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Veterans Connect Radio Episode 08

Veterans Connect Radio

A spotlight episode of Atlanta Business Radio and powered by Business RadioX. Co-Hosted by Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson and Brandon Skolnick with Gathering Of Angels. Featuring veteran entrepreneurs, support organizations, outreach groups and more in the Atlanta area continuing to serve our families, our communities and our country. 

#VetsConnect
@VetConnectRadio

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Roger Roley, Forrest Woodland, Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson , John Phillips and Lloyd Knight

 

 

Forrest Woodland/JDog Lawrenceville
Owner/Operator

 

 

Roger Roley CSM (Retired) / Four Block
Atlanta Program Director

Roger joined the Army where he served for 24 years; during his tenure Roger had several positions of Leadership and responsibility and was awarded the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and numerous other awards. Roger achieved the highest non-commissioned rank of Command Sergeants Major.

After retiring from the Army Roger joined Ferrellgas as a District Manager where he took a District ranked at #123 to #1. In 2 years Roger grew the District’s customer base 78%, doubled top line earnings, received the Donald Trump Award for the highest margins over projections while reducing expenses by 18% under projections.

Roger joined Cintas in 2001 as an Advance Management Candidate; during the next 11 years Roger held the positions of; Market Manager where he developed the top Location in the Corporation for internal growth, Top Sales Manager of 22 Location generating $160,000 in weekly volume over a 3 year period, as a Director of Facility Services (Group Level) Roger developed over $200,000 in weekly volume in new business services; Roger’s last position was as Atlanta’s Market Manager for the Deep Clean Division where he developed the top Location in the Corporation for 2 straight years.

Roger joined Osprey Biotechnics Inc. in January 2012 as Vice President of Business Development Growing sales 30% ($1.4M) creating the company’s first growth year in 3 years.

In August 2013 Roger joined Corporate Leads Inc., as Senior Partner. Corporate Leads Inc. is a Veterans placement organization with an outstanding record with both Veterans and corporations.

Roger joined Building Global Leaders Team in December 2014 as Vice President of Operations and Partner. Building Global Leaders (BGL) mission is to develop future business leaders utilizing business training, leadership training and mentorship.

In continuing to support our veteran Roger joined Four Block in November 2015 as the Atlanta Program Director: Four Block Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that prepares transitioning veterans for careers in corporate America. We teach a semester long, university accredited course that assists student-veterans with obtaining competitive internships and full-time positions.

Twitter      Facebook

 

 

Lloyd Knight / VETLANTA
Co-Founder

Lloyd Knight is Director, Government, Aerospace & Project Cargo Operations at UPS.  He oversees multiple freight forwarding programs supporting a wide range of clients including the Department of Defense, defense contractors, humanitarian and aerospace customers. He develops operational strategies to meet business objectives and ensures UPS remains compliant with government regulations.  Lloyd has been employed at UPS since 2007 and in addition to his current assignment has served in several different roles including Government Tender Manager, Global Government Operations Manager and a special assignment with corporate HR focusing on veteran hiring initiatives.

Lloyd retired from the Air Force in 2007 after 20 years of service.  During this time, Lloyd logged over 3,000 flight hours as a Loadmaster on several operational and flight test aircraft including the C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, and C-23 Sherpa.  He also served assignments as a Tanker Airlift Control Lift Element (TALCE) Loadmaster, HQ Air Mobility Command Functional Manager and First Sergeant.

Lloyd founded the UPS Veterans Business Resource Group in Atlanta and co-founded and the Chairman of VETLANTA, an industry collaboration of Veteran friendly/ affiliated organizations in the Atlanta region.  VETLANTA mission is to make Atlanta a top destination for veterans. He is an active volunteer for multiple veteran non-profits including American Corporate Partners and Hire Heroes USA.

Lloyd has associate degrees in Aircrew Operations and Human Resources Management from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor Degree in Transportation & Logistics Management from American Military University and a Master’s Degree in Logistics & Transportation Management from American Military University.

He has been married to Suzan for 28 years and has two sons (James & Brandon).  Brandon is a college sophomore and James is a soon to be transitioning solider assigned to the 82nd Airborne.

Facebook     LinkedIn

 

 

 

John Philips LTC, U.S. Army Retired / Boots To Loafers
Author, Speaker, Leader / Vice Chairman VETLANTA

John has had a distinguished career in both military and civilian service. John is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the US Army where he served in the Field Artillery as well as a Financial Comptroller.  With more than 20 years of service, he served  in Corps Artillery, Division Artillery, Army Headquarters and Forces Command, the largest command and the generating force provider for combatant commanders – at home and abroad. He has served in Europe, throughout the Middle East and the United States. Among his awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Air Assault Badge.

John is the Author of Boots to Loafers, Finding Your New True North which outlines a proven process of transitioning out of the military and into the private sector.  He is also a contributing author to Paddling Guide to the Sunshine State and An American Crisis, Veteran Unemployment, Stand by Them/How You can Help/Solution.  He has been featured on The Mike Huckabee Show, the Dennis Miller Show as well as a number of radio appearances across the country.

John is a finance executive at The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia. In his spare time, John spends his time travelling with his wife, Sailing in the British Virgin Islands, remote wilderness trips in the western United States, and helping our nation’s military and veterans make the transition into society and finding a job in the private sector.

John holds a BS in Finance from University of Central Florida and an MBA from Syracuse University. He lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia with his wife, the former Melissa K. Smith and their Australian Shepherd, Bear.

Boots To Loafers The Book      VETLANTA     Twitter    LinkedIn     Facebook 

 

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Spotlight Interview with Peter Vekselman

 

Ryan Redhawk and Peter Vekselman

Ryan “Redhawk” McPherson and Peter Vekselman

 

 

Peter Vekselman / RVP, LLC, Coaching by Peter, Yates Reality
Owner

Peter Vekselman is an established real estate investor and leader who has developed a new and synergistic approach to home selling and real estate investing.

By offering sellers the security and convenience of a cash purchase or the benefits of listing their property through a conventional realtor, clients of Peter are provided with a wider range of options and the flexibility needed to adjust to situational demands. Not only has this model proven valuable those on the sell side, it has also created tremendous investment opportunities for those looking to build wealth through real estate acquisition.

Because of his new Trifecta business model, his team is closing 8-10 investment deals per week and are currently overseeing over 200 properties listed in the Atlanta area.

Having grown his Atlanta-based operation to a national network of affiliates, Peter is excited about the opportunity to spread his message and create opportunities for real estate sellers, investors, and professionals alike. To that end, he would be appreciative of any opportunity to be interviewed on one of your podcasts to help create wealth generation opportunities for your listeners.

 

“TEXT” Peter Directly the following..Trifecta and tell him about your current business model 

404-915-9685

 

www.CoachingByPeter.com     Facebook

 

 

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Tamika Morrison and Tramell Smith with Kamp Kiles World and Patrick Pittaluga and Sean Warner with Grubbly Farms

 

 

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Patrick Pittaluga and Sean Warner are Georgia Tech graduates who started Grubbly Farms in early 2015. Patrick graduated with a degree in business and Sean a degree in building construction so insects and biology was an entirely new field.

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Kile’s World Foundation offers comprehensive art education to children ranging from ages 8‐17; focusing on music, performance, fine and applied arts. The foundation offers art-based camps with multiple workshops including general instruction in the areas of acting, singing, dance, painting, illustration, music production and digital media.

Kile’s World wishes to cultivate an environment where developing artists can explore their artistic interests with the guidance and support of our mentors. Kile’s World Foundation is poised to eventually open an academic school with an emphasis on music, drama and the arts.

 

 

 

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Frank Fenello with UHY Advisors, Jason Walker with Deputy, Mike Popowski with Dagger and Charlie Whitfield with Whitty Apps

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Jason Walker, Mike Popowski, Ryan Redhawk, Charlie Whitfield, Frank Fenello

 

 

 

Frank Fenello / UHY Advisors
Managing Director

Frank Fenello is managing director of the UHY Atlanta office, and leads the national management consulting practice. He has more than 20 years of experience in management and professional consulting in the finance, audit and accounting professional services industries.
UHY Advisors, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest professional services firms in the U.S., delivering financial, tax and business consulting services to companies ranging from mid-sized to the Fortune 500. The firm’s innovative Management & Technology Consulting practice provides a one-stop solution for a company’s financial and operational functions, with a full suite of services to transform a company’s performance and profitability.

 

 

 

Jason Walker / Deputy
President, Americas

I’m a dreamer of “the way things can be,” and have a passion for finding simple and elegant solutions to complex problems by utilizing innovative technology.

A thought leader within the SaaS and retail industries, I’ve worked with some of the biggest brands you know, including Home Depot, HP, Best Buy, Target, Apple, and Nokia. With over 20 years of experience, my team has driven sales quotas exceeding $10 billion, reduced turnover by 54% and increased top line revenues by over 300% YoY through leading large scale business transformational efforts throughout North America. Behind it all was a focus on delivering phenomenal customer experiences.

Currently, I serve as President, Americas of Deputy, a leading cloud technology equally loved by managers and employees who want to take charge of work and life in the hourly economy. In this role, I lead Deputy’s North and South America service areas, overseeing marketing, business development, strategic partnerships and customer experience, to ensure Deputy can spread its awesome workforce management solution with the entire world.

When I’m not helping businesses transform the experience of hourly employment for the 21st century, you can find me somewhere in the outdoors fishing, biking and hiking or asking someone “why” for the hundred-bajillionth time.

Twitter     Facebook     LinkedIn

 

 

 

Mike Popowski / Dagger
CEO

Mike took the helm at Dagger last year to drive the companys vision, culture and growth. He brings 15 years of digital, social and brand-building experience. A proven client service and team leader, Mikes had success in building campaigns and activations for the worlds biggest brands across a variety of industries. Since joining Dagger, the agency has created work for some of the worlds biggest brands, including: Interface, Aflac, Carters and Mizuno.

Mike joined Dagger from TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where he led the global repositioning for GSKs global smokers health business, Nicoderm CQ (US). For GSK, TBWA deployed TV and digital content assets through a centralized model that disseminates content to Australia, UK, Brazil and Europe.

Mike was previously SVP, Client Partner at Moxie, where he architected the agencys early content marketing practices for Cisco Systems, UPS and Wells Fargo. He led a fast-growing, interdisciplinary team of over 40 FTE account directors, account managers, project managers, social media strategists and community managers, creative, producers analysts and technologists.

He was one of the early pioneers of social marketing as a consultant for AARP from 2008 to 2011, and implemented early digital content practices for AARPs renowned Travel Ambassador, Peter Greenberg, and Health Ambassador, Martina Navratilova. Mikes previous stints include AOL and SureClick, an Inc. 5000 digital agency based in Washington, D.C.

Mikes a native Vermonter and now resides in Atlanta.

 

 

Charlie Whitfield / Whitty Apps
CEO

Charlie Whitfield is the CEO of Whitty Apps LLC, a SBA certified 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WBE, Woman Owned and Operated Company. We are an emerging Software Engineering & Integration Company, specializing in mobile and device technology. We provide architecture, design, development, and project management expertise for our clients. Our innovative mobile software solutions focus on solving unique challenges, productivity, customer experience, and marketing strategies that have an impact on your success. Charlie’s leadership skills honed in the military and corporate world enabled her to develop a business model and entrepreneurial vision that encourages and fosters leadership skills focused on empowering other Veterans and Woman business owners to continue to make meaningful contributions to our nations defense as well as local communities.

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KSU Entrepreneurship Center Presents The Shrimp Tank

KSUEntrepreneurship

Where can a young entrepreneur figure out how to turn their dreams into reality? Just take a step into the Shrimp Tank. The Shrimp Tank brings you interviews with some of the most successful business owners in the United States to learn the do’s and don’ts of starting and running a successful business. Then, the fun really starts when we bring in high school and college students to pitch their business ideas to the Shrimp Tank. We don’t fund any business, but we do teach kids how to turn their business ideas into a successful business.

Hosts of The Shrimp Tank Chris Hanks and Ted Jenkin.

 

 

 

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Travis Allen and Chris Hanks

 

Travis Allen /iSchool Initiative
Founder

Travis Allen is a young visionary promoting digital learning in the classroom. Before graduating from high school, Travis created a viral YouTube video on revolutionizing America’s education through the use of mobile technology. Today, he is a senior at Kennesaw State University where he operates his growing organization, iSchool Initiative. With the support of his team, Travis has presented in over 40 states and 8 countries, allowing him to reach an audience of over 200,000 people! He has been featured on CNN, Huffington Post and Forbes. In 2011, he was the winner of Google Young Minds competition; in 2012, he was invited to the White House for Education Datapalooza; and in 2015 he won the GA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Travis is quickly becoming one of the most influential leaders of the emerging digital learning movement.

 

 

 

 

Chris Hanks/ KSU EC
(Co – Host)

Christopher C. Hanks is the founder and executive director of the KSUEntrepreneurship Center. Prior to this, Hanks was the founder and director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Georgia. He has owned multiple businesses, including music, e-commerce, publishing, and export ventures. He is also the co-author of a best-selling book on low risk entrepreneurship.

Hanks leads the International Entrepreneurship Institute and is certified in business valuation, providing expert witness testimony. Before teaching at UGA, Hanks taught entrepreneurship at Georgia State University and assisted in leading the Russell Center for Entrepreneurship. He earned a BBA from University of Georgia and an MBA from San Jose State University. Before launching his first business, Hanks held corporate risk management positions in the pharmaceutical and beverage industries.

 

 

Ted Jenkin/Oxygen Financial
(Co – Host)

Ted Jenkin has spent the past 22 years giving personal financial advice to thousands of people across the United States. After graduating from Boston College in 1991, Ted spent more than 16 years working for American Express Financial Advisors/Ameriprise Financial. He was one of the youngest people in the history of the company to reach both Field Vice President and Group Vice President level. He managed more than 800 financial advisors throughout 8 states in his last position with the company. He won the premier performer award, leader of the year award, and had the number one office in the country for more than two years in a row. In 2008, Ted founded oXYGen Financial to help revolutionize the financial services industry by creating a new company that focused on serving the X and Y Generation. oXYGen Financial now has more than 1,700 clients throughout 25 states across the country. Ted has been featured in over 25 magazines and newspapers including the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The Huffington Post. He has six advanced designations from the College for Financial Planning (CFP®, CRPC®, CRPS®, AWMA®, AAMS®, CMFC®) and is an on air radio personality featured on the popular drive time Atlanta radio show The Rock 100.5 Morning Show on Rock 100.5 FM. Ted lives in Milton, GA with his wife Genna and three kids Olivia, Lyla, and Louden.