MO - Business Interviews with Entrepreneurs, CEO's, Founders, Funding Sources, and Policy Makers

May14

“I really think that having a both a global view and a global experience broadens the effectiveness of any professional or business owner.”

Robert Rogers

Robert Rogers Law Firm, PA

http://www.CoralLaw.com

Robert Rogers has acted as outside counsel for several Florida companies operating throughout the globe in industries such as construction, capital investment, engineering, education, and health services. Also, he has done immigration work with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services as well as litigation and corporate work in Orlando and Miami.

Robert’s legal practice focuses on supplying business and immigration solutions to domestic and international entrepreneurs and families and is based in Miami, FL.

MO: What tips would you give to a company contemplating international relocation?

May13

“I like creating my own future and expanding on possibilities.”

Georgia L. Jones

Aphrodites Hair & Nails/Author

Owner/Operator

http://www.GeorgiaLJones.com

Georgia L. Jones opened Aphrodites Hair & Nails in March of 1999. The salon was launched in a small rental portion behind a local business. Georgia started with a small investment of 4500.00 and began growing her salon. She worked consistently and invested as the shop made a profit. October 2012, they made their 3rd move into a larger spot in the downtown area of Lebanon, MO. On May 1, 2013 she sold her business for a profit and retained her building to begin a new venture in the near future.

MO: What inspired to open a salon?

May13

“Working in an industry where people come to us for help, we are always in a position to have a truly satisfied client at the end of the day.”

Cameron Gharabiklou

Justice Law Group

Attorney

http://www.Justice-LawGroup.com

Attorney Cameron J. Gharabiklou has represented clients in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, personal injury, business litigation, employment litigation, consumer protection law, estate litigation, real estate litigation, and criminal defense.

Mr. Gharabiklou has successfully recovered millions of dollars for his clients, including a recent $8,500,000 class-action settlement in the matter of Jeremiah Johnson v. General Mills, Inc. Looking beyond his successful cases, Cameron garners respect and admiration from both his clients and peers. Both will tell you that Cameron is an efficient and effective attorney that is genuine and always acts with his clients’ best interests in mind; his multiple 5-star Yelp! reviews and client testimonials will show this to be true.

MO: What are some common legal issues you see consumers facing and how can they be avoided?

May13

“Entrepreneurship is an adventure that is similar to climbing a mountain, where you know where you want to go, but you have no idea what the elements are going to throw at you along the way.”

Bryan Leeds

Xsync

Co-Founder

http://www.Xsync.org

Bryan Leeds is the co-founder of Xsync, which is a new mobile app that simplifies sending media files from your mobile to any other type of mobile device. Xsync’s patent pending technology is like an electronic handshake, whereby two phones can connect and exchange stuff. Xsync uses NFC (Near Field Communication) or the mobile device’s camera to connect two devices that are near to each other, so users don’t have to type anything on their phone or connect to a network when they want to send media files to others around them. Additionally, the app makes it easy to receive files, as all media automatically syncs into the user’s device when they receive files with Xsync.

The app is free, and the coolest part about Xsync is that people on the receiving end don’t even need the Xsync app to receive files from Xsync. All they need is a smartphone equipped with any standard QR reader.

MO: Can you talk about Xsync was created to answer a simple question?

May13

“I understand that hiring social media professionals can be expensive, but hiring amateurs can cost a fortune.”

Dimple Thakkar

SYNHERGY MARKETING

Founder

http://www.Synhergy.com

Dimple Thakkar began her career at a social media agency in New York as the Executive Director of Promotions. During Dimple’s time at the agency, she supervised social media marketing campaigns for top brands, influential Web 2.0 companies such as Photobucket, meebo, NING and over 50 artists including Kanye West, 50 Cent, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears. Additionally, Dimple worked in the talent management division within the same company as the Vice-President of New Media and Online Marketing, serving on the management team for a Grammy-nominated and global touring artist, as well as other Billboard charting rock and pop artists.

Currently, Dimple owns and operates SYNHERGY MARKETING which offers all types of online marketing and consulting with a focus in social media. Within their first year of establishment, SYNHERGY MARKETING was nominated top social media agency of 2009 on Mashable.com, one of the world’s largest blogging and news websites.

MO: What inspired you to launch SYNHERGY instead of working for an established marketing firm?

May11

“Having studied both science and law I am fascinated by how we identify what details are valuable when presented with complex information, whether jurors in a technology trial or teenagers receiving ads on their phones.”

Arif A. Mahmood

In Re IP Professional Corporation

Founder

http://inreip.com

Arif A. Mahmood is an international technology attorney who speaks on social media issues to the American Bar Association and provides legal insight to media outlets such as FoxNews.com. Arif used his scientific background to become one of the first social media speakers to incorporate developments in the field of cognetics and teach how cognitive psychology research is critical to modern social media campaigns. Arif has also litigated complex intellectual property cases dealing with patents and trademarks and is licensed to practice law in Illinois, Washington D.C. and Ontario.

MO: What inspired you to launch Precedent New Media?

May10

“In the past few years we have opened well over 250 stores and only one has ceased operations!”

Gordon Logan

Sport Clips

Founder

http://SportClips.com/

Prior to opening the prototype Sport Clips in 1993, Gordon Logan owned and operated salons throughout Texas. He served as President of the International SalonSpa Business Network (ISBN, the trade association for multi-unit operators representing over 20,000 salons and spas in the US and Canada) from 2008 to 2012 and remains on the Board of Directors.

Gordon serves on the VFW Foundation Board, which directs the charitable efforts of the VFW for active duty service men and women and veterans. He was recently elected to the Board of the International Franchise Association (IFA), is a member of the IFA VetFran Committee, and is Chairman of the VetFran Mentor Program for veterans.

MO: How did you get started in the salon business?

May10

“I believe that today’s society promotes unrealistic images of women with airbrushed skin and perfect proportions. It is my hope to encourage each contestant to feel confident in her own skin.”

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Dani Walker

Miss Icon Organization LLC

Director

http://www.MissIconPageant.com

Established in 2012, the Miss California Icon is an official production of the Miss Icon Organization LLC.

Director Dani Walker, and assistant director, Solange Astudillo, built the business from the ground up with the support of investors and event sponsors. The pair met at a pageant in 2011, Dani twenty-one-years old and Solange a mere fifteen-years-old. The two combined their knowledge of event planning and expertise in the pageant industry to create an innovative scholarship program for women across California. The organization’s mission statement, “to broaden the perception of beauty by facilitating individual potential, volunteerism and integrity through transparency and innovation.” guides business policies.

MO: What inspired you to launch Miss California Icon?

May10

“It turned out humans were overrated, and our portfolio of work and word-of-mouth referrals were enough to get even large organizations to work with our bird-brained team.”

Jessica Greenwalt

Pixelkeet

Founder and Principal

http://www.Pixelkeet.com

Pixelkeet is the world’s only “parakeet run” graphic design and web development firm. Their talented parakeets have helped to create projects for clients all over the world including LinkedIn; Telefónica; University of California, Berkeley; CrowdMed; and many more.

The Pixelkeet parakeets have also enjoyed some Internet fame for their good looks in addition to their talents. Pico, the Vice Parakeet of Markeeting, has even done some modeling for Marc Jacobs: http://instagram.com/p/OtwLmEv5M-/ . Pixelkeet was launched in 2012 by Jessica Greenwalt and is based in San Francisco, California.

MO: What inspired you to launch your first business while still attending high school and what were some early entrepreneurial lessons that you learned?

May10

“I always recommend to people who are on a path of self- rediscovery to volunteer in the community. It is through selfless giving that we are able to see who we truly are.”

Dr. Nancy Irwin

Sole Proprietor

http://www.DrNancyIrwin.com

Dr. Nancy Irwin holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and a certification as a clinical hypnotist. She offers counseling, therapeutic hypnosis, and life coaching for a variety of issues: smoking cessation, addictions, weight loss, fears/phobias, panic attacks/anxiety, insomnia, sexual dysfunctions, writer’s block, test anxiety, fear of public speaking, sports enhancement, procrastination & motivation, confidence, life purpose/reinvention, and more, but it is her mission to heal the sexually abused. A pre-licensed psychologist, she also is a treatment professional of sex offenders, for it is her belief that “The best way to prevent victims is to help the perpetrators.”

She has been a frequent media expert on Anderson, CNBC, CNN, CBS, Bravo, Fox and more.

MO: Can you talk about what inspired your decision to incorporate clinical hypnotism at your practice? What advice would give to someone contemplating visiting a hypnotist but feels uncertain?

May9

“The role of a leader is not to change someone, but to enable a person to achieve and to perform. You have to manage to people’s strengths – not try to change who they are.”

Leslye Schumacher

TalentQ Consulting

Talent Analyst & Management Consultant

http://www.TalentQConsulting.com

Leslye Schumacher launched TalentQ Consulting to help companies assess the talents and strengths of their employees (and potential employees) and to coach managers on how best to develop and retain those employees by utilizing strength management principles.

Leslye applies her “real life” experience as well to help her clients. She has been an advertising salesperson, a media director, and a marketing director for Fortune 500 companies as well as the owner of her own franchise business and now as the owner of TalentQ Consulting.

MO: What are some tips for getting real information from candidates references?

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Spotlight Interview: Gordon Logan

Spotlight Interview: David Allen

Spotlight Interview: Chris Babel

“I really think that having a both a global view and a global experience broadens the effectiveness of any professional or business owner.”

“I like creating my own future and expanding on possibilities.”

“Working in an industry where people come to us for help, we are always in a position to have a truly satisfied client at the end of the day.”

“Entrepreneurship is an adventure that is similar to climbing a mountain, where you know where you want to go, but you have no idea what the elements are going to throw at you along the way.”

“In the past few years we have opened well over 250 stores and only one has ceased operations!”

“I believe that today’s society promotes unrealistic images of women with airbrushed skin and perfect proportions. It is my hope to encourage each contestant to feel confident in her own skin.”

“It turned out humans were overrated, and our portfolio of work and word-of-mouth referrals were enough to get even large organizations to work with our bird-brained team.”

“I always recommend to people who are on a path of self- rediscovery to volunteer in the community. It is through selfless giving that we are able to see who we truly are.”

“The role of a leader is not to change someone, but to enable a person to achieve and to perform. You have to manage to people’s strengths – not try to change who they are.”

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