Listen Now!

Business Talk 24-7

Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





Atlanta Business Radio Dunwoody Special with Ricardo Gonzalo from Village Burger, Stacy Abston from Sips n Strokes, Monet Diamante from Dunwoody Restaurant Group and Debbie Fuse from the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce

Please click PLAY to listen to the latest Atlanta Business Radio show podcast broadcasting live each Wednesday at 10am EDT from the Business Radio X studio in Atlanta, GA, USA.    We are now available on iTunes, click this link and you can find all our past shows. Press SUBSCRIBE and you will automatically get the latest show when you sync your iPod to your computer.

We had a Special this morning focusing on the city of Dunwoody Business Community.

We opened the show with Ricardo Gonzalo with Village Burger, Dunwoody’s newest family restaurant. This great new restaurant is located in the old Bruster’s building. Village Burger serves burgers, hot dogs and frozen custard. Check them out at www.villageburger.com

Next up Stacy Abston with Sips n Strokes by Wendy Lovoy came on to discuss her art studio for the non-artist. She has classes where non artists come in and paint while hanging out with their friends and/or co-workers. You can bring your own drinks and snacks to make the class that much more fun. To learn more please go to www.sipsnstrokes.com

Next up Monet Diamante came on t discuss the Dunwoody Restaurant Group. This restaaurant group owns a bunch of pubs and restaurants around town, but she wanted to mention that the Dunwoody Tavern is now non-smoking. Monet said that each restaurant has their own Facebook page with specials and you can find them all on their website www.dunwoodyrestaurantgroup.com

We closed the show with Debbie Fuse, who is with the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce. Debbie explained the benefits of joining the chamber – she talked about the Chamber’s involvement with the Music Festival as well as all the help the Chamber provides its members in helping them navigate the maze of city govrnement zoning and sign procurement. To learn more pleae go to www.dunwoodycommerce.org

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

Atlanta Business Radio ProWIN Special

Please click PLAY to listen to the latest Atlanta Business Radio show podcast broadcasting live each Wednesday at 10am EDT from the Business Radio X studio in Atlanta, GA, USA.    We are now available on iTunes, click this link and you can find all our past shows. Press SUBSCRIBE and you will automatically get the latest show when you sync your iPod to your computer.


On October 19, 2010, Atlanta Business Radio launched a special ProWIN edition, co-hosted by  producer Lee Kantor and  Pat Romboletti, President of Sage Executive Search, (www.sageexecutivesearch.com), in welcoming a trio of energized and engaged women and Vice President of Sponsorship for ProWIN,  the Professional Women’s Information Network (www.prowin.com). This organization, exclusive to Atlanta, has a stated mission of “building business by building relationships.”

The day’s discussion led off with Loraine DiSalvo, president-elect of ProWIN and member since 2006.  As she explained, ProWIN is made up of members who meet at quarterly luncheons (the third Wednesday of January, April, July and October) to educate themselves, market their businesses, and make friends and business contacts. Additionally, ProWIN hosts small-scale, member-only events, such as cocktails at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Martinis and Imax, and holiday parties. Loraine said, “I found a diverse group of women from all walks of life and industry at ProWIN. We have interesting speakers and tasty luncheons. I think I’ve only missed one quarterly meeting since I joined and every time it’s the same thing—a great group of people, a great presentation and a great setting.”  In her “other” life, Loraine is a partner and lawyer at Morgan and DiSalvo, PC (www.morgandisalvo.com), an estate planning boutique. She added, “Through ProWIN, I’ve met eventual clients and professional contacts, like financial planners. I’ve found it to be a great resource for my clients.”

The typical meeting follows the format of an open meet-and-greet while everyone gathers, followed by a structured get-to-know-you through “table hosts,” where designated leaders at each table lead discussions based on a series of questions designed to stimulate conversation beyond the standard “Hi, how are you?” greeting. “The ‘information’ part of our organization’s name is intentional,” explained Loraine. “I learned how to better market myself and build my practice at ProWIN.”

In the open membership, you’ll find attorneys, CPAs, entrepreneurs, and people from B2B marketing, payroll, and large corporations. And despite the name, it is actually open to men, too. It presents an opportunity for members to be active—as board members, officers and committee members.  Sometimes, Loraine explained, you might even get to wear a tiara.  These special people are called registration angels and they are at the quarterly meetings, helping guests who want to join or returning members who need to renew. You can see why Pat said, “When I first moved to Atlanta—hands down—ProWIN was the one group mentioned most often as the networking organization to belong to.”

Membership costs $100 a year. Different fees apply to different events, although many of the member-only events are free. For new members, two complimentary half-hour coaching sessions are included with your membership. It can be general business coaching or tailored to your specific needs. “You basically get $300 worth of coaching for your $100 fee,” Loraine pointed out.

Then there are the random benefits as happened to the other two guests on today’s show. These two members won slots on this program to highlight their companies in a drawing at the last meeting.

First, we heard from business attorney Heather Wright, principal at The Wright Firm, LLC, (www.thewrightattorneys.net), serving clients from “start-up to demise,” including litigation. Heather said, “I leaped from a big firm to my own business when I realized that I liked being a lawyer, but I just didn’t like the big firm environment. It was too stifling. I like getting involved with my clients and have built my business by becoming a trusted advisor.”

One of her boutique firm’s benefits is that you are hiring someone you can trust. For instance, you need to know how you’re going to be charged—set fees, hourly, by contingency—which you get with Heather. “You need to be open, especially about money. I don’t know that I would trust attorneys who didn’t put their fee agreements in writing,” Heather said.

Communication is key for Heather. “I tell my business clients that a four-minute phone call could save them $30,000 in litigation, so feel free to call me,” she said. “A lawyer is your confidant. You need to tell them the truth, so they can help you. That’s why my written agreement talks about candor. ”

The other featured member was Leslie Hale, sales consultant with Veracity Payment Solutions, (www.veracitypayments.com). This four-year-old company provides credit card processing services to companies in the start-up to mid-size range. Its service center in Aiken, SC is very customer-centric and available year-round. “Small businesses can tap into our software that works with Quicken. It’s really great for them,” said Leslie. “We’re able to grow with our clients as they grow. It’s all about client relationships, all about trust. I am partnering with you. I am on your team. Everybody wins and everybody feels good about it.”

Some of the intricacies of the credit card world that were discussed include how statements are formatted, small ticket item charges, advantages of swiping a card, and the importance of zip code information. “One of the more costly mistakes is not swiping the card when you can. People tend to not put in all the required information—address, zip code—which makes it a more secure payment,” explained Leslie. “More than 200 rates can be charged. We help our clients use the most cost-efficient method of processing credit card transactions. We review the statements, do pricing models and compare what they’re paying where they are now versus what Veracity can do.”

Another advantage Veracity offers its clients is not requiring long-term contracts. “So there’s no rate creep, no penalties for ending the relationship,” Leslie said. At which point, Heather jumped in and said, “I was involved in a litigation case with a merchant and his credit card processor. If you’ve ever read those contracts, they’re long-term and called a contract of adhesion [or, in layman’s terms, one-sided]. My guy had no bargaining power, was locked into a contract for forever and ended up in litigation. I now tell my customers to look for month-to-month arrangements [like Veracity], so you have flexibility.”

And right there, the synergy of ProWIN was demonstrated.

Regarding ProWIN, Heather further said, “It’s a wonderful place to get to know people. The relationships are fantastic. It’s good for marketing—serious business people go there. At the first meeting I attended, I knew 10 people immediately and respected them. They were all on the board or played an active role. As a business lawyer, I need resources for my clients who typically don’t call me until it’s minutes away from a nuclear meltdown. The resources I’ve met through ProWIN are invaluable.”

Leslie was sure of its benefits from the get-go. She said, “I bought without looking—I signed up for membership on the internet. For me, it’s been an opportunity to meet professional women in a structured atmosphere. We’re able to reach commonality quickly.” She even invites her clients to meetings—“It’s a wonderful offering to my clients.”

Download the entire broadcast to hear more about ProWIN and the wonderful resources that it offers to Atlanta’s business professionals. You can also hear more about Heather Wright’s high-touch law practice and gain some great tips for saving money on your payment processing with Leslie Hale.

Participants:

Loraine DiSalvo, Morgan and DiSalvo, PC, www.morgandisalvo.com

Leslie Hale, Veracity Payment Solutions www.veracitypayments.com

Lee Kantor, producer, Atlanta Business Radio www.businessradiox.com

Pat Romboletti, Sage Executive Search, www.sageexecutivesearch.com

Heather Wright, The Wright Firm, LLC, www.thewrightattorneys.net

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

Atlanta Business Radio Interviews Cynthia Good with Little Pink Book, Bill Mann with Interactive Technology Enterprises and John Tolbert with FirstLight HomeCare

Please click PLAY to listen to the latest Atlanta Business Radio show podcast broadcasting live each Wednesday at 10am EDT from the Business Radio X studio in Atlanta, GA, USA.    We are now available on iTunes, click this link and you can find all our past shows. Press SUBSCRIBE and you will automatically get the latest show when you sync your iPod to your computer.

We opened the show with Cynthia Good. You might remember Cynthia from her TV days anchoring the evening news on Fox 5. Since then she’s written 6 books, launched two award winning magazines including the national women’s business magazine called PINK – which today is totally digital. The Little Pink Book, available free, delivers editorial every day to women nationwide and in 126 countries – giving all ambitious women tools, tactics and strategies to create a beautiful career and a beautiful life. To learn more about the magazine and the events they put on like the upcoming PINK SIGNATURE Fall Empowerment Event Series as well as to subscribe please go to www.littlepinkbook.com.

Next up Bill Mann with Interactive Technology Enterprises came on to discuss interactive communities. ITE is a technovativce compnay that brings futuristic synergetic solutions to the core value of their communities. They work with musicians, authors and doctors to name just a few of the communities they are involved with. To learn more please go to their website www.iactivetech.com

We closed the show with John Tolbert with FirstLight HomeCare. FirstLight Home Care is a provider of non-medical, live-in and hourly companion and personal care services to seniors and others who need assistance. John discussed his career transition into the rapidly growing home care industry, the reasons for its growth and why consumers are continuing to choose in-home care. To learn more please go to his website www.firstlighthomecare.com

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

Atlanta Business Radio Special Edition with Jennifer Kluge from Atlanta’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For Awards Competition

Today we had a Special Edition of the show featuring Jennifer Kluge from Atlanta’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, which is an awards competition providing the business community the opportunity to gain recognition, showcase their best practices and demonstrate why they are an ideal place for employees to work. This is the premier awards symposium that celebrates those companies that are making the lives of their employees better as well as the community as a whole. The 101 Best and Brightest program provides yearlong education, benchmarking, assessment tools and interaction amongst the best employers. We are pleased to be a part of it. To learn how you can nominate a firm for this great award please go to their website www.101bestandbrightest.com

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

Atlanta Business Radio Little Five Points Special with Matt Davis with BMT Promotions and Talent, Don Bender, Pam Majors with Junkman’s Daughter and Tim Scott with Libertine

Please click PLAY to listen to the latest Atlanta Business Radio show podcast broadcasting live each Wednesday at 10am EDT from the Business Radio X studio in Atlanta, GA, USA.   We are now available on iTunes, click this link and you can find all our past shows. Press SUBSCRIBE and you will automatically get the latest show when you sync your iPod to your computer.

We had a Special this morning focusing on the Little 5 Points Business Community.

Matt Davis from BMT Promotions and Talent subbed for Amy Otto. You can learn more about Matt at his website www.bmtpromo.com

Matt brought some of his friends and Little 5 business neighbors on the show.

Don Bender, a former commercial real estate business owner, is one of Little 5’s founding fathers – he shared some great history of the area and why he thinks it is so unique.

Pam Majors, founder of Junkman’s Daughter came on to discuss why she chose Little 5 Points as the location of her 28 year old business. You can learn more about her store in this amazing article where her store was recently featured named a Retail Superstar http://www.retailsuperstars.com/junkmansdaughter/index.html Please checkout Junkman Daughter’s MySpace page at www.myspace.com/junkmansdaughteratlanta
Tim Scott was also in the studio to discuss his shop Libertine. He has been around Little 5 for almost 20 years but his store has only been around for about 3 1/2 years. Check out his website at
To learn more about the histroy of this great neighborhood please go to:

And to learn more about one of the best Halloween Festival’s in the country (which is going on this Friday and Saturday) please go to http://www.l5phalloween.com/

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show

Atlanta Business Radio Interviews Keith Duncan with I See Stand, Amy Zuspan with Damsel Productions, Elizabeth Schneider with Wine for Normal People and Natalie Keng with Chinese Southern Belle

On todays show we opened with inventor and entrepreneur Keith Duncan. His latest invention the I See Stand is the perfect solution for show and tell presentations, training, education, sales and design. The I See Stand combines the power of a high definition camera, a patent pending mounting stand and high reolution software for your laptop. It’s like your own portable overhead projector to create and share information. You have to see this to really appreciate it – so go to Keith’s website www.iseestand.com and check it out.
Next up we had on Amy Zuspan from Damsel Productions. She is putting a benefit music show on October 14 to help out the Atlanta Day Shelter for Woemn and Children. The show will be held at Smith’s Olde Bar at 8pm on Oct 14. The show will feature Kelly Andrews, Meredith MacDonald, Granville Automatic, Sin Pretty and Amy’s band the Amy Zuspan Band. Please go to www.damselproductions.com to learn more.
Next up we had on Elizabeth Schneider from Wine for Normal People. Elizabeth is a Sommelier who is dedicating herself to educating people about wine without any of the snobbery that is usually associated with that. She offers classes, private parties and corporate events. So if you are looking for a wine education in a fun and memorable way you have to check out www.winefornormalpeople.com
We closed the show with our good friend Natalie Keng with Chinese Southern Belle. Natalie and her mom Margaret have been connecting people, food and culture through cooking classes and health and wellness demos around town. By sharing tips and tales these Chinese Southern Belles hope to add a fun fusion touch to the kitchen and a sense of community throuigh a celebration of food and culture. They have events and classes almost every week – learn more at their website www.chinesesouthernbelle.com

Also if you know of a business in Atlanta that we should know about please email Amy Otto at Amy @ atlantabusinessradio.com and we will try and get them on the show