School for Startups Radio

JULY 5, 2023 – GREATEST HITS RESTAURANTS! – PF CHANGS FORMER CEO RICK FEDERICO AND BLAZING ONION’S DAVID JONES

Rick Federico – Former CEO of PF Chang’s
This interview is listed in the Greatest Hits andneeded to move to our new server.
Rick Federico is the former CEO of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. He joined the company in 1996, and is responsible for the strategic growth and development of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and the company’s casual quick dining concept, Pei Wei Asian Diner. Mr. Federico’s demonstrated vision and talent has made him one of the industry’s top leaders. Mr. Federico began his career in the restaurant industry as a manager at Steak & Ale and later Orville Beans and Bennigan’s restaurants. Mr. Federico went on to develop Grady’s Goodtimes and served as co-founder/partner and vice president of operations until Brinker International acquired Grady’s in 1989. Upon joining Brinker International Mr. Federico served as senior vice president and concept head for Macaroni Grill before being promoted to president of the Italian Concept division. As president, he directed operations and development for Macaroni Grill and Spageddies. Mr. Federico is a founding director of Chances for Children and active in the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. Mr. Federico, a graduate of the University of Tennessee, makes his home in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife Peggy and their five children.David Jones – CEO/Co-Founder of Blazing Onion Burger Company
This interview is listed in the Greatest Hits andneeded to move to our new server.
David Jones is the CEO & Co-Founder of the Blazing Onion. He, along with Lorri, opened their first Blazing Onion in March of ’07. The Blazing Onion stands out as a technology-driven fast-casual Restaurant with full-service Sports & Whiskey Lounges, making it a unique hybrid in the evolving fast casual segment. The menu at the Blazing Onion focuses on using all-natural, fresh, local ingredients, and each location creates recipes from scratch. Currently, they operate eight Blazing Onion’s across the region. The hard work and dedication of David and Lorri have not gone unnoticed. The Blazing Onion has been acknowledged by QSR magazine as “Ones to Watch,” and it has achieved a notable ranking of #25 in Fast Casual magazine’s “Top 100, Mover’s and Shakers.” Prior to his involvement with the Blazing Onion, David Jones has been a Subway Franchisee since 1997. Subway has experienced remarkable growth, overcoming various challenges and changes, and is currently on a great rebound. David also holds the position of Board Chair for the North American Association of Subway Franchisees (NAASF). His goal is to improve communications and contribute to the company’s refreshing initiatives. Being a Subway franchisee is a source of pride for him. In 2022, David and Lorri were approached to become franchisees of Shaq’s new brand, Big Chicken. After sampling the food and meeting the executive team, they made the decision to diversify their portfolio by adding this third company. Big Chicken emphasizes freshness, chef-driven quality, and exceptional service. The first Big Chicken location was opened in The Landing in Renton, WA, and they have plans for three more. David Jones actively serves on the Fast Casual Industry Council for the National Restaurant Association. This council consists of dedicated professionals who strive to learn from every new challenge and share their knowledge with other hardworking fast-casual restaurant business owners. On a personal level, David has been happily married to his soul mate and business partner for 38 years. They have three wonderful children and four grandchildren, and their lives have been immensely rewarding. They are excited for the many chapters yet to be written in their book

July 4, 2023 - Birthday Show - America Is Great!

This special show is devoted to America, our great country.
The show details reasons why America is so great, especially for entrepreneurs.
Enjoy!

JULY 3, 2023 – GREATEST HITS – NYT MELINDA EMERSON AND USA TODAY STEVE STRAUSS

Melinda Emerson – Small Business Expert, Digital Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker, and Bestselling Author of Fix Your Business: A 90-Day Plan to Get Back Your Life and Remove Chaos From Your Business
This interview is listed in the Greatest Hits andneeded to move to our new server.
Melinda Emerson has advised companies such as Pitney Bowes, FedEx, Verizon, Xerox, American Express, Sam’s Club, and Wells Fargo on how to construct media, social media, and marketing strategies to increase customer growth in the small business market. She draws on her 18 years of combined front-line and executive management in business and entrepreneurial situations. She shares her small business insights and knowledge through many media, including her blog “succeedasyourownboss.com” which is syndicated by the Huffington Post reaching over 3 million readers each week. She is also a former social media columnist for the New York Times. Her articles are featured in many publications such as Entrepreneur, Smallbiztrends.com, Black Enterprise, and Essence. She is frequently tapped to speak about small business issues on media such as Fox News, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, Money Matters and in the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Inc. Magazines, Forbes Magazine named the #1 Woman for Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter.Steve Strauss – Senior USA TODAY Small Business Columnist
This interview is listed in the Greatest Hits andneeded to move to our new server.
Steve Strauss is a leading small business expert and shares his wealth of knowledge as an internationally recognized speaker, columnist, and attorney. He is also the author of 17 books, including The Small Business Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Your Small Business. As a weekly columnist at USATODAY.com, Steve gives insight to small business owners and entrepreneurs on everything from writing in the workplace to marketing, and his column is one of the longest-running business columns in the world – running for 17 years. Steve has spoken as an expert for the U.S. State Department in locations such as India, Japan, Mongolia, and the West Bank, and he sits on the Board of the World Entrepreneurship Forum in France. Today, he shares the latest results from the Bank of America Small Business Survey.

June 30, 2023 - Off Market Home Finder Fred Warder and Produce Moms Lori Taylor

Fred Warder - Principal of Joe Homebuyer
If you are in your 20s and want to be a real estate investor, the best wayto do it is called house hacking. Take out a FHA loan, which is veryaccessible and easy to get. They allow for duplexes. Live in one sideand rent out the other.
Fred Warder is the Principal of Joe Homebuyer. Fred Warder is a real estate investor who after 20 years in corporate America left that behind to build his own business from the ground up. Fred and his partner started their real estate investment business, with years of leadership experience to back them up. After a tragic loss in his family at just 18 years old, Fred’s career goals changed and set him down the corporate path. This eventually led him to being CEO of a company making 50-80 million dollars of revenue and then walking away from the corporate world completely by the time he was 45. Fred and his partner have taken this experience and now created a successful real estate investment business and have grown their team to over 10 employees. Fred has valuable knowledge to share with other seasoned entrepreneurs and those just beginning their journey. Along with leading his company, his goal is to help others who are looking to branch out on their own and find financial freedom through real estate.
 
Lori Taylor - Founder & CEO of The Produce Moms
Marketing does not have to be a loss leader for the company. We cangenerate revenue! We did that by the vendors giving us discounts inexchange for exposure, for example.
Lori Taylor is the Founder & CEO of The Produce Moms. Lori Taylor is on a mission to put more fruits and vegetables on every table. Lori is the founder of The Produce Moms, a community with a passion to educate consumers on the benefits of eating, growing, selecting, storing, and serving fresh produce. As a produce supply chain professional for 10 years, Lori saw a void when it came to sharing knowledge about fresh produce brands, and she knew she wanted to find ways to inspire consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables. Lori and the Produce Mom’s have done this by continuing to work with the food supply chain, media, and the government. Since its founding, Produce Moms has had an audience of 2.2 million and over 100 brand partnerships. Lori’s amazing entrepreneurial story has been featured by Oprah, Martha Stewart, Forbes, GQ Magazine, Food Network, Hallmark, RealSimple Magazine, HuffPost, StyleCaster, and more. In addition to running The Produce Moms, Lori is also a Podcast host and Keynote Speaker, receiving many accolades including Forbes Next 1000. She often speaks with school officials and lawmakers to support public policy to increase the availability of fresh produce in School Meals and other child nutrition programs. She is committed to helping the public know about changes happening within the grocery store for the health of the industry and the health of consumers.

June 28, 2023 - Building an Online Marketplace Shirish Nadkarni and Greatest Hit Dorie Clark

Shirish Nadkarni - Board Member of TiE Seattle and the Author of "Winner Takes All: Case Studies in how Online Marketplaces are creating modern monopolies"
The most powerful way to build a brand is to get an amazing set of ratingsand reviews for your product. You have to have amazing customer service.So that if something goes wrong with the product you replace it immediately.
Shirish Nadkarni is a Board Member of TiE Seattle and the Author of "Winner Takes All: Case Studies in how Online Marketplaces are creating modern monopolies". Shirish Nadkarni is a serial entrepreneur with proven success in creating multiple consumer businesses that have scaled to tens of millions of users worldwide. Shirish was the co-founder of Livemocha, the world’s largest language learning site with 15+ million registered members from over 200 countries. Livemocha was acquired by RosettaStone in 2013. Prior to Livemocha, Shirish was the founder of TeamOn Systems, a mobile wireless e-mail pioneer that was acquired by BlackBerry in 2002. The TeamOn technology served as the core foundation for Blackberry Internet E-mail which serviced over 50 million BlackBerry users. Shirish started his career at Microsoft where engineered the acquisition of Hotmail and launched MSN.Com which became a leading web portal in the early days of the Internet. Shirish received his MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSE in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He serves on the board of TiE Seattle where he chairs a number of programs including the GoVertical Startup Creation Workshop, the TiE Entrepreneur Institute, and the Z5 Catalyst funding initiative.Dorie Clark – Keynote Speaker, HBR contributor, Marketing Consultant, Business School Professor and Author of Entrepreneurial You: Monetize Your Expertise, Create Multiple Income Streams, and Thrive
We love this interview and needed to move it onto our new server. 
Dorie Clark has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was recognized as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards. Clark, a consultant and keynote speaker, teaches executive education at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School. Recognized as a “branding expert” by the Associated Press, Fortune, and Inc. magazine, she is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes. It was also a Washington Post bestseller. Her books have been translated into Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, Polish, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Vietnamese, and Thai. Clark, whom the New York Times described as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives,” is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. She consults and speaks for a diverse range of clients, including Google, the World Bank, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, the Ford Foundation, and Yale University. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, Clark has also taught for Spain’s IE Business School, HEC-Paris, Babson College, Smith College Executive Education, UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business, and more. She has guest lectured at universities including Harvard Business School, the Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, the University of California-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Georgetown, NYU, the MIT Sloan School of Management, and the University of Michigan. Her work has been published in the Harvard Business Review Guide to Getting the Right Job and the Harvard Business Review Guide to Networking, and she is quoted frequently in the worldwide media, including NPR, the BBC, and MSNBC. She has been a regular commentator on Canada’s CTV and was named one of Inc. magazine’s “100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference.” A former New England Press Association award-winning journalist, Clark directed the environmental documentary film The Work of 1000, and was a producer for a multiple-Grammy-winning jazz album. She is a Broadway investor, as well as a member of BMI’s Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop, widely considered the premier training ground for musical theater lyricists and composers. At age 14, Clark entered Mary Baldwin College’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted. At 18, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College, and two years later received a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.

June 26, 2023 – Little Red Wagon Ron Simmons and Thomas Lee on Bruce Lee

Ron Simmons  - Chairman of Retirement Advisors of America and Author of "Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon: 15 Ways to Take Charge and Create a Path to Success."
Our niche was managing money for retired airline pilots. It did notstart out that way, so one of the lessons to learn is to have somewhatof an open mind because your business might change a little bit.There are riches in the niches!
Ron Simmons is the Chairman of Retirement Advisors of America and Author of "Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon: 15 Ways to Take Charge and Create a Path to Success". In Life Lessons from the Little Red Wagon, Ron mines the depths of his triumphs and travels to provide a wealth of applicable insights – from his humble beginnings in the rural south to the heights of influence as an entrepreneur and finance executive. Simmons was the cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Retirement Advisors of America (RAA). RAA is a wealth management company and, at the time of its sale to another investment firm in 2019, managed over $3 billion for approximately two thousand retired commercial airline pilots from all the major airlines who resided in all fifty states and multiple foreign countries. The Honorable Ron Simmons served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives. He served on the Appropriations, Transportation, Elections, Homeland Security, and Business & Industry Committees while in the Texas House. In business, Ron was the cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Retirement Advisors of America (RAA). RAA is a wealth management company and, at the time of its sale to another investment firm in 2019, managed over $3 billion for approximately two thousand retired commercial airline pilots from all the major airlines who resided in all fifty states and multiple foreign countries. In 2019, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Ron as chairman of the board of Texas Mutual Insurance Company, an exclusive worker compensation insurance provider located in Texas with over $1 billion in annual revenue serving over seventy thousand companies located in Texas. Simmons is an advisor to the CEOs of The Heritage Foundation and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Ron is the son of two public school teachers and has been married to his wife, Lisa, for more than forty years. He and Lisa have three children: Justin, an assistant US Attorney in the Justice Department; Daniel, who is on the autism spectrum and a fantastic artist and hard worker; and Allie Beth, a podcast host (Relatable), author, and speaker. Their crowning achievement, though, is their five grandchildren!Thomas Lee - Writer/Editor of TheStreet Author of "The Bruce Lee Code: How the Dragon Mastered Business, Confidence, and Success" 
The most successful people are innately curious. They have lots of thingsgoing on, hobbies, side hustles, whatnot. Bruce Lee exhibited the sameattributes as other entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.
Thomas Lee - Writer/Editor of TheStreet Author of "The Bruce Lee Code: How the Dragon Mastered Business, Confidence, and Success".  July 20, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s death, and Thomas Lee’s new book honors The Dragon, who was a brand before it was commonplace. THE BRUCE LEE CODE (April 2023) focuses on the business strategies prevalent in Lee’s life and the teachings that helped unlock his full potential. Bruce Lee’s attention to brand is a major reason why he continues to influence pop culture today. He was a brand well before it become commonplace. Through this book, readers will step into the Dragon’s mind and explore how he thought about business, life, and goals. Thomas Lee is a long-time business journalist who has written extensively about innovation and entrepreneurship for major daily newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle, Star Tribune in Minneapolis, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In 2013, he won the Gerald M. Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, the top honor for business journalists. In 2014, Palgrave MacMillan published Rebuilding Empires: How Best Buy and Other Retailers are Transforming and Competing in the Digital Age of Retailing. He also serves as editorial director and lead curator for the We Are Bruce Lee exhibit at the Chinese Historical Society of America museum in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He is working with Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, who runs the Bruce Lee Foundation, to create a retrospective on Bruce Lee’s life and his impact on the current world.

June 23, 2023 - Traffic Entrepreneur Arthur Stepanyan and GREATEST HITS! Dotcom Secrets Russell Brunson

Arthur Stepanyan - Chief Operations Officer of TICON - Traffic Information Consolidator 
Arthur Stepanyan is the Chief Operations Officer of TICON. For 35+ years of his professional career, Arthur Stepanyan was fortunate to meet with, work and learn from the captains of industry and government leaders from all over the world. Through this interaction, Arthur became intimately familiar with such diverse industry verticals as aerospace, automotive, metallurgy, oil and gas exploration and production, microelectronics, telecommunications, nuclear energy - all seen through essential principles of business, finance and law. As an international business consultant, Arthur was instrumental in Chevron’s mega-JV in Kazakhstan, in Kaiser Aluminum technology transfer projects, in International Launch System’s commercial satellite launches and in US DOE’s IPP/NCI programs, among many other international projects. During his years in Silicon Valley, Arthur consulted a diverse range of high-tech companies, including the developers of parallel processing Tandem Computer, the pioneers of cell telephony Array Communication, as well as the IT industry supermajors like Cisco, Sun Microsystems, Intel, SAP and Microsoft. Arthur worked with international customer groups, from Chilean Air Force to Australian banks to German software developers, assisting them in learning from the Silicon Valley model and applying the disruptive innovation solutions and processes into their business models. Through his work in Silicon Valley Innovation Center, Arthur led the effort on promoting diversity and inclusion in startup ecosystem, and set the example in the conferences/startup competitions in Robotics and IoT. Arthur is a board member and cofounder of several startup companies in various industry verticals, such as Media, Big Data, Fintech, UAVs, Robotics and Smart Cities. Since 2016, Arthur is focused on building, growing and expanding his most important venture, TICON (Traffic Information Consolidator) - a data analytics and AI company that provides strategic consulting services to Retail and Real Estate corporate clients.
 
Russell Brunson - CEO of $100M software company ClickFunnels and Author of "DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online"
There is so much opportunity right now. I have seen people make more money in the last couple of months then they made in the decade before.
Russell Brunson is a Best-Selling Author & CEO of $100M software company ClickFunnels. He has built a following of over 2 million entrepreneurs, sold over 450,000 copies of his books and popularized the concept of sales funnels. In 2014, Russell and partner Todd Dickerson launched ClickFunnels, which became the fastest-growing non-venture backed software company in the world and currently has over 100,000 users. Russell is also the host of the #1 rated business podcast, Marketing Secrets, where he shares his biggest “a-ha moments” and marketing secrets with complete transparency. In 2018, he was awarded ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the Utah region by Ernst & Young. Russell has written several successful marketing books including DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online and Expert Secrets: Find Your Message, Build a Tribe and Change the World. Russell is also regularly sharing market-tested strategies on driving traffic to your online presence during troubling times via his YouTube channel, and tips on how to help your business stand out from the crowd and attract the right customers.

June 21, 2023 - Breaking the Code Rusty Gaillard and Giftpack Archer Chiang

Rusty Gaillard - Executive Coach for CEOs of Scaling Companies, Ex Apple Director of Finance and Author of Breaking The Code: Stop Looking for Answers and Start Enjoying Life
Don't go build a great product before you sell it. Your first step should beto sell something. Sell the products and then you can build it and deliver it after the fact.
[caption id="attachment_55712" align="alignright" width="150"] Rusty Gaillard[/caption]
Rusty Gaillard is a highly regarded coach, working with founders and CEOs to achieve faster and smoother growth and lead the business to a successful exit. Former Worldwide Director of Finance at Apple, Rusty blends decades of hands-on business experience with leadership principles to help executives be more bold, decisive, and action-oriented. Rusty is the author of the best-selling book Breaking the Code and is a sought-after speaker and trainer. After his tenure at Apple, Gaillard transitioned into the field of executive coaching, leveraging his extensive experience to guide and mentor CEOs of scaling companies. He has a deep understanding of the challenges and complexities that leaders face as they navigate growth, innovation, and organizational transformation. As an executive coach, Gaillard has helped numerous CEOs and top executives unlock their full potential, enhance their leadership skills, and drive sustainable growth within their organizations. He is known for his empathetic approach, strategic thinking, and ability to identify blind spots and facilitate personal and professional development. In addition to his coaching practice, Gaillard is an accomplished author. His book, "Breaking The Code: Stop Looking for Answers and Start Enjoying Life," offers valuable insights and actionable strategies for individuals seeking a more fulfilling and balanced life. The book encourages readers to shift their mindset from constantly searching for answers to embracing the present moment and finding joy in the journey. Rusty Gaillard continues to make a significant impact through his coaching, speaking engagements, and written work, empowering leaders to thrive in the fast-paced world of scaling companies while finding meaning and happiness in their lives. A graduate of Stanford Business School, he enjoys singing karaoke with his wife and running mud races with his 16-yr old son.
 
Archer Chiang - Founder & CEO of Giftpack Inc.
People don't like swag. They want something personalized for them. Thepurpose of sending gifts is to get people to remember you and to improveyour relationship. That is why we are here.
[caption id="attachment_55714" align="alignright" width="150"] Archer Chiang[/caption]
Archer Chiang is a young and dynamic entrepreneur who has already made a significant impact in the tech industry. At the young age of 19, he embarked on a journey to become a tech founder, and since then, he has founded several successful companies. Archer has an impressive business portfolio with footprints in the US, Taiwan, China, Japan, and South Korea. Despite being born in South Africa, Archer was raised in Taiwan, where he developed a deep passion for technology and innovation. He later moved to the United States and settled in New York City, where he has been able to leverage his skills and experience to create groundbreaking solutions that merge technology and humanity. Archer is an enthusiast of building products that make a difference in people's lives. He believes that technology should not only be about profits but also about solving real-world problems. For him, gifting is one of the answers to the world's problems. Archer believes that gifting is a powerful way of connecting people and creating a sense of community. Archer's relentless pursuit of excellence has earned him a reputation as a thought leader in the tech industry. He is always on the lookout for new opportunities to create innovative solutions that transform industries and improve people's lives. With his entrepreneurial spirit, passion for technology, and commitment to social responsibility, Archer is set to continue making a significant impact in the tech world for years to come.

June 19, 2023 - QR Code King Sharat Potharaju, Lumin’s Ashley Haynes-Gaspar and Hall of Fame Author Cory Doctorow

Sharat Potharaju - Co-founder and CEO of Beaconstac    
Barcodes are going to be replaced by QR codes. Barcodes need special technology to scan and QR doesn't. QR codes hold much more data than barcodes.
Sharat Potharaju - Co-founder and CEO of Beaconstac. Sharat is responsible for crafting the overall strategy and execution at Beaconstac. In 2011 Businessworld ranked him among India’s Hottest Young Entrepreneurs. Prior to founding Beaconstac, Sharat spent several years working in investment banking at Merrill Lynch in New York. In this role, Sharat assisted clients in deriving customized solutions to the issues they were facing by executing multi-billion dollar financing and merger & acquisition transactions. Sharat is also very passionate about politics and public governance, which led him to take a break from his job in New York to work with Bangalore-based civic engagement NGO Janaagraha in 2009. While there, he contributed to the award-winning Jaago Re Campaign, India's largest urban grassroots movement for voter registration to date. Sharat has a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. Ashley Haynes-Gaspar - Executive Vice President of Customer Experience Officer, Wholesale and International at Lumen Technologies
Customer experience is about making our brand real. Brand is a promise thatmarketing makes and the rest of the company delivers on.
Ashley Haynes-Gaspar is the Executive Vice President – Customer Experience Officer, Wholesale and International at Lumen. She is responsible for nurturing and growing enterprise customer relationships, managing the company’s international and wholesale businesses, and leading global marketing and branding efforts. She most recently served as Chief Operating Officer overseeing industry and business applications for the U.S. subsidiary of Microsoft. There she drove ground-breaking programs that successfully increased market share and revenue growth year-over-year. Haynes-Gaspar’s extensive technology leadership experience spans global business strategy, marketing, change management, revenue growth, and innovation. Prior to joining Microsoft, she held various senior-level positions at GE, including Chief Marketing Officer for two of their global divisions, where she was twice named Marketer of the Year. Great customer experiences are key to driving business growth and people are an essential part of delivering that experience. Ashley Haynes-Gaspar will be available for interviews to discuss ground-breaking programs she has used to help employees develop a deep passion for their work. Ashley Haynes-Gaspar is Executive Vice President – Customer Experience Officer, Wholesale and International at Lumen. She is responsible for nurturing and growing enterprise customer relationships, managing the company’s international and wholesale businesses, and leading global marketing and branding efforts. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer overseeing industry and business applications for the U.S. subsidiary of Microsoft. There she drove ground-breaking programs that successfully increased market share and revenue growth year-over-year. These programs became the blueprint for global strategy and execution. Ashley’s extensive technology leadership experience spans global business strategy, marketing, change management, revenue growth, and innovation. Prior to joining Microsoft, she held various senior-level positions at GE, including Chief Marketing Officer for two of their global divisions, where she was twice named Marketer of the Year. In 2022, she was appointed to the Board of Directors for Beyond Now, a fast-growing digital platform provider powering telecommunications organizations to grow revenue by utilizing platform, digital marketplace and Software as a Service Business Support Systems (SaaS BSS) through cloud, edge, IoT, AI and 5G.Cory Doctorow - Author of Red Team Blues: A Martin Hench Novel (The Martin Hench Novels)
Copyrights now last longer, cover more works and have higher penaltiesevery year. But the companies that buy work from creatives have becomemore profitable then ever. The share of money going to creators has declined.
Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, and journalist. His latest book RED TEAM BLUES, a technothriller about finance crime; his latest nonfiction book is chokepoint capitalism (with rebecca giblin), about creative labor markets and monopoly. he is the author of the international young adult little brother series. he is also the author how to destroy surveillance capitalism, nonfiction about conspiracies and monopolies; and of radicalized and walkaway, science fiction for adults, a ya graphic novel called in real life; and other young adult novels like pirate cinema. his first picture book was poesy the monster slayer (aug 2020). his next novel is the lost cause (november 2023). his next nonfiction book is the internet con (september 2023), a nonfiction book from verso about monopoly and radical interoperability. he maintains a daily blog at pluralistic.net. he works for the electronic frontier foundation, is a mit media lab research affiliate, is a visiting professor of computer science at open university, a visiting professor of practice at the university of north carolina’s school of library and information science and co-founded the uk open rights group. born in toronto, canada, he now lives in los angeles. in 2020, he was inducted into the canadian science fiction and fantasy hall of fame. in 2022, he earned the sir arthur clarke imagination in service to society awardee for lifetime achievement.

June 16, 2023 – Rags to Riches Karen Pudetti and Uncertainty Solution John M. Jennings

Karen Pudetti - Owner of Luxe Salon, Spa and Laser Center and Author of Rags to Riches: How Beauty Icons Made it Big
As a young girl I had a spa experience and I remember feeling transformed. I remember feeling so good and thinking I could conquer the world feeling like this. I never forgot that feeling and when I was in corporate America, I found it boring. I would rather give to people by making them feel better, look better and I knew I wanted to run my own business.
Karen Pudetti is the owner of Luxe Salon, Spa and Laser Center and Author of Rags to Riches: How Beauty Icons Made it Big. Karen Pudetti was born and raised in upstate New York. She graduated Nazareth College with an accounting degree and began her career working for a CPA firm in Boston and later joined corporate America. She worked for various Fortune 500 companies in Corporate America, although very interesting, was not fulfilling and Karen decided to venture out on her own. She knew at nineteen years old she wanted to be her own boss and work in the beauty industry. She knew that was her true passion. Karen went back to school and received her electrolysis certification, her wax and esthetic licenses. Karen knew she wanted to be a stay-at-home Mom, but also wanted to make a good living for herself and not depend on her husband. She worked out of her house two and half days a week making over $100K a year. With her extensive financial background and the remarkable success she achieved with Luxe, Karen Pudetti embarked on a consulting journey, specializing in assisting salons and spas across the United States. Recognized as an expert in transforming unprofitable businesses into highly lucrative enterprises, Karen's consulting services encompass the development of comprehensive business plans, implementation of tailored programs, and establishment of efficient systems, all aimed at propelling her clients' companies to the next level. As a coach, Karen's primary goals revolve around inspiring individuals to become savvy business owners and empowering leaders. Her coaching approach is centered on guiding clients towards personal and professional success, fostering an environment where life's profits flourish and untapped potential is realized. Moreover, Karen envisions utilizing the proceeds generated by Bad Ass to establish a foundation dedicated to providing funding for non-conventional educational paths, such as cosmetology, veterinary technician programs, or even licensed practical nursing. By creating opportunities for individuals who excel in alternative educational settings, Karen aims to support their pursuit of fulfilling careers and contribute to their personal growth. In summary, Karen Pudetti's professional journey encompasses her expertise in consulting, her dedication to coaching and empowering individuals, and her entrepreneurial endeavors. Through her work, she aims to transform businesses, inspire greatness, and empower women to embrace their own unique Bad Ass qualities. Karen's unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others drives her vision of personal and professional success for all those she encounters.
 
John M. Jennings - President and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office and Author of "The Uncertainty Solution: How to Invest with Confidence in the Face of the Unknown"
Beware of experts bearing opinions. Investment experts and economistsare atrocious at predicting what is going to happen in the stock market and economy.
John M. Jennings is President and Chief Strategist of St. Louis Trust & Family Office. In these roles, he leads the client service practice and is responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives. John is a member of the firm’s Management Committee, on its Board of Directors, and also serves on the Investment, Risk Management and Trust Committees. He works closely with client families, advising them in all areas of wealth management. As an author and speaker, John is a leading voice in the space of wealth management and leadership. His book, The Uncertainty Solution, is an engaging dive into investing philosophy and best practices as well as an authorita­tive, accessible guide for anyone who feels inundated with financial news and data. “A must-have addition to anyone’s reading list,” says Charles R. Schwab. John is also the author of the highly acclaimed IFOD blog, is an adjunct professor at Washington University’s Olin Business School, and frequently writes on wealth management topics for Forbes. He has finance and law degrees from the University of Missouri and a professional certificate in Decision Making and Behavioral Finance from Harvard. Prior to joining St. Louis Trust & Family Office as a founding principal, John gained varied professional experience in investments, tax, estate planning and trusts in the Private Client Service group at Arthur Andersen LLP and in the Estate Planning and Tax practices at the St. Louis-based law firm, Armstrong Teasdale LLP. John earned both his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Banking (cum laude) and JD degrees from the University of Missouri. A past St. Louis Business Journal “40 under 40” honoree, John is a frequent speaker on investment, trust and various other family office topics. John is a Gen Xer of median height. He is happily married with two daughters and a four-legged best friend. He is an avid reader, a BIG fan of coffee, a vegan, a skier, a lover of indie music, and a ravenous St. Louis Blues fan. He likes to challenge himself physically and mentally and loves to laugh. He’d like to think he’s funny, but you’ll have to ask his wife about that one.