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Curated Collection Of The Best Interviews From Our Sandy Springs Studio





Jimmy Etheredge with Accenture, Maurice Cherry with Lunch and Laura Flusche with Museum of Design Atlanta

Accenture

 

Jimmy Etheredge / Accenture
Senior Managing Director, US Southeast Region

Jimmy Etheredge is a senior managing director at Accenture responsible for leading the company’s business in its US Southeast region, which covers 10 states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia—as well as the District of Columbia. In this role, Etheredge focuses on bringing innovation to clients, attracting top talent and strengthening the company’s impact in its local communities; he also serves as member of the North America Leadership Team and the Global Leadership Council.

Additionally, Etheredge is managing director for the company’s Atlanta office, where he provides oversight for developing local business relationships, expanding civic presence and fostering employee engagement.

Before being appointed to his current role in December 2016, Etheredge was senior managing director of Accenture’s Products operating unit in North America, where was responsible for Accenture’s business across a set of consumer-relevant industries: Retail; Consumer Goods & Services; Life Sciences; Automotive, Industrial Equipment, Infrastructure & Transportation Services; and Air, Freight & Logistics and Travel Services.

Among the other leadership roles that Etheredge has held during his 29 years with Accenture are global Customer Relationship Management lead for the Resources operating group and global lead for Accenture’s Retail Utilities practice. Etheredge spent six years based in London with global responsibilities before returning to Atlanta in 2007.

A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial engineering, Etheredge is an ardent supporter of his alma mater and a member of the Alexander Thorpe board of directors, the Hill Society and the Georgia Tech Lacrosse Advisory Board. He was honored as an inaugural inductee into the Georgia Tech College of Engineering’s Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni. An active member of the Boys Scouts of America, Etheredge sits on the Atlanta Area Council Board of Directors.

Etheredge lives in Atlanta with his wife and three children.

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Maurice Cherry / Lunch / Revision Path
Principal, Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Host

Maurice Cherry is the founder and principal at Lunch, a multidisciplinary studio in Atlanta, GA that helps creative brands craft messages and tell stories for their targeted audiences, including fostering relationships with underrepresented communities. Past clients and collaborators include Vox Media, NIKE, Mediabistro, Site5, SitePoint, and The City of Atlanta.

Maurice is a pioneering digital creator who is most well-known for the Black Weblog Awards, the Web’s longest running event celebrating Black bloggers, video bloggers, and podcasters. Other projects of Maurice’s include the award-winning podcast Revision Path, 28 Days of the Web, and The Year of Tea. His projects and overall design work and advocacy have been recognized by NPR, News One, CNN, AIGA, HOW, Print, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, and The Los Angeles Times.

Maurice is also an educator, and has built curricula and taught courses on web design, web development, email marketing, WordPress, and podcasting for thousands of students over the past ten years.

Maurice was named one of Atlanta’s “Power 30 Under 30″ in the field of Science and Technology by the Apex Society, one of HP’s “50 Tech Tastemakers” in conjunction with Black Web 2.0, and was selected by Atlanta Tribune as one of 2014’s Young Professionals.

Maurice holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College and a Masters degree in telecommunications management from Keller Graduate School of Management.

LinkedIn   Twitter   Twitter   Facebook   Facebook

 

Laura Flusche / Museum of Design Atlanta
Executive Director

Laura Flusche has been a member of the MODA staff since 2010. Prior to joining MODA, Laura lived in Rome, Italy for fifteen years, where she was assistant academic dean of an American academic program; taught art history, archaeology, mythology, and ancient history to undergraduates; and excavated on the east slope of the Palatine Hill, near the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine.

In 2016, Laura received the Business Design and Arts Leadership Distinguished Alumni Award from the Savannah College of Art and Design where she earned a master’s degree in Arts Administration. She also holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Roman and Etruscan Art and Archaeology and an M.A. in Italian Renaissance Art. When asked about the transition from archaeology to design, she fiercely maintains that design is archaeology backwards.

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Lawrence Henderson with Business Operational Support Services

Lawrence Henderson

 

Lawrence Henderson / Business Operational Support Services, LLC
President

As a Certified Leadership Coach, Teacher and Speaker, Lawrence Henderson draws on over 20 combined years of progressive leadership and team building training in the broad areas of human capital development, conflict resolutions, organizational development, and the fundamentals of change management.

As an Officer in the US Army, Lawrence sharpened his knowledge, skills, and abilities through the practice and study of a variety of leadership teachings, most notably Dr. John C. Maxwell’s foundational 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, and The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, to coach and teach hundreds of service men and women. This expertise extends to Federal (Civilian, DoD, and IC), State, and Local Government agencies support in the form of professional and management development training, educational support, administrative and general management consulting services that are supported in the form of workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching, aiding personal and professional growth through study, and practical application of proven leadership methods.

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Biz Radio U Featuring Joe Guthrie with Avrian, LLC and Bryan Keller with Keller Guitars

Joe Guthrie
KSUEntrepreneurship
Biz Radio U

 

Joe Guthrie / Avrian, LLC
CEO

Joe Guthrie is a serial entrepreneur and the current CEO of Avrian, LLC. He’s founded several for-profit and non-profit ventures and organizations over the past 18 years. Joe has established himself as a well-rounded business expert with experience throughout the business cycle, from startup to acquisition.

In 2010 Joe founded Avrian Consulting, an Atlanta-based consulting agency with an expertise to help other businesses and their leaders achieve goals through executive coaching, mentoring, and advisory roles.

LinkedIn

 

Bryan Keller / Keller Guitars
Owner

Bryan Keller is a Senior at Kennesaw State University and will be graduating in May with a degree in Business Management. Bryan’s passion is music, specifically guitar, and he enjoys utilizing that passion for worship. Because of this passion, Bryan started Keller Guitars, which sells acoustic and electric guitars that have bible verses burned, or foil pressed, onto the face of the guitar.

Bryan recently began the venture, and will be launching the first line of acoustic guitars, called The Carpenter Series, in March, 2017. The line will display Psalms 95 on the guitar.

LinkedIn   Facebook

 

Morgan Chalk with Ronald Blue and Co.

 

Morgan Chalk / Ronald Blue & Co.
Private Wealth Advisor

Morgan Chalk serves both the Professional Athlete Division and the Private Wealth division of Ronald Blue & Co. in Atlanta, Georgia and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM certificant. Morgan is a registered Player Financial Advisor with the NFL Players Association.

As a Private Wealth Advisor for the Private Wealth division, Morgan integrates financial planning, investment management, and estate and philanthropic planning into a custom-tailored financial plan that helps clients accomplish their dreams and financial goals. He is responsible for bringing together the expertise necessary to effectively meet his clients’ needs and for building long-term client relationships based on integrity, confidence and trust.

As a Financial Advisor with the Professional Athlete Division, Morgan works with athletes as they build their wealth and assists them in giving generously and managing their financial resources wisely. The Professional Athlete Division of Ronald Blue & Co. employs a customized service model geared to the unique needs of the athlete in their specific sport. Services include coordination of tax and legal counsel, bill paying, cash flow management, financial and estate planning, and philanthropic strategies. Ronald Blue & Co. serves over 100 active and retired players and coaches across the MLB, NFL, NBA, PGA, NASCAR and the NCAA.

Morgan earned his BBA in Finance from the University of Georgia.

Morgan and his wife, Libby, are active members of Roswell Community Church and live in Roswell, Georgia with their two children.

 

Special Edition: Demystifying Leadership

Mack and Ria Story

 

Mack Story / Top Story Leadership

Mack began his career in manufacturing on the front lines of a machine shop. He grew himself into upper management and found his niche in lean manufacturing and along with it, developed his passion for leadership.

With more than 20 years working with and on the front lines, he brings a powerful blend of practical experience and leadership knowledge to his clients. Mack is a published author of several leadership books including: Defining Influence, 10 Values of High Impact Leaders, and Blue-Collar Leadership: Leading from the Front Lines.

He understands that everything rises and falls on leadership.

For more detailed information on Mack and to learn about the leadership development services he provides, please click here to visit Mack’s website.

 

Ria Story / Top Story Leadership

Ria is a motivational leadership speaker, author, and a world class coach who has a unique ability to help people develop and achieve their life and career goals, and guide them in building the habits and discipline to achieve their personal view of greatness.  Ria brings a wealth of personal experience in working with clients to achieve their personal goals and aspirations in a way that few coaches have achieved.

Ria’s background includes more than ten years in administrative healthcare, including several years in management and later, Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs for a large healthcare organization.  Ria’s responsibilities included oversight of thousands of organizational policies, organizational compliance with all State and Federal regulations, and responsibility for several million dollars in Medicare appeals.

Like many, Ria faced adversity in life. Raised on an isolated farm in Alabama, she was sexually abused by her father from age 12 – 19. Desperate to escape, she left home at 19 without a job, a car, or even a high school diploma. Ria learned to be resilient, and not just survive, but thrive. She worked her way through school, an MBA, and eventually resigned from her career in the corporate world to pursue a passion for helping others achieve success.

Now a motivational speaker, coach, and author of 7 books, she co-founded Top Story Leadership, which offers leadership development, speaking, training, coaching, and consulting. Ria also coaches authors and speakers on writing, speaking, and more. 

Biz Radio U Featuring Stephanie Carvajalino with Chococar and Quality Line

Stephanie Carvajalino
KSUEntrepreneurship

Biz Radio U

 

Stephanie Carvajalino / Chococar / Quality Line
Co-Founder and Motivational Speaker

Stephanie was born in Columbia, and at the age of six, Stephanie, along with her sisters and $15, founded Chococar, “a home-based company that produced and sold chocolates.” She gave her first lecture at a private university when she was nine, and this started her career as a motivational speaker. Around this same time, Stephanie and her sister founded Quality Line, a speaking and training company that helps serve anybody who strives to succeed, lead, and start a business. When she was 13, she wrote and published a book with her sister, called Parents and Coaches, which helps parents know how to raise and nurture an entrepreneur. In 2012, her family started an investment group that branches into different industries. Now at age 20, she is going to school at Kennesaw State University and still managing her many businesses abroad.

LinkedIn

Biz Radio U Featuring Calvin Barber and Ian Outland with Gas Pedal Garage


KSUEntrepreneurship
Biz Radio U

 

Calvin Barber / Ian Outland/ GasPedalGarage
Co-Founders

Calvin Barber had an idea of starting a YouTube channel in early December of 2015 with two of his friends Kevin Olney and Ian Outland. They started a channel called GasPedalGarage, which is a channel that incorporates car builds, car reviews, car meets, car shows and the thrilling feeling of going fast. GasPedalGarage posts videos every Wednesday and Saturday and the motto their channel is based on is God, Family and Fast cars.

 

Lara O’Connor Hodgson with NOW Corp

Lara OConnor

Lara O’Connor Hodgson / NOW Corp

Lara O’Connor Hodgson is a founder of NOW Corp and has served as its President and CEO since its inception.

Lara has launched both product and service businesses, raised capital, and served in executive management roles with Nourish (a patented consumer product for children), Insomnia Consulting LLC (an infrastructure development company), Dewberry Capital Corporation, DCH (a $400M private equity firm in which she was a founding principal), Dunk (a performance footwear and apparel brand), and iXL, an Internet development company. With extensive experience in brand development, corporate strategy, business development, marketing, and operations, Lara has worked with companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Keds, and others.

A member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2004 and the Leadership Georgia Class of 2005, she was recently honored by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association with the Total Person Alumnus Award and by the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering as Alumnus of the Year. Lara is a member of the Georgia Tech Young Alumnus Hall of Fame and is an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and creativity.

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Brian Peters with Citizens Bank, Jay Jhun with AIMA and RJ Harrington with Twenty and 3

Citizens Bank

 

Brian Peters / Citizens Bank
Southeast Regional Executive

Brian Peters joins Citizens following a successful 20-year career at SunTrust, where he most recently served as Head of National Corporate Banking, leading a geographic expansion that included the opening of seven new offices. Peters has a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Business Administration (Finance) from Indiana University. He will be based in Atlanta, where he has served clients and the community since 1991.

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Jay Jhun / Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association
President

Jay Jhun was elected to serve as AIMA’s 2017 President after serving in multiple capacities as a volunteer and board member over the course of the last 6 years. An Atlanta transplant from the SF Bay Area, He has worked at some of Atlanta’s top digital marketing agencies and is now an IBMer working in the Watson Marketing group.

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Amanda Sparks / Response Mine Interactive
Director of New Client Development

RMI specializes in acquiring customers through content marketing, social media, SEO and PPC and focuses on enlarging the client bases of companies providing e-commerce, home services and health, wellness and fitness services.

Amanda Sparks’ transition into this position came at the end of three years guiding the recruiting processes of RMI. Many of the prospecting and closing techniques she employed in that capacity adapt well to identifying viable prospects and presenting them with clear, concise convincing descriptions of the benefits our services provide.

In Amanda’s free time, she volunteers as a board member of the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association to plan their social programming events.

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RJ Harrington / Twenty and 3
Lead Creative

RJ Harrington is the Lead Creative at Twenty and 3 – a one-stop creative shop, providing the services required to build alluring brands including brand strategy, photography, and graphic design. Twenty and 3 serves entrepreneurs just starting their business venture, as well as established companies wanting to elevate an existing brand. Success is achieved through simplicity, integrity and innovation.

In addition to her creative work, RJ enjoys helping both large and small audiences improve their personal brand. ‘Brand Talks’ cover first impressions, color theory, and how to magnify your strengths. These discussions improve productivity, boost morale, and encourage participants to move forward in excellence.

RJ is an advocate for community service and sits on the board of Integrity Mentors girls program and serves as a remote Triple M mentor for the Irving, Texas Independent School District. RJ is based in Atlanta and available for world-wide travel.

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