Small Business Matters

Diana Murphy is one of Atlanta’s leading executive coaches and the host of the Regret-Proof Your Business Podcast. Focusing on business leaders struggling with work life balance, Diana helps her clients stop overworking and stay in growth - for themselves, their team, their clients, and their lives. Show Notes: In this episode, Diana shares insights on how small business owners can leverage their genius to grow and lead more effectively when more is required of them. It takes courageous leadership, but by getting more support, networking properly, and prioritizing commitments, business leaders can make more powerful decisions and create more positive outcomes. Episode Highlights: • What Matters to Small Business [0:02:04] • The Journey to Coaching [0:04:05] • Value of an Executive Coach [0:05:38] • An Uncertain Economic Climate [0:07:39] • Discovering Your Genius [0:09:38] • Confident Decision Making [0:11:47] • Conquering Imposter Syndrome [0:14:19] • Smart Networking [0:17:31] • Combining Business and

Drew Dudley is an internationally acclaimed leadership speaker, Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and creator of the renowned TED talk “Everyday Leadership (The Lollipop Moment)”. With an impressive client list that includes small businesses as well as large corporations including McDonald’s, J.P. Morgan and American Express, to name a few, Drew is on a mission to help people unlearn dangerous lessons on leadership. Show Notes: In this episode, Drew sits down with Tim and Taylor to talk about the value of simple moments, integrating our “To Do” lists with our “To Be” lists, and corporate verses personal goals. Drew shares his insights on post-pandemic leadership and debunking the Imposter Syndrome once and for all. Episode Highlights: • The Story Behind the TED Talk [0:03:50] • Understanding Simple Moments [0:09:40] • Leadership Misconceptions [0:14:40] • Time to Get Personal [0:18:49] • The Great Resignation [0:22:30] • This Is Day One [0:24:41] • Forget Imposter Syndrome [0:27:09] • Effective Le

Aviva Wolmer graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School with plans to become a criminal defense attorney for juveniles. What she thought would be a brief return to her family’s business culminated in her serving as CEO. When she became CEO of Pacesetter, she immediately joined a Vistage group to get the support and guidance of people in similar positions. For six years, she relied on the wisdom of the group to help her process complex issues and make tough decisions on topics such as talent, M&A, and change management. Now as a Vistage Chair herself, Aviva gets to create an environment that brings diverse perspectives and experiences to CEOs who have a desire to grow and scale their businesses or achieve their visions faster. Aviva strives to inspire others to become the leaders they can be through helping them envision their goals and dreams (personal and professional) and empowering them with the clarity and accountability they need to achieve them. Show Notes: In this episode, Aviva Wolmer

For the first episode in the new year, Tim and Taylor welcome Aventure Aviation CEO, Zaheer Faruqui, to the podcast. Founded in 2001, Aventure Aviation is the “Auto Zone of Aviation”, a world-class, award-winning commercial and military aviation parts supplier and provider of component repair management services. What began as a small business in Zaheer’s garage in Peachtree City, was recently awarded the President’s “E” Award for Exports at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. Show Notes: In this episode, Zaheer Faruqui shares his unique approach to the role of CEO, caring for customers, employees, and owners. The founder of Aventure Aviation also talks about the importance of core values when hiring new employees, understanding your customer’s customer, and the advantages that being nimble provides for small businesses. Episode Highlights: • What Matters to Small Busine

King of Pops started as a conversation that three brothers were having on an epic trip through Central America. Over the years, that conversation turned into a dream and when the youngest of the three, Steven, was laid off from his corporate job during the Great Recession – that dream became a reality. A few months later, Steven’s brother Nick left his job as a lawyer to become the second employee. The brothers went from layoffs and courtrooms to making people happy. The first King of Pops sale took place out of a Mexican paleta pushcart on a neighborhood street corner in Atlanta in 2010. Today, King of Pops continues to sell their sweet treats out of pushcarts but they’ve also expanded into catering, fundraising, and wholesale. Created in response to the pandemic's impact on business, their Neighborhood Partner program helps folks start their own King of Pops biz in their communities. Over the past 10 years, the entrepreneurs took advantage of opportunities that led to additional ventures: King of Pups (po

Small Business Matters president Tim Fulton recently returned from his tenth sabbatical and his third El Camino. In this episode, Tim sits in the guest chair to share about his latest journey, the benefits of taking time away from your business, and what led him to take that first sabbatical 10 years ago. In this Episode: • Making the Sabbatical Decision [0:01:49] • El Camino Santiago [0:04:10] • The Purpose of the Journey [0:09:25] • Kodak Moments [0:13:42] • Life Lessons Learned [0:21:57] • Rapid Fire [0:29:13] • SBM News [0:34:53]

Ali Jamal is the chief executive officer of Stablegold Hospitality, a real estate investment company that specializes in affordable accommodations for low/no income individuals and families. What started in 2011 as one rundown and shutdown hotel is now a thriving business, which includes approximately $50 million in assets under management, 1500 rental units – consisting of 12 independently operated extended stay hotels and single family residential housing and employs more than 150 people across the U.S. Stablegold was selected as the number one most Innovative Urban Development companies in the world by Fast Company Magazine for its innovative approach to affordable housing. Additionally, Ali has an Executive MBA from Northeastern University and has earned a certificate from the Stanford Business School Executive Program in Leadership. Ali currently participates in a nonprofit board role for Shelters to Shutters, he is a Founding Member of the Forbes Real Estate Council, a contributing writer for the Atla

In the early 90s, Gus Cawley moved to Atlanta with lofty goals and a degree in accounting from Le Moyne College. He paid his dues working on accounts payables during the day and selling subscriptions for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution door to door at night. Gus diligently combed the Sunday classifieds and faxed resumes until he landed a job as a CPA. Years later, Gus would put his job-hunting skills to work for others, leaving a successful position at Ernst & Young to begin a career in the recruiting industry. Within three months, Gus was ranked as one of the top three financial services recruiters in the world. He eventually founded a recruiting business of his own, sold it, and started another, then another. Today, Gus is the chief executive officer of three recruiting firms including Staff Financial Group, which places top-tier accounting and finance professionals in Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Tennessee, and various locations throughout the Country. Gus is also the creator

Shaun Bradley has lived the American dream. He has gone from selling peanuts at Green Bay Packer games as a boy, to Naval Academy graduation and service in the U.S. Navy as a young man. He then co-founded and served as CEO of Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI). Shaun is known as a Founding Father of the modern military recruiting industry, which in its various forms has now placed tens of thousands of veterans into positions in American industry - all at no cost to them. Shaun and BMI were honored in the White House as one of the top small businesses in the country. BMI opened in 1991 in a 250 square foot executive suite in Atlanta, Georgia and grew to become a multi-location, multi-state operation, placing over 15,000 veterans with annual sales eclipsing $15M. It became one of the largest non-franchise staffing firms in the United States. After retiring from BMI in 2007, Shaun added book author to his list of accomplished and published Small Business Veteran : My Journey from Lambeau Field to the White House. Toda

When Randall was 18, he joined the U.S. Army as a military intelligence signals analyst and directly supported numerous military operations throughout the world. After the Army, Randall joined a large, cleared defense contracting firm where he supported missions that solved some of the intelligence issues after 9/11. He has an unparalleled level of expertise in the use and integration of leading-edge information technologies, and he specializes in enhancing organizational infrastructure operations. Randall founded Zapata Technology in 2007 and since then has led all efforts to help shape the company’s rapid expansion into new business markets and to create many new strategic business partnerships. Under Randall’s leadership, the Augusta-based Zapata Team is a two-time winner of Washington Technology’s Fast 50 and Inc. 5000. Show Notes: Intelligence expert and Zapata Technology founder Randall Zapata joins Tim and Taylor to talk about keeping data safe, reinventing your small business every seven years, the

Allan Adams has been the State Director for the Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia for over 16 years. Prior to becoming the Director, Allan held various positions for the SBDC and has served as an Aid in both the U.S. House and Senate. Allan earned a degree in Political Science from UGA and an MBA from Brenau University in Atlanta and has been a friend of Tim's for 20 years. Show Notes: In this episode, the State Director of the Georgia SBDC joins Tim and Taylor to discuss the many ways they help small businesses, minimizing the risk of failure, serving over 20,000 small businesses during the pandemic, and the role luck plays in small business success. In this Episode: • What Matters to Small Business [0:02:13] • How the SBDC Can Help Your Business [0:03:11] • Funding and State Partnerships [0:06:14] • Diagnosing Small Business Problems [0:08:20] • Minimizing the Risk of Failure [0:10:57] • The Role Luck Plays [0:12:48] • The Impact of the Pandemic [0:14:13] • The Post Pande

Jeff Cunningham works with entrepreneurs and visionaries to help them design and achieve ambitious deals and build and sell profitable companies. He created a business model for developing a Proactive Legal Plan™ to make the legal relationship predictable, efficient, and affordable for businesses who watch their cash flow first. A Partner at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Jeff coordinates the legal and compliance operations for entrepreneurs, newly-formed enterprises, emerging growth, and established, growing companies, allowing them to focus on the things that they do to make money. Jeff earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University College of Law, an MBA from Georgia State University, and a BS in Economics from Vanderbilt University. Show Notes: Jeff Cunningham joined Tim and Taylor to talk about his 20+ year career helping small business owners focus on the things that make them money. Jeff discussed the role of an attorney as a strategist, COVID's impact on small businesses, the value

Founder and President of SalesReformSchool™, Adam Shapiro helps individuals and companies improve sales performance by on-boarding or "in-boarding" customer-facing individuals, teams, and enterprises. Mostly, this means helping clients integrate brand and other marketing efforts into their sales conversations, tools, and processes. Adam earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia after graduating cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin with a B.A. in History. Adam made the unusual transition from attorney to sales executive to entrepreneur leveraging the "think around the corner" process he learned in law school. Show Notes: Tim and Taylor welcome guest Adam Shapiro to discuss all things sales. Adam shares his insights on the marriage between marketing and sales, the difference between the challenge and the relationship salesperson, tips on hiring sales personnel, and the tension between effectively closing a sale and the sales quota. In this Episode: • What Matters Most to Small Busin

Business Ethics Advisors founder Kevin Foster provides training to prepare business professionals nationwide to identify the personal characteristics and circumstances leading to unethical behavior. He also created an 8-week Ethical Leadership Accelerator Group Mentoring Program for Next-Gen and emerging leaders who are tasked to maintain and develop the organization’s ethical culture in their managerial roles. Kevin has been featured in two articles on ethics, governance, and compliance in Financier Worldwide Magazine, an international publication covering corporate finance and board-level issues. He is a former financial executive with FDIC-Division of Liquidation, Standard Chartered Bank, and Dr. Pepper Co., a 30-year veteran in real estate, and a former CPA with Peat, Marwick & Mitchell (now KPMG). Show Notes: In this eye-opening episode of Small Business Matters the Podcast, guest Kevin Foster joins Tim and Taylor to talk about workplace ethics. Kevin openly shares about his personal journey from cor

Neil Campbell, MS is the executive director of the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and supporting community alliances to reduce the impact of addiction through education, advocacy, and training. Neil is a passionate advocate for public policy around a recovery-oriented system of care and a peer recovery workforce. Show Notes: In this episode of Small Business Matters the Podcast, Tim and Taylor welcome guest Neil Campbell to discuss the issue of substance abuse and the workplace. Neil shares the importance of connection to a person in recovery and the impact business owners have on an employee who may be struggling with substance abuse or recovery. Listeners learn how to address the issue with an employee, what language to avoid, and how to provide the necessary support for recovery. In this Episode: • What Matters Most to Small Business [0:01:43] • Measuring a Global Objective [0:03:45] • Neil's Journey [0:05:18] • Agency Funding [0:08:03] • Leadershi

In addition to the founder and CEO of Corporate Culture Consulting, John Waid is a facilitator, international keynote speaker, author of the Culture-Driven Series of books, and a recognized thought leader on corporate culture. Show Notes: In this episode of Small Business Matters the Podcast, John Waid joins Tim and Taylor to talk about the importance of company culture in small businesses. John describes the three types of behavioral values, Aspiring, Growth, and Operational, and how they dictate culture, affect employee retention, and ultimately, impact profitability. In this Episode: • What Matters Most to Small Business [0:01:53] • John's Career Path [0:02:57] • Organizational Culture [0:05:22] • Culture Tactics [0:07:04] • Behavior Reflecys Values [0:10:57] • Growth Impacts Culture [0:13:50] • Typical Engagement [0:15:03] • Culture is Unique to Company [0:17:42] • Generic Values Verses Real Culture [0:22:58] • International Differences [0:26:08] • Rapid Fire [0:28:32] • Contact Information [0:32:28]

Jennifer Koon is a Marketing Communications Professional with more than 25 years of corporate and agency-side experience with firms big and small. In 2001, Jennifer founded Michael Mackenzie Communications which develops and manages marketing and public relations programs for growing technology firms and professional service providers. Clients include Managed IT solution providers, law firms, CPA firms, HR & financial consultancies, and other services organizations with complex sales. Show Notes: In this episode, Tim and Taylor sit down with Jennifer Koon to discuss the importance of knowing when and how to invest in marketing, lead nurturing, marketing automation, and understanding your unique sales proposition. Key Points in this Episode: • Contributions to Small Business [0:02:59] • Key Milestones [0:04:18] • Role Within the Agency [0:05:12] • Impatience as a Strength and a Weakness [0:06:47] • Understanding Value Proposition [0:07:56] • Identifying Your Value Proposition [0:09:14] • When to invest

An entrepreneur focused on creating value for clients and shareholders, John Hightower is also a 16 year consulting veteran with a tenacious approach to “roll-up-the-sleeves” and optimize results. John thrives by creating solutions in fast-paced, inter-departmental projects, and innovative/disruptive product sets. In 2017, he co-founded Arch + Tower, an FD Company that helps businesses win in the Experience Economy. Show Notes: In this episode, John Hightower discusses the concept of leading with a servant mentality and flipping the organizational chart in order to improve the customer experience. Key Points in this Episode: • Contributions to Small Business [0:02:34] • Career Highlights [0:03:39] • Pirates, Paddlers, and Passengers [0:06:20] • The Impact of Remote Work [0:08:30] • The Lagging Indicator [0:11:18] • Employee Exp. Drives Customer Exp. [0:13:10] • Is the Customer Right? [0:15:18] • Achieving a Customer Focused Culture [017:19] • Best Mistakes [0:19:59] • Advice for Small Business Owner

Alex Muñoz is the owner and principal at CSR, a services and consulting firm that specializes in the assessment, recommendation, and delivery of organizational performance enhancement and/or remediation. Throughout his career, Alex has sought those types of situations that "nobody wants and are the most difficult" as they also tend to be the most interesting and challenging. An Atlanta native, Alex graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor’s degree in Management and received a Master’s degree in Information Systems from George Washington University. After a 15-year career in manufacturing, health information management, and financial services, Alex broadened his experience even more by working in diverse industries ranging from multiple professional service verticals (e.g., law, medical, engineering, etc.) to the non-profit sector. He was instrumental in the turn-around of a public company that started at $18MM and subsequently sold for over $300MM. Show Notes: In this episode, Tim and Taylor sit down w

Mary Ritz, Ph.D. discovered her ability and desire to teach at a young age. Years later, she combined these skills with her keen insight into customer service and an engaging business coach emerged. Today, Dr. Ritz is known as a dynamic leader, speaker, facilitator, and consultant. She has enjoyed repeated success guiding strategy development, business performance improvement, and teambuilding for customer-centric operations in various industries including financial services, communications, retail, hospitality, and consulting. A highly organized manager and coach, Dr. Ritz has the ability to quickly assess an organization’s needs and provide the tools to resolve difficulties, enhance learning, and improve performance. She is the founder and owner of Almenta International and holds a Ph.D. in Business with a focus on Customer Centricity. Show Notes: In this episode, Tim and Taylor welcome Dr. Mary Ritz to discuss the importance of customer service, investing in your people, and essential, ongoing profess