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Secrets for Healthy Skin, with Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic

January 23, 2024 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Secrets for Healthy Skin, with Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic

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Secrets for Healthy Skin, with Maedeh Samimi, Urban Skin Care Clinic (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 740)

Maedeh Samimi, owner of Urban Skin Care Clinic in Roswell, joined host John Ray on this episode of North Fulton Business Radio. Maedeh discussed the importance of understanding skin, both in managing challenges like adult cystic acne and aging gracefully, highlighting the holistic approach that makes Urban Skin Care Clinic stand out. She shared how her personal experience with cystic acne fueled her passion for skincare and how her treatments aim to boost confidence and self-image in addition to improving skin health. Maedeh also covered the importance of daily skincare routines, including the use of sunscreen, why regular exfoliation is so crucial, and much more.

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.

Maedeh Samimi, Owner, Urban Skin Care Clinic

Maedeh Samimi is a licensed aesthetician in Roswell, Georgia.

Maedeh started her career path as a makeup artist and enjoyed helping and uplifting women and their self-image. In her early 20s, she experienced adult cystic acne and quickly learned that masking her breakouts with makeup wasn’t improving her skin condition but further clogging her pores. Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting up to 60 million Americans and their self-esteem annually.

Inspired to help others after her own journey with acne, Maedeh founded Urban Skin Care Clinic in February of 2020 in Roswell. From the early days of her aesthetic career, Maedeh knew she wanted to focus on the clinical side of the industry, and from working in medical spa settings, she gained vast knowledge and over 10,000 hours of hands-on experience in clinical skin treatments and procedures.

Maedeh continuously furthers her education and stays current with industry news and innovations. She is passionate about helping and guiding other women to feel confident in their own skin and leaving makeup to be an option rather than a security blanket by clearing their acne, removing sun-damaged spots, and rejuvenating tired, dull complexions.

Maedeh is the host of The Skin Coach in Georgia podcast.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn

Topics Discussed in this Interview

00:05 Introduction and Welcome

01:13 Interview with Maedeh Samimi, Owner of Urban Skin Care Clinic

01:32 Maedeh’s Journey into Skincare

03:55 Understanding Acne and its Causes

07:41 Holistic Approach to Acne Treatment

09:58 Helping Women Age Gracefully

15:21 Importance of Sunscreen and Exfoliation

24:31 A Success Story: Alexa’s Transformation

25:57 Contact Information and Closing Remarks

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, and many others.

RenasantBank

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $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.

Chad Hagan, Hagan Capital Group and Author of Global Family Office Investing

August 29, 2023 by John Ray

Business Beat

Chad Hagan, Hagan Capital Group and Author of Global Family Office Investing

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Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat: Chad Hagan, Hagan Capital Group and Author of Global Family Office Investing

Chad Hagan, founder of Hagan Capital Group and author of Global Family Office Investing, joined Business Beat and host Roger Lusby for a wide-ranging conversation about investing in the environment, his non-political definition of “environmentalism,” his views on the energy sector, the economy of the North Fulton region, and much more.

Business Beat is presented by Alpharetta CPA firm Frazier & Deeter and is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®

Hagan Capital Group

Since the founding of Hagan Capital, the principals have advised on over $2,5 billion of transactions for funds, family offices, institutions, investment companies and wealthy individuals.

The partners are headquartered in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia with affiliated partners and companies in New York, Florida, Canada, and England.

Company website | LinkedIn

Chad Hagan, Founder, Hagan Capital Group and Author, Global Family Office Investing

Chadwick Hagan is an author, investor, and entrepreneur.

He is a managing partner of Wessex Investments and the founder of Hagan Capital Group.

Over his career he has advised nearly $2 billion dollars in M&A transactions and investments; including managing funds with an average annual return of 30%; leading the takeover and bankruptcy recapitalisation efforts of American Apparel – then the largest vertically integrated apparel company in the US – and managing investments in consumer goods and energy commodities. He is an investor and company director for numerous commercial concerns, funds, and entities in the US and Europe.

His most recent book, Global Family Office Investing, was published by Palgrave in 2021, and his economics blog, Chaganomics.com, was archived by US Library of Congress Economics Blogs Web Archive. He is an opinion columnist and has written for The Epoch Times, Fox Business, and ArtNews.

He is a director for the Hagan Family Foundation, founded by his father in the 1990s, where he focuses on fiscal policy, environmentalism, and art history.

Chad studied economics at Harvard and the London School of Economics. He married Emily Wheeler in 2008 and lives in Metropolitan Atlanta. He enjoys skiing, tennis and producing documentaries in his spare time.

LinkedIn | Twitter

Frazier & Deeter

The Alpharetta office of Frazier & Deeter is home to a thriving CPA tax practice, a growing advisory practice and an Employee Benefit Plan Services group. CPAs and advisors in the Frazier & Deeter Alpharetta office serve clients across North Georgia and around the country with services such as personal tax planning, estate planning, business tax planning, business tax compliance, state and local tax planning, financial statement reviews, financial statement audits, employee benefit plan audits, internal audit outsourcing, cyber security, data privacy, SOX and other regulatory compliance, mergers, and acquisitions and more. Alpharetta CPAs serve clients ranging from business owners and executives to large corporations.

Roger Lusby, host of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat, is an Alpharetta CPA and Alpharetta Office Managing Partner for Frazier & Deeter. He is also a member of the Tax Department in charge of coordinating tax and accounting services for our clientele. His responsibilities include a review of a variety of tax returns with an emphasis in the individual, estate, and corporate areas. Client assistance is also provided in the areas of financial planning, executive compensation and stock option planning, estate and succession planning, international planning (FBAR, SFOP), health care, real estate, manufacturing, technology, and service companies.

You can find Frazier & Deeter on social media:

LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

An episode archive of Frazier & Deeter’s Business Beat can be found here.

Roswell Program of Path to Shine

March 10, 2023 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Roswell Program of Path to Shine

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The Roswell Program of Path To Shine, Inc. (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 619)

North Fulton Business Radio Host John Ray went on the road to visit the children and mentors of the Roswell program of Path to Shine, an after-school mentoring and tutoring program for children at Mimosa Elementary School. John was joined by Judith Windsor, Program Director, who discussed the children they serve, the results which come from their mentorship model, how interested individuals can become a mentor, and more. John also interviewed children in the program, including Javier, Kayden, Karla, Inielka, Lia, Asia, Mia, Candler, Andy, Kathryn, Diego, Jesus, Matthew, and Ross.

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

Path To Shine, Inc.

Path To Shine®, Inc. is a mentoring and tutoring program for elementary school children in North and Middle Georgia.

Its purpose is to provide academic and social support to encourage children to thrive in school and build self-confidence to achieve their dreams.

PTS’s success stems from its principles to maintain a ratio of no more than one Mentor to two students, to have a flexible structure that adapts to each local community, and to consistently seek collaboration with other organizations.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook

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 bankers’ 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.

Since 2000, Office Angels® has been restoring joy to the life of small business owners, enabling them to focus on what they do best. At the same time, we honor and support at-home experts who wish to continue working on an as-needed basis. Not a temp firm or a placement service, Office Angels matches a business owner’s support needs with Angels who have the talent and experience necessary to handle work that is essential to creating and maintaining a successful small business. Need help with administrative tasks, bookkeeping, marketing, presentations, workshops, speaking engagements, and more? Visit us at https://officeangels.us/.

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Gloria Mattei, Nothing Bundt Cakes

November 15, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Gloria Mattei, Nothing Bundt Cakes

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LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit: Gloria Mattei, Nothing Bundt Cakes (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 569)

Gloria Mattei, Owner of two Nothing Bundt Cakes stores in North Fulton, joined North Fulton Business Radio host John Ray LIVE from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit. They talked about the growth of her Nothing Bundt Cakes business, community engagement, the Women INfluencing Business Committee, the Summit itself, and much more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit held at The Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

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

Gloria Mattei, Owner, Nothing Bundt Cakes

Gloria Mattei is the Owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell as well as a newly acquired store in Sandy Springs. Nothing Bundt Cakes reintroduces an old family favorite – the Bundt cake – with a light, moist taste and fresh, clean look that appeals to all ages. Each 8” and 10” Bundt cake features custom concept cake decorations that are smart, contemporary, and fun to enhance any occasion, large or small, in a wide range of cake flavors and sizes. Nothing Bundt Cakes celebrates the very heart of true hospitality where all are welcome and no one is a stranger. Each thoughtful detail of the experience, from the heartfelt welcome at the door to remembering the customer’s favorite flavor, has been naturally embraced at Nothing Bundt Cakes

Nothing Bundt Cakes is not in the cake business, they are in the “joy-giving” business. Their mission is to come up with unique valuable solutions to every guest celebration need.

Website

GNFCC 2022 Women in Leadership Summit, presented by the Women INfluencing Business Committee

The 2022 Women in Leadership Summit, organized by the Women INfluencing Business Committee of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, was held on November 2, 2022, at the Commons at Phase in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Powered by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC), the Women INfluencing Business Committee strives to engage female leaders and enhance the standing of professional women within the community. Its annual awards program recognizes women with exceptional vision who have implemented innovative ideas in both the workplace and community and who inspire others.

Website

Questions and Topics in the Interview

Nothing Bundt Cakes
Community Engagement
Women INfluencing Business Committee
Women in Leadership Summit

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.

LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Jon-Paul Croom, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital

August 29, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

LIVE from the GNFCC Grand Opening Celebration: Jon-Paul Croom, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital

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North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 506)

Jon-Paul Croom, President of Wellstar North Fulton Hospital, joined John Ray to chat about the grand opening celebration for the new offices of GNFCC at Avalon, the recent improvements at Wellstar North Fulton including the new CyberKnife®, Wellstar North Fulton’s support of GNFCC, and more.

This show was originally broadcast live from the Grand Opening celebration and ribbon cutting of the new offices of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce at the 10000 Building at Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia, on August 18, 2022.

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

Equipped with the latest technology and medical expertise, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital is committed to delivering quality, personalized care, tailored to you. Wellstar North Fulton is a Level II Emergency Cardiac Care Center, Level II Trauma Center, and Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center.

From their convenient Roswell location, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital offers the most advanced stroke care and leading therapies, specializing in complicated and complex cases. Count on their dedicated neuro team, state-of-the-art imaging technologies, and neuro-trained intensive care unit (ICU), to treat all types of strokes, including ischemic strokes, intracerebral hemorrhages, and subarachnoid hemorrhages.

Wellstar North Fulton’s team of neurosurgeons, neurocritical care physicians, and neuroradiologists perform thrombectomies, aneurysm treatments, and cerebral bypass procedures. In addition, our dedicated hybrid neurovascular suite is equipped with innovative bi-plane technology. This allows neurosurgeons to view highly detailed images of brain vessels, so our experts can customize treatments in real-time. That means you don’t have to go far for expert stroke treatment.

From diagnostic testing to life-saving emergency care to physical rehabilitation, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital provides comprehensive stroke care so you can get back to life, faster.

Company Website | Facebook | Twitter

Jon-Paul Croom, FACHE, President of WellStar North Fulton and SVP at WellStar Health System

Jon-Paul Croom is President of Wellstar North Fulton and joined the hospital in 2017.

Croom previously served as CEO of the 429-bed Central Mississippi Medical Center (CMMC) in Jackson, Miss. At CMMC, Croom was regarded as a team builder, using daily team huddles focused on delivering care that exceeded patient expectations while working to improve access to needed services. Croom opened the only burn center in Mississippi and increased the availability of inpatient psychiatric services at the facility.

Croom was also CEO for Merit Health Rankin in Brandon, Miss., chief operating officer for Clearview Regional Medical Center in Monroe, Ga., and chief operating officer for Roxborough Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia. Additionally, he served on the board of the Mississippi chapter of March of Dimes.

Croom received his bachelor’s degree from Mercer University, in Macon, Ga., and a master’s degree in both business administration and health administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Jon-Paul lives in Roswell with his wife and three children.

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Wellstar North Fulton’s recent improvements
The addition of the CyberKnife®
Wellstar North Fulton’s involvement with GNFCC
Chamber luncheons

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.

North Fulton Hotel Industry: Ted Basco, Visit Roswell, and Xavier Etcheberrigaray, Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta

June 30, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

North Fulton Hotel Industry: Ted Basco, Visit Roswell, and Xavier Etcheberrigaray, Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta

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North Fulton Hotel Industry: Ted Basco, Visit Roswell, and Xavier Etcheberrigaray, Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta (GNFCC 400 Insider, Episode 76)

Host Kali Boatright welcomed Ted Basco, Director of Sales for Visit Roswell, and Xavier Etcheberrigaray, General Manager of the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta, in a conversation about the hotel industry in North Fulton. They had a lively discussion about how the industry adjusted to the changing conditions of the pandemic, the need for resilience, the rise of Airbnb and VRBO properties and how hotels differentiate themselves, labor shortage issues, trends they see coming, and much more.

The GNFCC 400 Insider is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

Visit Roswell

Visit Roswell is the convention and visitors bureau for the City of Roswell, Georgia.

Often referred to as a destination marketing organization (DMO), their organization incorporates targeted advertising and marketing programs with sales and public relations efforts to build the image of Roswell as a travel destination and increase visitation to the city.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Ted Basco, Director of Sales, Visit Roswell

Ted Basco is a seasoned veteran of the tourism & hospitality industry. He has extensive hotel experience with major worldwide brands like Hyatt Corporation, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, and IHG Hotels and Resorts. The bulk of Ted’s career includes roles as Director of Guest Services, Director of Operations and Director of Sales & Marketing at numerous hotels in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Today, Ted is in his 3rd year on the DMO’s side of the business as Director of Sales & Film Liaison for Visit Roswell – the Roswell, Georgia Convention & Visitors Bureau. Ted currently serves as an active member of the MPI Georgia Chapter, co-chairing their Community Outreach Committee where he recently was awarded the Phoenix Award for MPI Georgia Supplier Member of the Year.

Ted also is also a recent graduate of the Leadership North Fulton – Class of 2022, a year-long class facilitated by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Ted’s true personal passion is in sports, as he was a former student-athlete at San Francisco State University, majoring in Broadcast Communications and Sports Journalism. He also serves as a long-time volunteer and advisory board member with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

Ted is married to Wendy, his wife of 14 years, who is also in the hospitality industry as an executive with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. They both have two amazing and talented children (11, 8).

And congratulations to Ted for being a 2022 MPI Georgia Phoenix Award Recipient as Supplier of the Year.

Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta

Experience attentive service in a prime setting at Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta. Ideally situated near business centers and popular attractions such as Top Golf, their updated hotel offers a modern yet warm and inviting ambiance that welcomes every traveler. Relax in the comfort of their spacious guest rooms or suites, each with deluxe amenities and products.

Savor delicious dining in the hotel’s restaurant or stop by the coffee shop to pick up drinks and treats to take along on your adventures around Alpharetta. If a business meeting, wedding, or social event brings you to Alpharetta, you’ll be delighted with their sophisticated venues, custom catering and unparalleled services. When it’s time to explore, you’ll find shopping, dining and entertainment nearby, including Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Avalon, and more.

Whether staying with Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta for work or enjoying a getaway, they look forward to greeting you.

Company website | Facebook | Instagram

Xavier Etcheberrigaray, General Manager, Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta

Xavier Etcheberrigaray serves as a GM for the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta.

Previously he was the Corporate Director of Hotel Operations at Caesars Entertainment, based in Las Vegas. In this role, he was responsible for the development, implementation, and execution of hospitality-related initiatives for Caesars’ Brands in the Americas, including Caesars Palace, Paris, Flamingo, and Harrah’s properties.

Prior to joining Caesars, Xavier spent the last decade working overseas, for both Rixos and Kempinski Hotels. As the Corporate Director of Strategy and Development at Rixos, he oversaw the company’s strategic, long-term goal planning function and development pipeline for luxury resorts in emerging markets.

Xavier embarked on his career as a Management Trainee with InterContinental Hotels, working as a Food & Beverage MT in Miami and subsequently a Sales & Marketing MT in Atlanta, before assuming roles of increasing responsibility outside the company. He later pursued an MBA in hospitality from Glion in Switzerland.

Xavier graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in Political Science. Xavier is a polyglot and serious foodie, speaking French, Spanish, some Portuguese, and English, and enjoying the food from those countries in that order.

About GNFCC and The GNFCC 400 Insider

**Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC**

The GNFCC 400 Insider is presented by the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GNFCC) and is hosted by Kali Boatright, President and CEO of GNFCC. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce is a private, non-profit, member-driven organization comprised of over 1400 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals. Their service area includes Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Roswell and Sandy Springs. GNFCC is the leading voice on economic development, business growth and quality of life issues in North Fulton County.

The GNFCC promotes the interests of our members by assuming a leadership role in making North Fulton an excellent place to work, live, play and stay. They provide one voice for all local businesses to influence decision-makers, recommend legislation, and protect the valuable resources that make North Fulton a popular place to live.

For more information on GNFCC and its North Fulton County service area, follow this link or call (770) 993-8806. For more information on other GNFCC events such as this North Fulton Mayors Appreciation Lunch, follow this link.

For the complete show archive of GNFCC 400 Insider, go to GNFCC400Insider.com. The GNFCC 400 Insider is produced by John Ray and the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX®.

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Ribbon Cutting for the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, GA

December 3, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Ribbon Cutting for the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, GA

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ATL Developments with Geoff Smith: Ribbon Cutting for the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, GA

On this special edition of ATL Developments, North Fulton Business RadioX® host John Ray broadcast live from the ribbon cutting of the new Assurance Financial office in Roswell, led by Geoff Smith. John interviewed several key Assurance Financial executives who attended the celebration as well as real estate agents who came to support Geoff. The turnout was amazing, and Geoff was so busy that John and Geoff didn’t get to have a conversation until the next day by phone! Congratulations to Geoff and the rest of the Assurance Financial team on the new Roswell office!

Regular episodes of ATL Developments with Geoff Smith are broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Kenny Hodges, President & CEO, Assurance Financial

Kenny Hodges is the President and CEO of Assurance Financial. After working with Wells Fargo for seven years out of college, he founded Assurance Financial in 2001 and has grown the company to over 20 branch offices supported by two operations centers. He is a licensed mortgage banker through the National Mortgage Licensing System Registry and has 27 years of mortgage lending experience. Kenny earned a B.S. in Entrepreneurship Management from Louisiana Tech University where he was elected to serve as the Student Government Association President. He is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Louisiana Mortgage Lenders Association where he is a past Board President. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Louisiana and is a past Chapter Chair. Kenny currently serves on the Louisiana Tech University College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board. Kenny is married with three children and resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Clavis Smith

Clavis entered the mortgage business in 1989 and has held numerous positions in mortgage origination and sales production before moving exclusively into sales leadership in 2014. He joined Assurance Financial in 2018 as the Eastern Regional Sales Manager. His experience in retail mortgage production provides great guidance and support to branch leaders and loan production personnel. Clavis is also very active in both state and national Mortgage Banker’s Associations advocating on issues to support the industry. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and currently resides in Glen Allen, VA with his wife. He has four children and one grandchild, and enjoys fishing on the Chesapeake Bay or playing tennis and golf in his spare time.

Chris Bartelski, Realtor and Educator

Chris’ passion for helping his wonderful clients find their home comes from his family house. Filled with 2 energetic boys, 2 cats, and a dog, it’s everything he ever wanted. It’s a gift that he will never take for granted. Using his experience as a marketer and associate broker, his purpose is to help you find your happy.

Website | LinkedIn

Damian Cook, Atlanta Branch Manager, Assurance Financial

Damian Cook is a Branch Manager and Loan Officer in the Atlanta Branch of Assurance Financial. Recognized for outstanding service, Damian has helped more than 775 clients become homeowners. Over 95% of borrowers who participated in a survey gave Assurance Financial the highest satisfaction rating. 100% of those rated Damian Cook’s attention to detail and customer service excellence as their primary reasons for the high satisfaction rating.

A native Georgian, Damian is involved with several organizations; he is as an active member of Dunwoody Baptist Church, Committee Chair of Young Life Perimeter North, and a volunteer of the Atlanta Food Bank. Damian enjoys CrossFit and traveling and spending time with his wife and three children. He graduated from the University of Alabama and received his master’s degree from Mercer University.

Damian is a recipient of the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia Gold Award, and the 2016 Mortgage Bankers Association of Georgia Platinum Award. He is licensed with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry in the state of Georgia.

Michael Hernandez, The Hernandez Group

Michael & Roxie joined the Atlanta Board of Realtors in July of 1995. Roxie immediately began helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs, earning “Rookie of the Year” while Michael finalized the sale of his family business.

In 1998, Michael joined Roxie forming the Hernandez Group. They have since added a full-time Team Coordinator, several agents specializing in buyer representation, a full-time Business Development Department and a Multi-Lingual Agent, further improving the level of service they provide their clients.

The Hernandez Group is dedicated to building relationships and committed to providing the highest level of customer service that is embodied by all in their office. They take the extra steps necessary to fully grasp their clients’ needs: whether it’s buying or selling their first home, downsizing from their estate home, starting an investment portfolio with rental property, giving advice such as whether to build onto their current home or move to a larger home or looking for land to build their perfect home.

When you work with the Hernandez Group you get the full service and attention their highly qualified team believes you deserve.The Hernandez Group specializes in: Single Family Homes, Luxury Homes, Estate Sales, Condo/Townhomes, Lease Purchase Programs, New Construction, Relocation (In/Out of Georgia), Investment/Rental Properties,1031 Tax Free Exchanges & Self-directed IRA’s.

Geoff Smith, Host of ATL Developments with Geoff Smith

ATL Developments with Geoff Smith covers all things economic development in the Atlanta Metro area. From everything inside the Beltline to Avalon and beyond, Geoff Smith interviews the movers and shakers making the ATL one of the best places to live, work and play. An archive of past episodes can be found here.

Geoff Smith is a mortgage banker with Assurance Financial working with Real Estate agents and homebuyers to help them get happily to their closing table. Geoff is an authority on the latest economic development trends shaping the Atlanta Metro area. His interviews reveal an inside perspective at how things get done in the ATL.

Geoff is an active member of his community serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce, as well as holding the position of chairman for the Chamber’s Education Committee. He is also Secretary of the Roswell Youth Baseball Association and coaches his sons in football, baseball and basketball. Geoff enjoys golf, camping and traveling with his wife and two sons. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia.

Hans Meier, Hans Wooden Puzzles

December 3, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Hans Meier, Hans Wooden Puzzles

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Hans Meier, Hans Wooden Puzzles (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 415)

Recorded during a remote broadcast from the Ribbon Cutting of the new Assurance Financial office led by Geoff Smith, Hans Meier, Hans Wooden Puzzles, and host John Ray had a “mic test” which turned into a brief and fun conversation. Hans and John discussed the Pro Alliance meeting at the Greater North Fulton Chamber and the “Rudolph Awards” which Hans passes out at Pro Alliance during the holidays. They also celebrated Geoff, his new Assurance Financial branch, and how Geoff goes out of his way to use Chamber members. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Hans Meier, Owner, Hans Wooden Puzzles

Hans creates custom wooden puzzles 3-D (Animals, Dogs, Cats, Horse and etc), puzzles flat, solving puzzles, and wooden cutouts. He is a world-renowned woodworker who specializes in scroll saw work. Prior to the pandemic, he was selling the bulk of his items at craft shows during the Spring, Summer, and Fall. He is currently selling at the Lakewood 400 Antique Mall the third weekend of every month.

He also creates custom wood gifts for business customers.

Hans is now involved as a volunteer making canes for Canes for Heroes. CFH donates canes and walking sticks at no charge to veterans throughout the country

Hans Wooden Puzzles website | Canes for Heroes website | Donate to Canes for Heroes

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.

Kathy French, Ameris Bank

September 16, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Kathy French, Ameris Bank

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Kathy French, Ameris Bank (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 391)

Kathy French, Vice President of Ameris Bank at the Hembree Road branch, is a long-standing presence both at the bank and in Roswell. She and host John Ray discussed her banking career, what makes Ameris different, the personal service she and her team deliver, her community work as well as that of the bank itself, her passion for visiting U.S. National Parks, and much more. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Ameris Bank

Ameris Bank manages more than $22 billion in assets and more than 200 financial centers across the Southeast. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ameris Bank is fiercely committed to bringing financial peace of mind to the communities it serves.

A subsidiary of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ: ABCB), Ameris Bank offers a full range of financial services, including traditional banking and lending products, treasury and cash management, wealth management, insurance premium financing, and mortgage and refinancing solutions. Learn more about Ameris Bank and its full range of financial services at www.amerisbank.com.

Company website | LinkedIn

Kathy French, Vice President, Ameris Bank

Kathy French started in banking over 39 years ago, took one detour, and went right back. She enjoys banking and building relationships. She started in 1984 with Fidelity Bank (now Ameris Bank) as a teller and worked her way up. She is currently the Branch Manager and has been in this position for the past 20 years. She is an experienced business development officer, consumer lender, and small business lender. She listens to her customer’s needs and finds the best solution to help them achieve their financial goals. Kathy is dedicated to working in her3 community where she volunteers with our local chamber and Kiwanis Club.

Kathy loves to be outdoors and enjoys nature and our national parks.

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.