoin. What is the risk, especially in health care? What is the due diligence? Is there an annual risk assessment which is required under HIPAA?

Stuart Oberman: [00:03:54] Another thing we see as grossly overlooked, I want to know about your firewalls. I want to know about your backups. Do you back up by taking a flash drive home every night? Are you backed up to your computer? What if someone steals your computer? Are you backed up to the server? Are you backed up to the cloud? How secure is a cloud? Does your Uncle Vinnie control the cloud? What are the securities? You got to know these things.

Stuart Oberman: [00:04:22] “Well, my buddy has a great server. He stores all my I.T.” Well, that’s great, but what’s – let me know the buddy’s protocols. What’s the IP address? There’s a floating. I want to know how your data is backed up. Again, is it backed up to a flash drive? Is it backed up to the computer? Or you have no backup, whatever it is. I want to know what cybersecurity protocols and procedures you implemented in the last 12, 24 months. “Well, I haven’t really done anything. Everything’s secure.” You’ve got a problem. You better know what’s been upgraded. You better know what the security protocols are. You better know what you’re purchasing and you better know if they’ve had a breach of cybersecurity, period.

Stuart Oberman: [00:05:13] So, let’s take a look at a couple of other things that we’ve been looking at. Again, I think there’s a laundry list here. But again, I could probably talk for two hours on this one subject, but we just have a very limited time. I want to take a look at whether or not they have cybersecurity insurance. It is becoming very difficult to obtain cybersecurity insurance. There are only a few players in the market. And what are the coverages? What is the non-coverage? What are they making you do and what are you certifying that you have done and maintained in relation for that coverage? So, you’re going to get a checklist probably from the cybersecurity insurance company. It’s going to outline certain things that you’ve done, that you haven’t done or that you need to do. And I would venture to say that if you put something false and misleading on that particular application and they find out you have no coverage, which is horrible, especially when some of these big hacks.

Stuart Oberman: [00:06:18] So, I want to know what your I.T. guy is doing or if you have hired or going to hire a third party to do a vulnerability screen. I want to know what your vulnerabilities are. I want to know how to fix it. I want to know what patches I need. I want to see when the last time you’ve patched. Are you getting constant upgrades? Are you outdated on Windows? You know, are you in Windows 6? I’m going to – for those of you that are a little bit older, I’m going to use the term DOS. We have clients that are still working on DOS. Yes, DOS. I can’t stress that enough. We have members of practices, businesses that they’re running two systems, DOS. And then, for the younger guys, of course, the Windows and Macs.

Stuart Oberman: [00:07:12] So, I want to make sure your information technology person understands what’s going on. What are their qualifications? Do they simply do your backups, or are they a legit, legit down and dirty cybersecurity company?

Stuart Oberman: [00:07:29] So, again, in evaluating every business that you’re going to acquire – and let me go so far as this. If you’re a business, period, you’ve got to look at cybersecurity policies. You got to look at protocols, procedures. You should do your due diligence as if you’re purchasing your own business. Are you doing it? Are you doing a security risk analysis? Are you doing the assessments? Take a look at all these things.

Stuart Oberman: [00:07:53] Cybersecurity is no longer an option. It’s absolutely mandated with everything that goes on your systems, payments, history, Social Security numbers. It’s amazing what will end up on the black market, if you will, on information.

Stuart Oberman: [00:08:11] Folks, I tell you, again, that’s a three-hour conversation. I just want to hit some highlights. I want to hit some bullet points whether or not you’re looking to buy a business, whether or not you’re owning, you have owned a business, or you’re an I.T. guy, or you’re actually an H.R. person. Are you taking a look at all these things that you need to do on a daily basis especially to be secure?

Stuart Oberman: [00:08:33] Folks, we’re going to wrap it up for today. Stuart Obermann here, your host on Advisory Insights. Thanks for joining us. Hope you took away one or two things which will make you an absolute success.

Stuart Oberman: [00:08:43] If you want to reach us, please feel free to give us a call, 770-886-2400. Or myself, stuart, S-T-U-A-R-T, @obermanlaw.com. Thanks for joining us and we’ll see you on the next podcast.

Outro: [00:08:58] Thank you for joining us on Advisory Insights. This show is brought to you by Oberman Law Firm, a business-centric law firm representing local, regional, and national clients in a wide range of practice areas, including healthcare mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, and regulatory compliance.

About Advisory Insights Podcast

Presented by Oberman Law Firm, Advisory Insights Podcast covers legal, business, HR, and other topics of vital concern to healthcare practices and other business owners. This show series can be found here as well as on all the major podcast apps.

Stuart Oberman, Oberman Law Firm

Stuart Oberman is the founder and President of Oberman Law Firm. Mr. Oberman graduated from Urbana University and received his law degree from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Oberman has been practicing law for over 25 years, and before going into private practice, Mr. Oberman was in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 Company. Mr. Oberman is widely regarded as the go-to attorney in the area of Dental Law, which includes DSO formation, corporate business structures, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, advertising regulations, HIPAA, Compliance, and employment law regulations that affect dental practices.

In addition, Mr. Oberman’s expertise in the healthcare industry includes advising clients in the complex regulatory landscape as it relates to telehealth and telemedicine, including compliance of corporate structures, third-party reimbursement, contract negotiations, technology, health care fraud, and abuse law (Anti-Kickback Statute and the State Law), professional liability risk management, federal and state regulations.

As the long-term care industry evolves, Mr. Oberman has the knowledge and experience to guide clients in the long-term care sector with respect to corporate and regulatory matters, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). In addition, Mr. Oberman’s practice also focuses on health care facility acquisitions and other changes of ownership, as well as related licensure and Medicare/Medicaid certification matters, CCRC registrations, long-term care/skilled nursing facility management, operating agreements, assisted living licensure matters, and health care joint ventures.

In addition to his expertise in the health care industry, Mr. Oberman has a nationwide practice that focuses on all facets of contractual disputes, including corporate governance, fiduciary duty, trade secrets, unfair competition, covenants not to compete, trademark and copyright infringement, fraud, and deceptive trade practices, and other business-related matters. Mr. Oberman also represents clients throughout the United States in a wide range of practice areas, including mergers & acquisitions, partnership agreements, commercial real estate, entity formation, employment law, commercial leasing, intellectual property, and HIPAA/OSHA compliance.

Mr. Oberman is a national lecturer and has published articles in the U.S. and Canada.

Oberman Law Firm

Oberman Law Firm has a long history of civic service, noted national, regional, and local clients, and stands among the Southeast’s eminent and fast-growing full-service law firms. Oberman Law Firm’s areas of practice include Business Planning, Commercial & Technology Transactions, Corporate, Employment & Labor, Estate Planning, Health Care, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Privacy & Data Security, and Real Estate.

By meeting their client’s goals and becoming a trusted partner and advocate for our clients, their attorneys are recognized as legal go-getters who provide value-added service. Their attorneys understand that in a rapidly changing legal market, clients have new expectations, constantly evolving choices, and operate in an environment of heightened reputational and commercial risk.

Oberman Law Firm’s strength is its ability to solve complex legal problems by collaborating across borders and practice areas.

Connect with Oberman Law Firm:

Company website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Stephen Lee, The Stephen Lee Group

October 26, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Stephen Lee, The Stephen Lee Group

00:00 /

Stephen Lee, The Stephen Lee Group (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 556)

Stephen Lee, Realtor and CEO of The Stephen Lee Group, was the guest on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio. Stephen and host John Ray discussed the current residential market, the challenges realtors face in this market and in their businesses, how Stephen coaches and supports individual realtors and realtor teams, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

The Stephen Lee Group

The Stephen Lee Group is a team of experienced, licensed real estate agents serving the Greater Metro Atlanta area with a proven track record of getting results quickly and a direct line of communication at all times.

They are a real estate team that is dedicated to giving back to the community that has given so much to them. They are here to make your Real Estate dreams their priority.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Stephen Lee, CEO & Realtor, The Stephen Lee Group

Stephen is an experienced Realtor and owner of The Stephen Lee Group. He is skilled in helping businesses get to the next level. In addition to owning a Real Estate Group, he coaches Realtors and teams on effective systems and growth.

He previously was in the restaurant industry, having worked in cooking, wine education, restaurant management, and new restaurant openings.

Stephen grew up in Marietta and is still based there.

Questions and Topics in the Interview:

Current Market Conditions
What Sellers need to be doing right now
What Realtors need to be doing right now
Real Estate Coaching

Terry Warren, Executive Coach and Author of The Art of Choice

October 26, 2022 by John Ray

Hello, Self . . .

Terry Warren, Executive Coach and Author of The Art of Choice

00:00 /

Terry Warren, Executive Coach and Author of The Art of Choice (Hello, Self… Episode 5)

From humble beginnings in Tennessee, Terry Warren was the first in his family to go to college. He went on to have a successful career and now is an executive coach, artist, and author of The Art of Choice. He shared with Patricia his story and the lessons he learned along the way, including asking for what you want, shifting your perspective, the secret ingredients he has seen in his clients that make them successful, and much more.

Hello, Self… is presented by Patricia Leonard & Associates and produced by Arlia Hoffman in association with the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Terry Warren, Executive Coach and Author of The Art of Choice

Terry Warren, Executive Coach and Author of The Art of Choice

Terry Warren, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach, has more than 40 years of leadership experience in the financial services and healthcare industries, and he has held senior leadership roles in sales, strategic planning, client engagement, and executive coaching. He is a member of the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Executive Coaching Network and author of The Art of Choice: Making Changes that Count in Work and Life.

For more than 27 years, Terry served in a wide variety of leadership roles with Willis Towers Watson (formerly Willis Group), a large global insurance broker. He led the company’s client engagement and business retention efforts in North America, provided internal executive coaching to top leaders, and served as Executive Director of the Willis Foundation.

Prior to joining Willis, Terry worked for Hospital Corporation of America and other healthcare organizations, serving in a number of domestic and international corporate positions.

From that background, Terry equips his clients to see new perspectives, gain clarity, and achieve results. He leverages his reputation as a trusted advisor with his collaborative style and successful executive experience to make sure clients achieve their desired results promptly and with long-lasting results.

In addition, Terry believes in giving back. He has served as the chair of several faith-based nonprofit boards and as a mentor and consultant to nonprofits, both in the United States and abroad. He is Past President of the International Coach Federation–Tennessee.

Through his work as a coach, Terry observed that clients who made choices with intention and commitment were successful in transformational changes.

As an author, Terry found opportunity from his personal and professional relationships to share stories of experiences and successes centered around choice. Using a collaborative and compassionate approach, The Art of Choice: Making Changes that Count in Work and Life offers lessons from business leaders, along with keys for gaining perspective, experiencing clarity, and achieving results whether you are starting out in your career, facing a major life decision, or nearing retirement. Read more about the book here: MakingChoicesThatCount.com

When not working as a coach or consultant, Terry practices his passion for landscape painting. His concentrated study of art, along with his time at the easel, has equipped him to see his surroundings—and his situations—in a new light. He brings that well-rounded awareness to his work with his clients. You can see samples of his art, which evokes a sense of realism and a feeling of serenity, here: www.terrywwarren.com.

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Terry’s Art website

About Hello, Self…

Hello, Self… is a biweekly podcast focused on inspiring stories of turning dreams into reality. Join coach and author Patricia Leonard and her guests as they share life-changing Hello, Self… moments.

Hello, Self… is brought to you by Patricia Leonard & Associates and is based on the new book by Patricia Leonard, Hello, Self.., available here.

The show is produced by Arlia Hoffman in association with Business RadioX®. You can find this show on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

Patricia Leonard, Host of Hello, Self…

Patricia Leonard is President of RUNWAY TO SUCCESS, a division of Patricia Leonard & Associates located in Nashville, TN. She is a MESSAGE ARTIST speaker, career & business coach, author and magazine columnist. Patricia consults with clients on leadership, empowerment, career management, entrepreneurship and the power of language. Her work is focused on helping clients find their runway to success!

She has a professional background in management, human resources, corporate training, business consulting and talent development. Patricia has worked with companies in the service, music, banking, manufacturing, publishing, warehousing, healthcare, academic, retail and financial industries, and has taught management classes as an adjunct professor.

Patricia has a degree in Human Resource Management, is certified as a Career Coach and Consulting Hypnotist and is MBTI qualified.

Her volunteer energies are focused on Women in Film and Television-Nashville, where she is a Board Vice President; Dress for Success as the Advisory Board President; and International Coaching Federation-Nashville where she held Board roles for several years.

Patricia is the author of Wearing High Heels in a flip flop World, BECOMING WOMAN…a journal of personal discovery, THE NOW, HOW & WOW of Success, Happenings, a full year calendar of inspirational messages and a spoken word album titled, I AM…

She enjoys songwriting, creating poetry and has written a one-woman show and artistic speech she performs titled Hello, Self…, about a woman in midlife reinventing herself, which led to her new book by the same name, available here.

On the personal side, Patricia, describes herself as a woman, lover of life, mother, grandmother, career professional and message artist; AND in that order! Her goal is to continue inspiring others, of any age, to START NOW creating and expanding their Runway to Success.

She believes that life is a gift, the way we wrap it is our choice.

Connect with Patricia:

Website| LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Problem with Value Propositions

October 25, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

The Problem with Value Propositions

00:00 /

The Problem with Value Propositions

Value propositions can be helpful in your business if you craft them correctly, and there’s only one right way. It involves talking to clients . . . repeatedly.

The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

TRANSCRIPT

John Ray: [00:00:00] Hello, I’m John Ray on The Price and Value Journey. The term value proposition is generally credited to two McKinsey consultants, Michael J. Lanning and Edward G. Michaels. And they used the term in a 1988 paper entitled A Business is a Valued Delivery System. In the paper summary, Lanning and Michaels wrote, “A business is a system for superior value delivery. Choosing a superior value proposition and echoing it through the business system by providing it and communicating it. And managing this delivery is top management’s primary job.”

John Ray: [00:00:44] Well, how do you come up with a superior value proposition? Well, you talk to a customer, rinse, and repeat. And just keep doing that. If your value proposition is the product of sitting in a room with a whiteboard without any client interaction, all you have is your own opinion. Your value proposition is what you think, not what you know, from actual conversations that you could have had. Lots of money has been lost in business by not understanding the difference between think and know.

John Ray: [00:01:23] In their paper, Lanning and Michaels illustrate the point by pointing to IBM, who, at that time, dominated the business computer market. IBM did so with products generally deemed less advanced than the competition, yet IBM charged premium prices. Competitors explained this advantage as “superior marketing” coupled with a slick sales force who could talk customers into buying inferior products.

John Ray: [00:01:53] What Lanning and Michaels point out in their paper is that IBM was meeting the needs of customers at that time who valued reliability over the latest technology. IBM understood what clients valued and what they were willing to pay for that value. IBM understood that the value and a value proposition is the client perception of value. It wasn’t their perception of value.

John Ray: [00:02:22] If you simply internalize and run your practice based on the following two principles, you’ll not only have an effective value proposition, but you’ll be able to work through a lot of problems, including your pricing in your practice. Those two principles are (1) clients determine value, (2) a business is a value delivery system.

John Ray: [00:02:49] I’m John Ray on The Price and Value Journey. Past episodes of the series can be found at pricevaluejourney.com or on your favorite podcast app. And I’d be honored if you subscribe, if you haven’t already. And if you’d like to connect with me directly, you can send me an email, john@johnray.co. Thank you for joining me.

About The Price and Value Journey

The show is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® and can be found on all the major podcast apps. The complete show archive is here.

John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey

John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.

Connect with John Ray:

Website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Business RadioX®: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Dennis Allen, Author of “The Disciple Dilemma”

October 25, 2022 by John Ray

Business Leaders Radio

Dennis Allen, Author of "The Disciple Dilemma"

00:00 /

Dennis Allen, Author of “The Disciple Dilemma”

On this episode of Business Leaders Radio with host John Ray, Dennis Allen, seasoned corporate turnaround specialist and author of The Disciple Dilemma, joined the show to talk about his career in corporate turnarounds, why listening and relationships are so vital in any turnaround, his book, and much more.

Business Leaders Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX® in Atlanta.

Dennis Allen, Author, The Disciple Dilemma

A six-time Chief Executive Officer specializing in “turnarounds” for Wall Street-backed corporations, Dennis works and speaks with businesses, universities, churches, and conferences focusing on leadership and discipleship.

Dennis serves today on boards and in business and charity leadership roles, as well as his work in churches of all sizes – megas, mids and startups – as an elder, deacon, and teacher.

A combat-rated Air Force F-15 fighter pilot, and an alumnus of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Dennis lives with his bride Karen in the Washington DC area.

Questions and Topics

You do corporate turnarounds – what’s that about?
Is there a common element(s) in businesses that need to “turn”?
Your book “The Disciple Dilemma” talks about symptoms, versus causes for leadership failures in organizations – and you relate that to an iceberg. Explain icebergs, symptoms and causes in that metaphor setup.
You talk about management traps for leaders. Why is management a trap?
What do you want leaders to do in light of these issues?

Business Leaders Radio is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. The show can be found on all the major podcast apps and a full archive can be found here.

Pepe Fundora, Cork & Glass and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant

October 24, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Pepe Fundora, Cork & Glass and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant

00:00 /

Pepe Fundora, Cork & Glass and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 555)

Pepe Fundora of sister businesses Cork & Glass and Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant joined host John Ray on North Fulton Business Radio. Pepe discussed his Restaurant Manager of the Year award from the Georgia Restaurant Association, his father Tony’s posthumous induction into the Georgia Restaurant Association Hall of Fame, the beginnings of Cork & Glass, how Casa Nuova keeps its employee turnover so low, and much more.

North Fulton Business Radio is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Cork & Glass

Take a comfy seat and enjoy a specially curated wine tasting. Experience a wide array of tastes and maybe find your next favorite!

Their wine dinners embody our promise of “Making Wine Accessible”… and not just any wine, but GREAT wine.

C&G’s wine education experiences will help you grow your understanding and appreciation of the nuances of wines from around the world.

Food pairing challenge? Put their team to the test and let them help you find the perfect bottle for your next dinner event.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Casa Nuova

Casa Nuova is a family-owned gourmet Italian restaurant, owned by Maria Fundora and her son, Jose “Pepe” Fundora. Casa Nuova is a true farm-to-table restaurant and is Trip Advisor’s 2021 Traveler’s Choice in Alpharetta.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Pepe Fundora

Jose “Pepe” Fundora is the owner of the wine shop Cork and Glass and co-owner of Casa Nuova Italian Restaurant located in Alpharetta, GA, in the northern suburbs of Atlanta.

Pepe is a social Electrical Engineer turned Sommelier. Pepe earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech in 2010 and spent some time in the corporate world before ultimately deciding to return to his roots, his family’s local Italian restaurant.

From a young age, Pepe worked and became fully immersed in the hospitality industry, from dishwashing to serving tables and learning the tricks of the trade from his parents, Maria and Antonio Fundora, longtime restaurateurs in the Atlanta area. Pepe became a co-owner of the family restaurant in 2015.

Pepe always had a deep interest in wine though he affirmed his passion after meeting with reputable winemakers on a business trip taken to California wine country in 2013. Later on, Pepe had aspirations to open his very own wine shop, Cork & Glass, with the idea of “Making Wine Accessible”. His concept includes highlighting various regions to showcase current trends in the wine world, teaching how to pair different flavors together and offering sales on select exclusive wines. His goal is to offer high-quality wines at great, everyday values. Cork & Glass officially opened for business in July 2020!

Pepe is very engaged in the wine world both in the Atlanta area and across the US. Pepe has led over 40 virtual wine dinners with esteemed winemakers from California, Italy, Argentina, and Australia. He was nominated amongst restaurateurs across the country to participate in the prestigious Oregon Pinot Camp in Willamette Valley in 2016. He has volunteered for the High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction for several years and the Auction Napa Valley.

Pepe is a Certified Level 2 Sommelier. He is studying to become an Advanced Sommelier (Level 3) and eventually will finish at Master Sommelier (Level 4) in the future.

Questions and Topics in the Interview:

Georgia Restaurant Association GRACE awards
Restaurant Manager of the Year Jose “Pepe” Fundora and his father’s inductee into the Hall of Fame posthumously,Mario Antonio “Tony” Fundora
Virtual Wine Dinners
Seasonal Wines
Gift Giving
Wine pairings