Podcasts about small business development centers

(Airdate 5/7/25) Our Wealth Building Wednesday spotlight shines on management consultant and business manager Gerry Anderson and his quest to help business owners understand venture feasibility and growth strategies. He is also author of the book Look Before You Leap: How to Analyze and Plan Your Business Idea. Anderson is also a senior business advisor with the Small Business Development Center. ganderson@crdc.orghttp://www.crdcla.org/ https://www.instagram.com/diprimaradio/

We spoke with Business Advisor Denise Whitford about state programs that help small businesses.

On this episode of Growing Kentucky's Leaders, we welcome Aaron Harned, a business coach with the Kentucky Small Business Development Center. Aaron shares his journey from being a Kentucky FFA state officer to helping entrepreneurs and small business owners across the state. Tune in to hear his insights on business planning, the importance of community and the impact of Kentucky FFA members.Links:Kentucky Small Business Development CenterKentucky SBDC - Paducah on FacebookWestern Kentucky University AgricultureWestern Kentucky University Business AdministrationFFA Shark Tank grantsSAE grantsContact Aaron

Our host, Tiffany Anton, joins with Jodi Pitts to discuss the upcoming Small Business And Entrepreneurship Conference that lasts all day. Also hear about her experience with the Small Business Development Center, The Business Collective, Magnolia Marketing, and more! Listen To The Local Matters Podcast Today! News Talk 94.1

The Small Business Development Center in Williston focuses on helping entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses throughout Northwest North Dakota.In this episode, Keith Olson, Regional Director of the SBDC, shares how the program partners with local entrepreneurs through every stage of the business journey. Keith, Cyrena, and Anna dive into the tactical guidance the SBDC provides, from starting an LLC to accessing financing, and discuss who the program is best suited for.Want to learn more about the Small Business Development Center?Visit https://ndsbdc.orgLearn more about Williston Economic Development:https://www.willistondevelopment.comChapters:00:00 - Teaser  00:12 - Episode Intro00:30 - Williston Works Podcast Intro00:48 - Meet Keith Olson  03:01 - What is SBDC?05:24 - Cyrena Weeks Role in SBDC06:15 - How Does SBDC Help Launch Businesses?07:47 - What is SBA?08:55 - SBDC Demand10:31 - What Types of Businesses Does SBDC Work With?12:08 - Non-Profits13:37 - Most Common Mistake15:55 - Business Bookkeeping17:52 - Williston's Business Landscape20:40 - How Does SBDC Help Businesses Navigate Challenges?23:38 - The STAR Fund25:30 - Advice for Long Term Success29:50 - Continuous Support32:05 - Closing Remarks

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College, speaks with Kevin Carr, CEO of FloridaMakes, at the 2024 Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum. The discussion centers on the rapid growth and evolving landscape of Florida's manufacturing sector. Kevin shares his extensive background in manufacturing, from working with the Navy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establishing Florida's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center. He highlights how Florida's manufacturing industry has outpaced traditional manufacturing states in GDP growth and job creation, with a strong focus on high-tech and advanced manufacturing. The conversation also explores how FloridaMakes partners with regional manufacturing associations to provide business advisory services and support to manufacturers statewide. Kevin emphasizes the critical role manufacturing plays in Florida's economy and the need to continue fostering innovation and workforce development in this sector. This podcast episode was recorded live at the 2024 Florida Chamber Future of Florida Forum hosted at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: Learn more about FloridaMakes

This episode of We Question and Learn will feature an interview with Maggie Horne, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Gannon University. Then my guest will be Craig Palmer, Chief Executive Office of the Erie Water Works.

In this episode, we partner with the Small Business Directorate, Air Force Materiel Command, and welcome our Small Business Co-Host, Marcy Bain, as we interview Francine Morris, Director of Government Contracting, Small Business Administration. Morris helps us understand the basics of our small business programs, SBA resources available to both the government and small businesses, and the type of work that she is doing every day in her role to help all in the acquisition world meet our mission while also encouraging maximum opportunity for small businesses. Tune in to learn about the Small Business Administration, the various small business programs, the streamlined certification process for small businesses, some myth-busting, and a plethora of resources available for both government and small businesses. SBA – Small Business Administration DoD – Department of Defense AFICC – Air Force Installation Contracting Center PCR – Procurement Center Representatives CMR – Commercial Market Representatives HubZone – Historically Underutilized Business Zone 8(a) Business Development Program- Federal contracting and training program for experienced small business owners who are socially and economically disadvantaged RFP – Request for Proposal RFI – Request for Information SOW – Statement of Work PWS – Performance Work Statement SBIR – Small Business Innovation Research GDP – Gross Domestic Product Additional SBA Resources: 1. SBA Website: https://www.sba.gov/ Includes market research and competitive advantage tips, writing business plans, calculating start up cost, and a road map to launching your business. 2. SCORE Business Mentoring: Connect with an expert through the nation's largest network of small business mentors. https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/resource-partners/score-business-mentoring 3. Office of Small Business Development Centers: The Office of Small Business Development Centers promotes entrepreneurship and small business growth through its national network of centers. https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-locations/headquarters-offices/office-small-business-development-centers 4. APEX Accelerators: APEX Accelerators (formerly known as Procurement Technical Assistance Centers) provide technical assistance to businesses interested in selling products or services to federal, state, and local governments. https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/federal-contracting-assistance#id-apex-accelerators 5. First Wednesday Training for federal and DoD contracting and program offices personnel, which will provide education on the latest SBA programs, which is crucial in disseminating information and regulatory guidance to prospective small businesses that are desired to do business with the federal government. POC: Darryl.Williams@sba.gov If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via thecontractingexperience@gmail.com. Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

Ever wondered what it takes to leave a stable banking career to chase your culinary dreams? Join us as Leiha Lamb, the visionary behind The Nest and Yellow Finch Creations, shares her fascinating journey. Leiha's story is one of courage and creativity, as she transformed her lifelong passion for cooking into a successful business after being encouraged by a friend. Inspired by her family's deep roots in the restaurant industry, and with the unwavering support of her fiancé, Leiha is continuing to grow and evolve as opportunities arise.Starting a new business is never easy, especially in the competitive world of catering. Leiha shares what it took to take the leap at a couple different points in the process. She also shared some insights from her 20+ years in banking for startups. Luke and Leiha discuss resources like the SBA and Small Business Development Center, and dispel common misconceptions about grants, offering  advice for what to do after you decide to start a new venture.The conversation highlights how Leiha's children and fiancé contribute creatively, from event assistance to photography, making the business a true family affair. Furthermore, they discuss the vibrant sense of community and collaboration in downtown Marion, where local vendors and pop-up shops thrive through mutual support. Leiha's story is a heartwarming reminder of how family ties and community connections can inspire new ventures and fortify existing ones, transforming dreams into reality.Guest Links:Facebook: facebook.com/yellowfinchcreationMain Street Reimagined:Facebook: facebook.com/MainStreetReimaginedThe Main Street Reimagined Podcast, Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfkmF5bRH0od1d3iiYKs3oEn_gvMYk7NHenry Development Group:Facebook: facebook.com/henrydevelopmentgroupWebsite: www.henrydevelopmentgroup.comDeveloping News Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/33110524eb5c/developing-newsLuke Henry:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/luhenryFacebook: facebook.com/luke.henry.148#EntrepreneurshipJourney #ChasingDreams #FamilyBusiness #CulinaryCreativity #WomenInBusiness #DowntownMarion #SupportLocalBusiness #CommunityConnections #SmallBusinessSupport #DreamBigWorkHard #CourageToStart #InspiringStories #PassionToProfit #CateringBusiness #FoodEntrepreneur #PopUpShops #EventCatering #MotivationMonday #SmallBusinessTips #StartupAdvice #CreativeEntrepreneurs

In this engaging episode of 10x Your Team with Cam & Otis, Michael "Buzz" Buzinski shares his insights on the art of digital marketing and its impact on business growth. Buzz discusses the importance of aligning marketing strategies with business objectives and how to effectively connect with your target audience. The conversation covers practical approaches to enhancing your digital presence, leveraging data for informed decision-making, and the creative strategies that can set your business apart. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or new to the field, this episode offers valuable insights to help you elevate your marketing game and achieve tangible results.More About Buzz:Michael Buzinski is a lifelong entrepreneur, digital marketing thought leader and author. Dubbed a "visionary marketer" by the American Marketing Association, Michael's sole mission is to help entrepreneurs avoid the time drain and frustration of managing profitable digital marketing campaigns. Buzz, as many call him, has simplified digital marketing success with the Rule of 26 and is on a mission to double the website revenue of service-based businesses across America. Buzz built a multi-million dollar creative agency and has worked with over 750 enterprise-level and SMB companies over the last 20+ years. His gift is to simplify digital marketing to the point where everyone understands it and help business owners focus on what will drastically move their revenue needle. Michael teaches marketing seminars for the US Small Business Administration and Small Business Development Center seminars. He also volunteers as a mentor for up-and-coming veteran entrepreneurs through the Warrior Rising program.#10xYourTeam #DigitalMarketing #BusinessGrowth #MarketingStrategy #TargetAudience #DataDriven #CreativeStrategies #MarketingInsights #LeadershipPodcast #CamAndOtis #MichaelBuzzBuzinski #MarketingExcellence #BusinessSuccess #MarketingTipsChapters:Introduction and Buzz's BackgroundTime: 00:00 - 05:00Description: Opening remarks and introduction of Michael "Buzz" Buzinski, highlighting his journey in digital marketing.Aligning Marketing with Business ObjectivesTime: 05:01 - 15:00Description: Discussion on the importance of aligning marketing strategies with overall business goals.Reaching and Engaging Your Target AudienceTime: 15:01 - 25:00Description: Buzz shares insights on effectively connecting with and engaging your target audience.Enhancing Your Digital PresenceTime: 25:01 - 35:00Description: Strategies for improving online visibility and creating a strong digital footprint.Data-Driven Marketing DecisionsTime: 35:01 - 45:00Description: Exploring how data can inform marketing strategies and improve campaign outcomes.Creative Strategies for Business GrowthTime: 45:01 - EndDescription: Buzz discusses the role of creativity in crafting compelling marketing messages and campaigns.Michael "Buzz" Buzinskihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbuzinski/https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzzworthymarketing/about/https://buzzworthy.biz/

Today on LIVE! Daily News, the Christopher Wise Murder Trial is over, a Christoval man has been charged with intoxication and manslaughter, and a San Angelo man was indicted for throwing hot grease on a police officer.Also, Mark Smith with the Central Bobcats talks to the media, and Elizabeth Dantzler with ASU's Small Business Development Center is in studio. Today's Top Stories: Nearly 15,000 Pounds of Prohibited Fruit Seized by CBP (10/28/2024)Ballot Box Set on Fire in Oregon (10/28/2024)Convicted Murderer Receives Maximum Sentence (10/28/2024)San Angelo State Park Hosts Free Entry, Hikes, and Events in November (10/28/2024)San Angelo Man Indicted After Allegedly Throwing Hot Grease on Police Officer (10/28/2024)Ozona's Daniels Nominated for Mr. Texas Football Player of the Week (10/28/2024)Tom Green County Unemployment Rate Drops in September (10/28/2024)Texas High School Football State Rankings: Week 10 (10/28/2024)Significance, God, and Politics (10/28/2024)Fundraiser Started for Christoval Family Following Fatal Motorcycle Crash (10/28/2024)West Texas High School Football District Standings (10/28/2024)San Angelo Prepares for a Week of Halloween Festivities (10/28/2024)Here's What's Showing at Angelo State Planetarium This Week (10/28/2024)Early Voting Turnout in Tom Green County Surges Past 21,000 (10/28/2024)Christoval Woman Killed in Motorcycle Crash; Husband Charged with Intoxication Manslaughter (10/28/2024)West Central Texas Under High Fire Risk Amid Heat and Strong Winds (10/28/2024)Assault and Drug Possession Top Booking Report (10/28/2024)Shooting Victim Refuses to Tell Police Who Shot Him (10/27/2024) 

We sat down with Alan Steele of the Indiana Small Business Development Center.  The Chamber has a tremendous relationship with the ISBDC, which helps provide counseling services to startup and existing businesses in Goshen and the surrounding area.

Ever feel stuck in a financial rut? This week's guest, Ruth King, knows that struggle intimately. In this episode of Money Tales, Ruth opens up about how desperation to escape being broke only made things worse—the more she focused on not being broke, the more it consumed her. But everything changed when Ruth started writing 25 affirmations every morning. By shifting her mindset though these daily mantras toward success, and away from fear, Ruth began to see her financial reality transform. Ruth is well known as the “Profit and Wealth Guru.” She has a passion for helping businesses get and stay profitable utilizing the latest systems, processes and technology. Ruth holds an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University and Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively. Ruth started the Decatur, Georgia branch of the Small Business Development Center in 1982.  She also started the Women's Entrepreneurial Center and taught a year-long course for women who wanted to start their own businesses.  This course was the foundation for one of the classes at the Women's Economic Development Authority in Atlanta, Georgia. More recently Ruth was the instructor for ICE, the Inner City Entrepreneur program in conjunction with the Small Business Administration. This 16-week course taught business owners with at least $400,000 in revenues (and many had over $1,000,000 in revenues) how to grow to the next level. A large part of the curriculum was aimed at improving the financial knowledge of the business owners enrolled in the course. Her latest book, 101 Dumb Financial Mistakes Business Owners Make and How to Avoid Them, joins 5 other award winning books: The Courage to be Profitable, Profit or Wealth?, The Ugly Truth about Cash and The Ugly Truth about Managing People. Ruth has also been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal Radio Network, the Big Biz Show, and many regional and local radio programs. She has appeared on MSNBC's It's Your Money program, Fox San Diego, and many other local television stations. Ruth has spoken internationally on financial topics for Kohler, Carrier Corporation, Safeguard (division of Deluxe), and many other corporations and national, state and local associations.

Renowned for creating award-winning restaurant concepts, Chris Tripoli has lent his expertise to projects across the US and internationally. He teaches courses on restaurant operations for the Small Business Development Centers and is a Food Service Consultants Society International member. As a regular speaker at industry conferences and contributor to RestaurantOwner.com since 1998, Chris also hosts the podcast “Corner Booth.”Chris discusses how some successful big brands become complacent, failing to continually question and improve. This acceptance of mediocrity is dangerous for long-term success. The speaker emphasizes the importance of avoiding mediocrity, as brands that lose focus on customer needs and fail to innovate often face leadership changes or get acquired, ultimately prioritizing profits over guest satisfaction. He also emphasizes three key points for franchise success, as well as discussing various strategies for structuring an exit as an independent restaurant owner. Beyond selling to a group looking to franchise, other options include selling to someone interested in growing the concept further. Additionally, "inside deals" are becoming popular, where owners sell to key employees or investors already involved in the business.Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated with our latest episodes. Hit the bell icon to get notifications every time we upload a new podcast!*This video is sponsored by SEOSambaCheck out the video podcast on my Youtube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe!Link to Free Assessment: https://www.zorakle.net/assessment/welcome/ionfranchisingLink to Website: eyeonfranchising.comLink to Youtube: https://youtu.be/dKCZSRm6gZc?si=D48EANvqhSpyqsEd

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College, highlights the third annual Small Business Success Summit in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Sponsored by Florida First Capital and the Florida SBDC Network, the event gathers over 420 small business owners to network and share best practices. Tom interviews Dr. Jerry Parrish, Chief Economist at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, who shares his expert insights on the economic outlook for Florida. Dr. Parrish discusses the crucial role small businesses play in job creation, the current state of capital access, and key workforce trends in Florida. He also highlights the opportunities and challenges faced by small business owners in today's evolving economic landscape, providing valuable advice for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs. This podcast episode was recorded live at the Small Business Success Summit hosted at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital. Connect with Our Guest: Dr. Jerry D. Parrish, Economist & Public Speaker  

In this special episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College, explores the vital recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. Joined by Greg Britton, the state director of the Florida SBDC Network, the episode highlights the extensive support available to small businesses impacted by the disaster. Listeners will discover how the Florida SBDC Network is mobilizing mobile assistance centers and coordinating efforts across teams to provide timely and effective resources for recovery. The conversation underscores the importance of a quick response and the variety of resources available to help small businesses not only recover but also prepare for future challenges. This episode is a must-listen for any small business owner looking to navigate the recovery process and access the support offered by the SBDC.

Send us a textIn this episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast, Andy & Jenny sit down with Conor Flaherty of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to learn more about upcoming training available through Grow Clinton. If you are a small business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, you'll want to take advantage of the courses and seminars available at no cost to Grow Clinton members. Starting and operating a business is hard, so why not leverage the services and knowledge available through the SBDC and Grow Clinton to catapult your dreams toward success? For more information, visit https://iowasbdc.org/. To learn more about Grow Clinton membership, contact the Grow Clinton office at 563.242.5702 or visit us online at www.GrowClinton.com. Grow Clinton's mission is to promote business growth, build community, and advocate for the sustainable economic success of the Greater Clinton Region.

In this episode of Small Biz Florida, host Tom Kindred, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Indian River State College, engages in a compelling conversation with Adrienne Johnston, President and CEO of CareerSource Florida. Adrienne shares her background and discusses the essential resources CareerSource Florida offers to both job seekers and employers, including apprenticeships, On-the-Job Training (OJT), and more. The episode also touches on CareerSource's initiatives in digital literacy and how the organization is adapting to the rise of AI in the workforce. Tune in to discover how CareerSource Florida can support your small business's growth and success. This podcast episode was recorded live at the Small Business Success Summit hosted at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. This podcast is made possible by the Florida SBDC Network and sponsored by Florida First Capital.   Connect with Our Guest: CareerSource Florida - Website

What are the emerging trends and future directions in the medical aesthetic industry? Why is there a growing shift towards natural and holistic treatments, and how can this impact your aesthetic choices? In this episode, Daniel Gouw and I explore the importance of balancing personal and professional lives, the pros and cons of medical procedures outside of your home country, and the rising trends in natural and holistic treatments.Learn more about Daniel Gouw:Daniel Gouw is Senior Strategist for EDNA Digital Marketing, a #1 Best Selling Author, Instructor for the Small Business Development Center (a division of the SBA), and sought after Guest Speaker for National Associations, Business Groups, and Private Companies in Digital Marketing.He has been in the Digital Marketing Industry for 8 years and teaching/speaking on the topic for 5 years.Previously Daniel was a Professional Athlete in Badminton, achieving a top rank of #1 in the US, #82 in the world, and chosen for the US National Team on multiple occasions.Connect with Daniel: www.ednadigitalmarketing.comWays to work with Rachel Varga!FREE 30-minute Biohacking For Ageless Beauty Training! https://www.theschoolofradiance.com/freebiesBook a 15-minute personalized radiance consultation with Rachel to begin your skin and radiance journey now. https://rachelvarga.as.me/schedule/6f78f1da/appointment/46262137/calendar/2738969?appointmentTypeIds%5B%5D=46262137Download Radiance: The New Skin Science on Audible!Book a One-on-one with Rachel Varga for customized skin care, rejuvenation guidance, and ongoing support! https://www.theschoolofradiance.com/consultation and use code Podcast15!Shop skincare, make-up, hair/skin/nail supplements, grooming tools, dermal rollers, and much more! https://alwaysradiantskinshop.com/Register for my next weekly LIVE and FREE Masterclass on various topics where I answer your questions! https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuceioqTwiE9O1K1fF1vnLqZBlCvPdkDWc The video replays (which are highly interactive) are available on my skin shop for a small fee here!Join Seasonal Skincare Expert Tutorials on skincare, makeup, hair care (and growth), biohacking, clean peels, pre and post-rejuvenation tips, dermal rolling, and advanced at-home technologies for the face and body! https://www.theschoolofradiance.com/Join The School of Radiance Membership for your personal radiant transformation by cultivating resilient radiance through detoxing from environmental toxins, enhancing communication, enhancing relationships, etiquette, and much more: https://www.theschoolofradiance.com/membershipAs a disclaimer, please note that the information shared in this podcast and interview is not to be taken as medical advice, and it's always important to consult with your physician before making any lifestyle changes. Rachel disclaims any responsibility for inaccurate credentials of guests or information used that may cause harm.Thank you for tuning in to this episode of The School of Radiance with Rachel Varga (formerly The Rachel Varga Podcast and The Always Radiant Skin Podcast)!Rachel Vargainfo@theschoolofradiance.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SUMMARY Jeremy chat with his guest, Coach Jeff Goodrum, and discusses his love for martial arts and the open-mindedness it brings. He talks about the importance of being a student and constantly learning, as well as the impact of his instructors and upbringing on his mindset. Coach Goodrum also touches on his experiences with fighting and the entertainment aspect of martial arts. He reflects on his journey through different martial arts styles and the influence of his father. He talks about his journey from being a college dropout to starting his own martial arts school and mentoring kids. He shares how his mother's support and his passion for music and martial arts motivated him. Coach Goodrum also discusses the importance of having a mentor and how he wants to be that mentor for kids who don't have a support system. He emphasizes the need for kids to have positive role models and learn how to be heroes in their own lives. He also talks about the challenges of formalizing his training program and the importance of continuous learning and self-improvement. He discusses the importance of seeking help and mentorship in business and martial arts. He highlights the benefits of working with the Small Business Development Center and emphasizes the value of learning from experienced individuals. Lastly, he also talks about the need for education and knowledge in entrepreneurship and the importance of finding a balance between different aspects of life. He shares his vision for his martial arts school and the impact he hopes to have on his students. Overall, the conversation explores themes of mentorship, education, personal growth, and community building. TAKEAWAYS * Martial arts fosters an open-mindedness and willingness to constantly learn and improve. * The influence of instructors and upbringing plays a significant role in shaping one's mindset. * Fighting can be both entertaining and a valuable learning experience. * Being a student and constantly seeking knowledge is important in martial arts and in life. * Following one's passion and making decisions based on personal fulfillment is crucial. Having a support system and a mentor can make a huge difference in a person's life. * Kids who don't have a support system need positive role models and mentors to guide them. * Formalizing a training program and starting a business can be challenging but rewarding. * Continuous learning and self-improvement are essential for personal and professional growth. Seeking help and mentorship is crucial for success in business and martial arts. * The Small Business Development Center offers valuable resources and support for small businesses. * Education and knowledge are essential for entrepreneurship. * Finding a balance between different aspects of life is important. * Martial arts can teach valuable life skills and help individuals cope with trauma. * Building a strong community is a key aspect of martial arts. * Being open to learning and seeking guidance from experienced individuals is beneficial in personal and professional growth.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   Justin Smulison interviews Daniel Eliot of NIST about NIST, its new publications on cybersecurity, including two Quick Start Guides, the Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, and more, Daniel's history with cybersecurity for small businesses and his career-long passion for helping small businesses protect themselves against cybercrime.   Listen in for the latest information on NIST and cybersecurity guidelines for your organization. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS. [:14] RISKWORLD 2025 will take place in Chicago, Illinois from May 4th through May 7th. The call for submissions is now open through August 27th. A link to the submission form is in this episode's show notes. [:30] About this episode. We will be joined by Daniel Eliot from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST. [:52] First, let's talk about RIMS Virtual Workshops. The full calendar of virtual workshops is at RIMS.org/VirtualWorkshops. August 15th starts the three-part series, Leveraging Data and Analytics for Continuous Risk Management. Other dates for the Fall and Winter are available on the Virtual Workshops full calendar at RIMS.org/VirtualWorkshops. [1:14] Let's talk about prep courses for the RIMS-CRMP. On September 10th and 11th, the RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep will be held with NAIT. There is another RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep on September 12th and 13th. [1:29] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep course will be hosted along with George Mason University on December 3rd through 5th, 2024. Links to these courses can be found on the Certification Page of RIMS.org and in this episode's show notes. [1:44] We've got the DFW RIMS 2024 Fall Conference and Spa Event happening on September 19th in Irving, Texas. Learn more about that event in Episode 299, which features an interview with the Texas State Office of Risk Management. [2:02] Also on September 19th is the RIMS Chicago Chapter's Chicagoland Risk Forum 2024. Register at ChicagolandRiskForum.org. [2:12] Registration opened for the RIMS Canada Conference 2024 which will be held from October 6th through the 9th in Vancouver. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca to register. [2:25] Registration is also open for the RIMS Western Regional, which will be held from September 29th through October 1st at the Sun River Resort in Oregon. Register at RIMSWesternRegional.com. [2:38] We want you to join us in Boston on November 18th and 19th for the RIMS ERM Conference 2024. The agenda is live. The keynote will be announced soon. We want to see you there! A link is in this episode's show notes. [2:53] The nominations are now open for the RIMS ERM Award of Distinction 2024. Nominations are due August 30th. A link to the nomination form is in this episode's show notes. [3:07] If you or someone you know manages an ERM program that delivers the goods, we want to hear about it. A link is in this episode's show notes. All RIMS regional conference information can be found on the Events page at RIMS.org. [3:24] On with the show! In October, we will celebrate National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. You should observe it all year round, of course. My guest today has a lot of great insight into risk frameworks. He is Daniel Eliot, the Lead for Small Business Engagement in the Applied Cybersecurity Division of The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). [3:48] NIST is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Today, we will discuss some of the publicly available risk management frameworks and how they've evolved through the years and the new frameworks that address AI, as well. [4:05] You may remember Daniel from his appearance on an episode in April 2020, when he was with the National Cybersecurity Alliance. He is back to provide some new tips for the global risk management community. [4:18] Daniel Eliot, welcome back to RIMScast! [4:42] Justin and Daniel comment on some things that have changed since April 2020. Daniel was at the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA). [5:50] Now Daniel is the Lead for Small Business Engagement in the Applied Cybersecurity Division of The NIST. He shares his journey from NCA to NIST via the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, a NIST facility operated by Mitre. [6:52] Daniel is happy to be back supporting the small business community. [7:04] Daniel had worked in a small tech startup for almost seven years. He helped them scale the business and manage the development of their product. Next, Daniel joined the University of Delaware's Small Business Development Center, helping tech businesses start and scale. [8:16] Daniel applied for an SBA grant to help small businesses with cybersecurity. This was in 2014. The Cybersecurity Framework was published in 2014. Daniel applied the Cybersecurity Framework to small businesses. That started Daniel's career in small business cybersecurity. [9:32] There's a new NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) Small Enterprise Quick Start Guide. Daniel's role at NIST is to coordinate across NIST, government, and the private sector, to create opportunities for the small business community to engage with NIST expertise. [10:19] The RMF Small Enterprise Quick Start Guide is a product of that coordination across NIST, government, and the private sector community. In February, NIST produced the Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 Small Business Quick Start Guide. [10:44] NIST decided to do a Quick Start Guide for a risk management framework for small to medium enterprises. The Risk Management Framework is a process. It's a holistic and repeatable seven-step process for managing security and privacy risks. [11:23] The NIST RMF Quick Start Guide provides an overview of the seven steps of the process, the foundational tasks for each step, tips for getting started with each step, a sample planning table, key terminology and definitions, questions to consider, and related resources. [11:53] It's RIMS plug time! Webinars! All RIMS Webinar registration pages are available at RIMS/org/Webinars. On August 27th, Riskonnect returns to discuss How To Successfully Deploy AI in Risk Management. [12:12] On September 5th, Merrill Herzog makes their RIMS Webinars debut with the Role of Insurance in Building Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack. On September 19th, Origami Risk returns to deliver Leveraging Integrated Risk Management For Strategic Advantage. [12:28] Justin jumped ahead a bit. On September 12th, HUB International returns to deliver the third part of their Ready for Tomorrow series, Pivot and Swerve: Staying Agile During Shifting Market Dynamics. [12:44] Justin is delighted to be joined by the moderator for that session, the Chief Marketing Officer for Canada at HUB International, Linda Regner Dykeman. Justin welcomes Linda to RIMScast! [13:13] The webinar will be at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 12th. Linda says they will be discussing current market trends and challenges. The industry has been able to produce some very strong profits over the last few years. [13:29] The market needed correction after many years of unprofitability driven by weather events in the property line where rates seemed to be unsustainable. Casualty also had its issues, particularly with Directors and Officers Liability. [13:47] As a result of the profitability the industry was able to achieve over the last few years, most carriers have become more competitive in growing their books of business. This competition is not being seen in all lines, segments, or geographies. [14:04] Some catastrophe-prone zones such as BC and Alberta have not seen the same level of competition across the board. As the market transitions from a hard market to a competitive environment, there is some unusual and inconsistent behavior. [14:21] Carriers in Canada are being more flexible with their appetite. London is looking to grow significantly over the next couple of years with goals of hitting $100 billion by 2025. Add to that NGAs who are seeing their market share change as local carriers become more competitive. [14:39] As we transition out of what was considered to be a hard market, we see a lot of inconsistency in this market. [14:48] Add to this the supply chain issues, which are not what they once were, the economy is flat with spending, once normalized for an increase in population, it reflects that of a market in a recession. [15:02] We, as brokers are finding competitive solutions to protect our clients. We have to pivot and swerve to discover the right opportunities. [15:13] We had a significant rain event in Toronto, followed by one of the worst wildfires Jasper has ever seen, seemingly a once-in-a-hundred-year event; weather catastrophes are more severe and more frequent. [15:27] How is this going to change the availability of capacity and pricing? Time will tell, as insurers try to figure out if their pricing models included the right loadings for these events. [15:49] Being informed by what is happening in the market; the trends, the opportunities, what's available, and partnering with the right broker, will help a risk manager make an informed decision, appropriate for their business. [16:11] The panelists have decades of experience and expertise across North America. They work with clients, markets, and other experts and bring a much broader perspective and experience to this session. [16:26] Steve Pottle is the risk manager on the panel. He's been omnipresent in RIMS Canada for years. He's a former RIMS VP and is currently the Director for Risk and Safety Services at Thompson Rivers University. Justin says he's one of the best and Linda agrees. [16:57] Linda will moderate. She'll ask the panelists questions HUB International has received from its clients, based on what they are seeing happening in the environment around them. She would also like the audience to pose some questions. Audience participation is encouraged. [17:21] Justin thanks Linda Regner Dykeman of HUB International, and will see her again on September 12th, 2024 for the third installment of HUB's Ready for Tomorrow series, Pivot and Swerve: Staying Agile During Shifting Market Dynamics. [17:37] Let's return to today's interview with Daniel Eliot from NIST. [17:53] Daniel states that the Risk Management Framework is a repeatable seven-step process for managing security and privacy risks. It starts with preparation, categorizing, and understanding the information that your organization processes, stores, and transmits.  [18:20] Then you select controls, and implement those controls to protect the security and privacy of the systems. Then you assess, authorize, and monitor the controls. Are the selected controls producing the desired results? Are there changes to the organization that require new controls? [18:45] You follow the seven steps of the framework in order and repeat them in a cycle. Keep going through it. Every organization regularly changes. Technologies change. People change. That's why the framework has to be repeatable and flexible. [19:05] NIST published this Risk Management Framework Smal Enterprise Quick Start Guide as a tool to raise awareness within the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Community about what the Risk Management Framework is and how to get started with it. [19:26] This Quick Start Guide is not intended to guide you on your journey from start to finish for a comprehensive risk management implementation. It is a starting point. [19:41] The Guide has an overview of the steps of the Risk Management Framework, some foundational tasks for each of the RMF steps, some tips for getting started, some sample planning tables, and graphics to help people understand concepts that might be new to them. [20:02] NIST spent a lot of time defining key terminology, extracting terms out of the Risk Management Framework, and highlighting them in this Quick Start Guide. There are phrases and terms in the Risk Management Framework that some people new to it might not understand. [20:24] For example, “authorization boundary.” The Guide highlights and illustrates what these terms mean in the Risk Management Framework and adds questions for organizations to consider and use internally for discussion. The answers may be different for every organization. [21:12] This Guide is a derivative tool from the existing publication that went out for public comment. The Quick Start Guide did not go out for public comment but NIST has circulated Quick Start Guides to some small businesses they know to make sure it's hitting the right note. [21:56] Daniel monitors commentary and looks at how the Guide is received out in the world once it's published. In every Quick Start Guide, there is an opportunity for people to contact NIST if they have questions or if there is an error. NIST is always open to feedback. [23:03] In small businesses, Daniel finds the owner or operator is the Chief Risk Officer, the Janitor, the CISO, and the Chief Marketing Officer. Anyone can use the Risk Management Framework. It's a process. [23:25] Federal agencies, contractors to the federal government, and other sources that use or operate a federal information system typically use the suite of NIST Risk Management Standards and Guidelines to develop and implement a risk-based approach. [23:48] A lot of the audience for this Small Enterprise Quick Start Guide might be small universities, small municipalities, or small federal agencies implementing this Risk Management Framework. [24:27] We have time for one more break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal is to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals. That is achieved, in part, by a collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [24:45] Whether you want to apply for a grant, participate in the Risk Manager on Campus program, or just learn more about Spencer, visit SpencerEd.org. [24:55] On September 12th, 2024, we look forward to seeing you at the Spencer Funding Their Future Gala at The Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Our recent guest from Episode 293, Lilian Vanvieldt-Gray, will be our honoree. [25:11] Lilian is the Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Alliant Insurance Services and she will be honored for her valuable contributions to supporting the future of risk management and insurance. [25:28] That was a great episode, so after you finish this one, please go back and listen to Episode 293. [25:34] Let's conclude our interview with Daniel Eliot of NIST. [26:10] Daniel introduces the U.S. AI Safety Institute, housed within NIST. It's tasked with advancing the science, practice, and adoption of AI safety across the spectrum of risks, including those to national security, public safety, and individual rights. [26:39] The efforts of the U.S. AI Safety Institute initially focused on the priorities assigned to NIST under President Biden's Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. [26:51] On July 26th, 2024, they released resources for a variety of aspects of AI technology. Two are new to the public. The first is an initial public draft of a guidance document intended to help software developers mitigate the risks of generative AI and dual-use foundation models. [27:19] The other is a testing platform intended to help AI system users and developers measure how certain types of attacks can degrade the performance of an AI system. These are two opportunities for the public to provide comments on these publications and tools. [27:49] There is a link to the call for comments in this episode's show notes. [28:03] At NIST, foundational publications go out for public comment. NIST wants to hear from U.S. citizens and people all over the world to get their perspectives on NIST's approach to what they're addressing. This is a community effort. Comment periods are important. [28:37] From Daniel's perspective of small business, he seeks the comments of small businesses on these publications. Authors need to hear from organizations, large and small. [28:53] These two new publications are open for public comment. [28:59] three releases are final publications. One is The AI Risk Management Framework Generative AI Profile, which helps organizations identify unique risks posed by generative AI. It includes actions for generative AI risk management. [29:34] A second publication is the Secure Software Development Practices for Generative AI and Dual Use Foundation Models. It addresses concerns about Generative AI systems being compromised with malicious training data that would adversely affect system performance. [30:16] The third publication is A Plan for Global Engagement on AI Standards. It's intended to drive worldwide development and implementation of AI-related consensus standards. Standards require global input from businesses, governments, non-profits, and academia. [30:57] These three final publications have been informed by public comment periods. They're ready to hit the ground running and people can put them into action. [31:15] Daniel is part of the Applied Cybersecurity Division of NIST. The U.S. AI Safety Institute is a different part of NIST. [31:44] Every once in a while, public comments receive spammy messages. [32:23] Daniel says all cybersecurity and privacy risk management comes back to governance and having policies and procedures in place, knowing your contractual and legal responsibilities. Organizations need policies that guide behavior for the appropriate use of AI in their business. [32:59] Individuals in companies have pasted confidential company information into publicly available AI systems. That creates a vulnerability. Have a policy around the use of these tools. [33:31] Criminals have used AI to upgrade phishing scams, reduce grammatical errors, and craft more convincing appeals. [35:00] NIST is raising awareness of different ways of identifying phishing attacks besides looking for grammatical errors, such as looking at the links and the calls to action and other factors that show it is a phishing scam. AI is contributing to their increasing sophistication. [35:43] Daniel shares his tip for new risk professionals. Familiarize yourselves with the suite of resources that NIST has available for cybersecurity and privacy risk management. They have a broad variety of risk management frameworks and resources, like the Quick Start Guide. [36:42] There are online courses, extensive FAQs with answers, and archived talks from SMEs. Take advantage of these resources. Also, let NIST know what other resources might be helpful to you. The core of NIST guidance for any framework is good governance. [37:21] Understand your mission and requirements. Create and maintain policies for good behavior. Understand your supply chain dependencies and vulnerabilities. Good governance sets your organization up for success when implementing and monitoring risk-mitigating controls. [37:56] NIST offers consistent, clear, concise, and actionable resources to small businesses. Since 2018, they have maintained a website, NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Corner, with over 70 resources on the site, all tailored to small businesses. The Quick Start Guides are there. [38:32] The resources include short videos, tip sheets, case studies, and guidance organized by both topic and industry. All the resources are free and produced by federal agencies, such as NIST, FBI, CISA, as well as nonprofit organizations. It's a one-stop shop for this information. [39:04] The resources are regularly updated and expanded to keep the content fresh and relevant. The resource library has the Cybersecurity Basics Section, with eight basic steps businesses can inexpensively implement to reduce cybersecurity risks. [39:28] The Cybersecurity Framework Page highlights the CSF and small business resources related to the CSF. There is topical guidance on Multi-Factor Authentication, Ransomware, Phishing, Government Contracting Requirements, and Choosing a Vendor or Service Provider. [39:53] All the resources are available at NIST.gov/ITL/SmallBusinessCyber. The link is in this episode's show notes. The resources are there for you to use in your organization. [40:30] Justin says, “It has been such a pleasure to reconnect with you here on RIMScast! I always love it when you post on LinkedIn! I think you're great! You're keeping me informed. Happy National Cybersecurity Awareness Month to you!” [40:55] With developments in tech and AI, cybersecurity has taken a back seat, but Justin says it will come back pretty hard. Justin feels it will be sooner than four-and-a-half years for Daniel to return to RIMScast. [41:23] Whatever new technology comes out, cybercriminals are looking at it to see how they can exploit it. There will always be a cybersecurity component to it. [42:05] Daniel Eliot, thank you so much for rejoining us here on RIMScast! [42:10] Special thanks again to Daniel Eliot of NIST for rejoining us here on RIMScast. Lots of links are in this episode's show notes to aid small enterprise owners and risk professionals. [42:25] These resources are publicly available and complimentary, so by all means, use them and leverage them to ensure your organization's cyber resilience. I've got lots of links in this episode's show notes for more cybersecurity coverage from RIMS, as well. [42:44] It's RIMS plug time! The RIMS App is available to RIMS members exclusively. Go to the App Store and download the RIMS App with all sorts of RIMS resources and coverage. It's different from the RIMS Events App. Everyone loves the RIMS App! [43:18] You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in our show notes. RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [44:02] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [44:20] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [44:36] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. You can email Justin at Content@RIMS.org. [44:58] Thank you for your continued support and engagement on social media channels! We appreciate all your kind words. Listen every week! Stay safe!   Mentioned in this Episode: DFW RIMS 2024 Fall Conference and Spa Event | Sept 19‒20 Chicagoland Risk Forum 2024 — Presented by RIMS Chicago Chapter — Sept. 19, 2024 RIMS Western Regional — Sept 29‒Oct 1, Oregon | Registration is open! RIMS Canada Conference 2024 — Oct. 6‒9 | Registration is open! Spencer Educational Foundation — Funding Their Future Gala 2024 | Sept. 12, 2024 RIMS ERM Conference 2024 will be in Boston, MA Nov. 18‒19 | Register Now RIMS ERM Award of Distinction — Nominations Open Through Aug. 30, 2024! RISKWORLD 2025 will be in Chicago! May 4‒7 Education Content Submissions for RISKWORLD 2025 NIST Risk Management Framework Small Enterprise Quick Start GuideCybersecurity Framework 2.0 Small Business Quick Start Guide NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Corner U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute New Guidance and Tools to mitigate AI Risks Managing Misuse Risk for Dual-Use Foundation Models Testing How AI System Models Respond to Attacks Users can send feedback to: dioptra@nist.gov RIMS DEI Council RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center NEW FOR MEMBERS! RIMS Mobile App   RIMS Webinars: How to Successfully Deploy AI in Risk Management | Sponsored by Riskonnect | Aug. 27, 2024 Role of Insurance in Building Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog | Sept. 5, 2024 HUB Ready for Tomorrow Series: Pivot and Swerve — Staying Agile During Shifting Market Dynamics | Sept. 12, 2024 Leveraging Integrated Risk Management For Strategic Advantage | Sponsored by Origami Risk | Sept. 19, 2024 RIMS.org/Webinars   Upcoming Virtual Workshops: Leveraging Data and Analytics for Continuous Risk Management (Part I) 2024 — Aug 15 See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: “Daniel Eliot's 2020 RIMScast Debut: Cybersecurity Tips for Small Businesses” “300th Episode Spectacular with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche” “Mid-Year Risk Update with Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle” “Emerging Cyber Trends with Davis Hake” “Cybersecurity Awareness Month with Pamela Hans of Anderson Kill”   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: “Weathering Today's Property Claims Management Challenges” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Storm Prep 2024: The Growing Impact of Convective Storms and Hail” | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) “Partnering Against Cyberrisk” | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) “Harnessing the Power of Data and Analytics for Effective Risk Management” | Sponsored by Marsh “Accident Prevention — The Winning Formula For Construction and Insurance” | Sponsored by Otoos “Platinum Protection: Underwriting and Risk Engineering's Role in Protecting Commercial Properties” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Elevating RMIS — The Archer Way” | Sponsored by Archer “Alliant's P&C Outlook For 2024” | Sponsored by Alliant “Why Subrogation is the New Arbitration” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyclone Season: Proactive Preparation for Loss Minimization” | Sponsored by Prudent Insurance Brokers Ltd. “Subrogation and the Competitive Advantage” | Sponsored by Fleet Response “Cyberrisk Outlook 2023” | Sponsored by Alliant “Chemical Industry: How To Succeed Amid Emerging Risks and a Challenging Market” | Sponsored by TÜV SÜD “Insuring the Future of the Environment” | Sponsored by AXA XL “Insights into the Gig Economy and its Contractors” | Sponsored by Zurich “The Importance of Disaster Planning Relationships” | Sponsored by ServiceMaster   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RIMS-CRMP Stories — New interviews featuring RIMS Risk Management Honor Roll Inductee Mrunal Pandit!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Events App Apple | Google Play   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guests: Daniel Eliot, Lead for Small Business Engagement Small Business Cybersecurity CornerApplied Cybersecurity DivisionNational Institute of Standards and Technology U.S. Department of Commerce Linda Regner Dykeman, HUB International, Chief Marketing Officer for Canada   Tweetables (Edited For Social Media Use): I'm happy to be back at NIST, supporting the small business community. — Daniel Eliot   The industry has been able to produce some very strong profits over the last few years, after many years of unprofitability driven by weather events in the property line. — Linda Regner Dykeman   Follow the seven steps of the framework in order and repeat them in a cycle. Keep going through it. Every organization regularly changes. Technologies change. People change. That's why it has to be repeatable and flexible. — Daniel Eliot   There are phrases and terms associated with the Risk Management Framework that some people who are new to this might not understand. — Daniel Eliot   When talking about small businesses, the owner or operator is the Chief Risk Officer, the Janitor, the CISO, and the Chief Marketing Officer. — Daniel Eliot   An AI system is only as good as the information that's put into it. — Daniel Eliot    

Kelly Sullivan and Chadwick Mathis are here from The Small Business Development Center to tell us what they do for small business here in the Upper Cumberland.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Off-road trails inject new life into Mercer County tourism…Applications are open for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program…and hike with a pack goat on the Greenbrier River Trail…on today's daily304.   #1 – From METRO NEWS – Mercer County leaders recently celebrated the 13th anniversary of the Pocahontas Trail System of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. The Pocahontas trails have helped muster in a slow rebirth in the western part of Mercer County after years of decline in the coal industry. “Typically we'd have folks open up a cabin here or a cabin there or expand their existing business. Now, we're starting to see some larger investments like resorts which are four to six million dollar investments. Those are great for our area creating jobs and other opportunities for our local communities,” said Chris Zeto with the Hatfield-McCoy Trails. A ride from Bluefield to Bramwell on U.S. Route 52 will confirm the assertion. Every mile or two reveals signs catering to trail riders with lodging, ATV repairs, dealerships, restaurants or other services oriented directly to off-road enthusiasts. To get your permit or learn more, visit trailsheaven.com. Read more: https://wvmetronews.com/2024/05/27/trail-system-continues-to-draw-visitors-and-investment-to-southern-w-va/   #2 – From WESTVIRGINIA.GOV –  The West Virginia Department of Economic Development and West Virginia Office of Energy announce the release of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program for local governments and nonprofits to implement energy efficiency retrofits. WVOE plans to offer 35 energy efficiency retrofit grants of up to $37,000 for local governments and 14 energy efficiency retrofit grants of up to $25,000 for rural communities serving nonprofits that improve energy efficiency and reduce energy expenses. Applications are due by June 14, 2024, and can be found at energywv.org/eecbg. Read more: https://westvirginia.gov/wv-department-of-economic-development-and-wv-office-of-energy-announce-applications-are-open-for-the-energy-efficiency-and-conservation-block-grant-program/   #3 – From THE REAL WV – Meet Aaron Coleman, the man who traverses the Greenbrier River Trail with his three American Alpine pack goats, Ragnar, Athelstan, and Floki.  Coleman is the founder of The Greenbrier Goat, a pack-goat touring company for cyclists and day hikers. He aspires to open up the majesty and wonder of the Greenbrier River Trail to all people, helping to make the trail and a day camping excursion experience accessible to those with physical disabilities. Coleman works closely with the Forest Service, the West Virginia Department of Tourism, and the Small Business Development Center. The Department of Tourism linked Coleman with Cranberry Adventures, whom he cites as his “in-state mentor,” as they also use animals to help people explore Appalachian forest trails.  “We could give a chance for a group of people with less mobility, younger or older, a destination on the river trail that they could strive for that's accessible, and they could roll into the goat powered base camp and have a safe haven, first aid, cold water, and just a place to have shelter. And meet a pack goat,” he said. You can find The Greenbrier Goat on Facebook. Read more: https://therealwv.com/2024/05/17/pack-goating-up-the-river-trail-with-the-greenbrier-goat/   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.  

Join us as we celebrate 15 incredible years of Orange County's longest-running business talk show. In our 1500th episode, host Ric Franzi interviews three distinguished guests who have made significant impacts on the Orange County business community. Meet Our Esteemed Guests: Paul Roberts, Creator of OC Talk Radio: As the creator of OC TALK RADIO, Paul Roberts pioneered Orange County's only online business radio station and live podcasting platform. His innovative approach to live podcasting earned an Industry Innovator Award from Radio World magazine in 2018. Paul also serves as a Digital Media Consultant for the SBA's Small Business Development Center, helping businesses amplify their stories through digital media. Rebecca Hall, Founder of Idea Hall: Rebecca Hall is the founder of Idea Hall, and has led the agency in delivering purpose-led creative communications for 21 years. Her nearly 30 years of experience includes leading international, national, and local branding, PR, and marketing programs. Rebecca serves as the Executive Vice Chair of Chapman University's Board of Governors and is also the President Elect for the Orange County Business Council. Her influence and dedication to community service have earned her recognition in the Orange County Business Journal's OC500 every year since its inception in 2017. Peter J. Brennan, Executive Editor at the Orange County Business Journal: With a career spanning over 40 years in journalism, Peter J. Brennan has authored over 30,000 articles for prestigious publications such as The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Die Welt. He's written headlines and articles that have moved the market capitalization of publicly traded companies by hundreds of millions of dollars. Currently, he serves as the Executive Editor at the Orange County Business Journal, where he oversees coverage of an economy the size of Finland. -- Critical Mass Business Talk Show is Orange County, CA's longest-running business talk show, focused on offering value and insight to middle-market business leaders in the OC and beyond. Hosted by Ric Franzi, business partner at REF Orange County. Learn more about Ric at www.ricfranzi.com. 

Send us a Text Message.In this episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast, Andy & Matt sit down with Conor of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to learn more about the small business services offered to Grow Clinton members through the Entrefuel program. Conor reveals the tools available to small businesses to help them catapult sales. The SBDC leverages the Business Model Canvas to aid entrepreneurs in identifying their target market and offers a variety of workshops.Thank you to Conor for being a guest on the podcast!Access the SBDC at www.IowaSBDC.org. To learn more about Grow Clinton membership, contact the Grow Clinton office at 563.242.5702 or visit us online at www.GrowClinton.com. Grow Clinton's mission is to promote business growth, build community, and advocate for the sustainable economic success of the Greater Clinton Region.

Hey Get Unstuck Nation, our guest today helps entrepreneurs to start up small businesses throughout central Pennsylvania to grow through the consulting services and educational programs of the Small Business Development Center at Bucknell University. Please welcome Steven Stumbris Director of SBDC at Bucknell University and host at WVIA-TV's Keystone Edition Business program: to Get Unstuck Podcast today!   Timestamp: (00:03:06) How did you start your entrepreneurial journey? (00:07:20) What do you think inspires someone to start this startup Journey or Innovation Journey? (00:09:11) How would someone with a creative mindset/idea know that he is ready to start in the center? (00:11:58) What's the process or workflow in starting with SBDC? (00:13:28) SBDC's Workshops and Consulting for Aspiring Entrepreneur and Businesses (00:17:06) Do you help them seek capital or how to create a pitch? (00:20:33) Do you think starting a business should be self-funded? (00:23:33) How young should they be to start using your service? (00:29:52) Where can they reach you and your company?   More Episode like this visit: https://www.getunstuckmethod.com/podcast   #getunstuckpodcast #getunstuck #lifestylebusiness #StevenStumbris #mutitapanmook #entrepreneurialjourney

On this edition of the Iowa Business Report: We note national Small Business Month by getting an update on area statistics and free services from Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and Lisa Shimkat, Iowa director of America's Small Business Development Centers.Another "top ten" finish for Iowa in the annual U.S. News "best states" list. And in this week's "Business Profile",  you'll hear about Landus and a new business, Conduit, from Landus CEO Matt Carstens.For more, go to totallyiowa.com and click on the "radio programs" link.    Support for the Iowa Business Report radio program and podcast comes from the Iowa Business Council, online at iowabusinesscouncil.org.         

Iowa Business Report Thursday EditionMay 09, 2024    Lisa Shimkat, director of the Small Business Development Centers in Iowa, on the variety of free services the centers provide.

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Green Lake County; https://www.wicounties.org/counties/green-lake-county/  The Cabin is also presented by Jolly Good Soda: https://www.jollygoodsoda.com/    Campfire Conversation: The Cabin helps you start your business this week as Ana, Eric, and Jake hook up with Ken Little, the State Director of Wisconsin's Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC is a statewide network supporting entrepreneurs and business owners through no-cost, confidential consulting and business education. Almost all new net jobs in the country comes from small and emerging businesses, so this is a crucial area for our economy and the well-bring of Wisconsinites. After all, if you have a dream and a goal, we would like to connect you with resources to help you achieve that goal! Ken Little recently joined as State Director and our conversation with him covers many of the resources the SBDC offers: the education, consulting services, and connection to mentors, loans, and more. Some businesses have special initiatives, including farms, restaurants, and some businesses looking to export, and places like the SBDC can get you the needed information to assist you. The SBDC is one of five programs at the Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, with locations on many University of Wisconsin college campuses including Madison, Milwaukee, Parkside, Platteville, Waukesha, Whitewater, Oshkosh, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Green Bay, Eau Claire, River Falls, and Superior. They're part of the SBDC's national network.Small Business Development Center site: https://wisconsinsbdc.org/   Connect with your nearest SDBC here: https://wisconsinsbdc.org/centers/Inside Sponsors:Jefferson County: https://www.enjoyjeffersoncounty.com/Benvenuto's: https://www.benvenutos.com/

In this episode host Marc Goldberg interviews Lane Community College Culinary Commercial Cooking Certificate program graduate Barbara Graham-Adams, college president Dr. Stephanie Bulger and CEO and President of NACCE, the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, Dr. Rebecca Corbin. Barbara talks about her experience as a returning student who enrolled in a culinary career pathways program to enhance her skills for her existing food cart business, Irie Jamaican Kitchen, which has now led to new opportunities through the college. She offers helpful insights to college faculty and staff on additional ways to meet the needs of parenting students and gives great advice to other community college students. Dr. Bulger shares her reflections from Barbara's interview and touches on different programs and supports the College provides for small and emerging businesses through the Small Business Development Center, entrepreneurial academic programs and even through the College's procurement process. Dr. Corbin describes how NACCE supports colleges across the country in developing an entrepreneurial mindset with students and through college programs and touches on the power of this national network to learn together, co-create and take innovative action. The All In: Student Pathways Forward podcast is a part of Oregon's participation in the National Skills Coalition SkillSPAN network and supported by the Lumina Foundation.

Today on LIVE! Daily News, Police Chief Candidate Travis Griffith held a press conference today. Two individuals were arrested for the death of a toddler, and ASU police are holding an open house tomorrow, April 26.We also have an update on severe weather across the Concho Valley for early Friday and the weekend. Our interviewee for this edition is Elizabeth Dantzler with ASU's Small Business Development Center. And finally, our sports guy Ryan Chadwick talks about the Concho Valley teams that made the Baseball and Softball playoffs. Today's Top Stories: Abilene Couple Arrested for Death of 3-Year-Old In San Angelo (04/25/2024)UPDATED: 'Bear Bear' Found and Returned (04/25/2024)Texan Wins $2M on Lotto-Ticket Bought At H-E-B, Another Claims $1M (04/25/2024)Airlines Now Must Refund Passengers Cash for Cancelled Flights (04/25/2024)Smoking Gun: Leaked Emails Show Griffith's Wife Likely Violated Law (04/25/2024)TGC Sheriff's Office Cracks Down on Traffic Violations at High-Risk Intersection (04/25/2024)Wall Sends Multiple Athletes to State Track Meet (04/25/2024)NAACP Police Chief Candidate Forum Thursday Night (04/25/2024)Travis Griffith's Wife Lands His Campaign in Hot Water (04/25/2024)Local Team Roper Heading to College Rodeo Nationals (04/25/2024)Happy Hour Is Too Late for Texans to Begin Drinking, Study Shows (04/25/2024)Death of Toddler in San Angelo Leads to Multiple Felony Charges (04/25/2024)Reba McEntire to Host ACM Awards in Frisco for the 17th Time (04/25/2024)Angelo State University Police Holding Open House Friday (04/25/2024)Twin Mountain Tonesmen present 'The Elements' (04/25/2024)Severe Storms Possible Friday Morning, Weekend Sees Continued Threat (04/25/2024)Forgery, Theft & Assault Top Wednesday Booking Report (04/25/2024)Who Will Dallas Take in the 2024 NFL Draft? (04/24/2024)ASU Belles Softball Ranked 4th in Initial Regional Rankings (04/24/2024) 

Welcome back to another episode of Crawfordsville Connection! This week we are joined by Kelly Price from Fusion 54 as well as Tim Branyan and Jordan Jicha from the Hoosier Heartland Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC). Tim & Jordan share with us how the ISBDC can help support small businesses and entrepreneurs in our community through a partnership with Fusion 54.  If you want to learn more about the programs and services that the ISBDC has to offer, visit their website at https://isbdc.org/  Yodel Community Calendar: https://events.yodel.today/crawfordsville  To ask any questions about this podcast or to submit topic ideas, please email Sarah Sommer at ssommer@crawfordsville-in.gov 

Today we have another in person episode for you. This is someone I'm really excited about interviewing today. We have been connected for almost 4 years now, going back to the pandemic. When I was trying to go from side hustle to full-time entrepreneur, he was one of the local business owners I connected with on Facebook and interviewed to help promote local businesses when everything shut down.Since then, we have been supporting each other along the way. He has attended both of my events I've thrown, both back in 2021 and just last week. He's currently a 1-1 personal branding client of mine with BOA, and is an absolute pleasure to work with. There's no way that knows more about networking to grow your business and he's the best in the auto repair business. My guest today is David Marks. He is the Owner of Quality Auto Repair Tire & Auto Sales here in St. Louis, located close by in Maryland Heights. David's Bio:My entrepreneurial story starts, Sep 2008 I bought a "Garage With A House In The Front Yard". In Dec 2009 I started working part-time (evenings/weekends) within year a and half (May 2011) What started with ZERO customers I turned into a full time business! 2013, I added Used Auto Sales, to my portfolio. I found people liked acquiring used vehicles from a Trusted Automotive Technician. 2016, I got involved with SCORE & Small Business Development Center, to learn how to be a business owner. (ANYONE CAN BE A BACKYARD MECHANIC, NOT EVERYONE CAN BE A BUSINESS OWNER). 2018, I added Used Car Detective, I found a need that consumers wanted to have Potential Used Vehicles inspected prior to being purchased. March 2019 I expanded my businesses to Maryland Heights with a 3 Bay Repair Facility, Full Service. This expansion will allow me to expand on my other 2 business Quality Auto Sales & Used Car Detective. The primary business will be Quality Auto Repair And Tire. To streamline my expansion, I formed a Management Company DSM Auto Family, LLC to oversee the day-day operations and still allow each of its 3 Business the ability to operate independently My business have evolved based on the principle of "People Won't Work For You And/Or Do Business With You If They Don't Feel Appreciated" We do that by providing "Trusted Services”Connect with David:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidscottmarks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsmarks/ Business Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qualityautorepairandtireautosales Website: https://www.qualityautorepairtireautosales.com/ 

Our guest today is Katy Heppner, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College and Board Member of the Central Lakes College Foundation.

Our guest today is Katy Heppner, Regional Director of the Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College and Board Member of the Central Lakes College Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hosted by J.D. Mealor, Senior Vice President and North Georgia Market Executive, “Regions Business Radio" covers financial topics such as banking and lending, mortgages, wealth management and more. The program also allows listeners to get to know some of the top executives from Regions Bank. On this episode, J.D. is joined by Robbie Parks and Darrel Hulsey […] The post University of Georgia Small Business Development Center appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Hosted by J.D. Mealor, Senior Vice President and North Georgia Market Executive, “Regions Business Radio" covers financial topics such as banking and lending, mortgages, wealth management and more. The program also allows listeners to get to know some of the top executives from Regions Bank. On this episode, J.D. is joined by Robbie Parks and Darrel Hulsey […]

David Stob   David Stob/UGA Small Business Development Center Across the […]

David Stob   David Stob/UGA Small Business Development Center Across the […] The post David Stob with the UGA Small Business Development Center appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Today we'll flex our improv chops at The Royal Y'all Leap Year Comedy Improv Show, at Pacesetter Gallery in Flowood, Thursday, February 29th, with troop member, John Howell and MPB Closed Captioning Supervisor, the soul of MPB's Ed Said, and improv troop member Keri Horn... then we're off to Mississippi State University in Starkville for the 18th Annual Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Ragtime and Jazz Festival, happening now through Saturday the 24th with Charles H. “Chip” Templeton Jr., Son of Charles H. Templeton, Sr. and Director of MSU's Small Business Development Center... before a final stop in Hattiesburg at Janet Langhart Cohen's one-act play, “Anne & Emmett”, presented by New Stage Theatre, happening Tuesday, February 27th at the Thad Cochran Center on the campus of USM…. & of course, we'll let you know what's happening around your neck of the woods! Stay tuned, buckle up and hold on tight for your Next Stop, Mississippi! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tiffany Anton is talks with Kelly Sullivan, the director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center for the Upper Cumberland region. The two discuss what the Small Business Development Center is, different fears people have when it comes to managing a small business, advice Kelly has for people who do not want to a loan for their business. Listen to the latest Local Matters Podcast… Presented by Office Mart Visit them at 215 S Jefferson Ave in Cookeville to see what they can do for your office News Talk 94.1 · Presented By Office Mart

I met Mike O'Connell in the fall of 2013, early into his final career stop, when he became Director of the Larimer Small Business Development Center in Fort Collins - and soon before I left my banking career!  The organization had struggled for all the years of my volunteer involvement going back to 2008, and Mike was the 3rd or maybe 4th Director to serve.  From July 2013 through December of 2021, Mike engineered a great transformation of the organization, built many partnerships and coalitions, and became arguably the highest-performing SBDC office in the State of Colorado by the end of his tenure.  LoCo Think Tank was just getting started in those years, and Mike saw the value of peer collaboration and partnership from the beginning.  The SBDC Mike I know well, but his business and personal journey toward the role, and what he's been up to since retirement were lesser known.  Mike had a high achieving career in sales and then in management, and eventually purchased a business - Mountain Woods Furniture in Laramie, WY.  Mike shares many lessons learned from his journey into, and then out of, a small business enterprise, and also shares his love for music, his disdain for Donald Trump, and his passion to bring to light the “squeeze on the average American”.  He's a good friend and a great conversationalist, and I'm pleased to share my conversation with Mike O'Connell.  Episode Sponsor: InMotion, providing next-day delivery for local businesses. Contact InMotion at inmotionnoco@gmail.com

In today's episode of the IC-DISC show, I have a captivating discussion with Carolyn Turner from the Alabama International Trade Center. We uncover fascinating details about Alabama's economic progress and the pivotal role of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in boosting job growth and new businesses. Carolyn shares inspiring success stories of SBDC clients who utilized free services to export goods successfully. I also learned more about the SBDC's impactful support for small businesses through cost-free assistance. We wrap it up by exploring how SBDC teams in Texas and Colorado foster business growth.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Carolyn Turner, the Assistant Director of Research and Training at the Alabama International Trade Center for Imports and Exports, joins us to discuss Alabama's economic progress and the impact of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). We discuss the remarkable growth in job creation, economic investment, and new business formations in Alabama, which can be directly linked to the efforts of the SBDC. Carolyn shares inspiring success stories of businesses that have used the SBDC's free services to successfully export goods. We delve into the valuable, cost-free services provided by the SBDC and its transformative role in Alabama's business landscape. We explore the flourishing industries in Huntsville, Alabama, including aerospace, aviation, missile defense, and genomics. Carolyn and I have a lively discussion about the economic influence of Bucky's in Alabama and the importance of taking breaks. We touch on the peculiarities of international business, such as the unnecessary pursuit of perfection, and engage in a playful debate about whether to use hot or cold water when scooping ice cream. We highlight the work being done by the SBDC teams in Texas and Colorado to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Carolyn emphasizes the importance of making use of SBDC resources, particularly for those in Texas, and encourages checking out the San Antonio SBDC. We end on a note of importance, discussing the significance of finding joy in what you do and taking breaks to maintain passion and enthusiasm. LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Alabama International Trade Center GUEST Carolyn TurnerAbout Carolyn TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Hi, my name is David Spray and this is the IC disc show. My guest today is Carolyn Turner from Alabama. Carolyn is the Assistant Director of Research and Training at the Alabama International Trade Center for Imports and Export. I think this might be the longest title of any guest I've ever had. So the Alabama International Trade Center for Importing and Exporting is a division of the Alabama Small Business Development Center, which in turn is funded by the Small Business Administration. I learned that every state has its own Small Business Development Center focused on increasing the economic impact of small businesses. So we talked about the different ways that the Small Business Development Center in Alabama has had an impact. Carolyn shares some amazing stats as far as job growth, economic investment, new business formations in Alabama that are directly tied to the Small Business Development Center. We also discussed some specific stories of clients of her organization who export and successful export stories and success stories that developed. And then, on a more fun note, we also talked about which Texas retail behemoth has had a bigger impact on her life in Alabama the famous Whataburger or the famous Buckeys and her answer there was pretty interesting. So even if you're not in Alabama, I would recommend that you investigate the Small Business Development Center in your state as well as the exporting arm to take advantage of their free services. This was a great episode and Carolyn has a real passion for helping small businesses and it comes through in the entire conversation. Carolyn: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Dave: Good morning, Carolyn. Welcome to the podcast. Carolyn: Good morning. Thanks for having me. Dave: Sure. Now. Where are you? Where are you located today? I'm in Birmingham, Alabama, In Birmingham okay, and so are you a native Alabama. Is that the correct term? Carolyn: I've spent most of my life here. Technically, I was born in California, but I grew up in Alabama. Dave: Got there as quick as you could. That's what we say in Texas. Carolyn: I know it gets a bad rep, but it's a pretty good state to live in. Dave: I know I've been to Alabama several times. We have a client there and always wonderful experiences there. So let's talk about the organization, and I'm really intrigued by this whole structure and I've learned a lot about this from you. So you're technically an employee of the University of Alabama, right? Carolyn: Yes. Dave: But this is part of a bigger structure, so could you maybe give the audience a sense of how everything fits together? So let's maybe start at the top. What's the umbrella organization for everything? Carolyn: Sure, so I'm part of America's SBDC that stands for the Small Business Development Center. We are a national organization that's funded mostly through Congress, through the Small Business Administration, and there are these in every state. So Alabama SBDC is part of that organization and in the state of Alabama it's a partnership with the University of Alabama, so this is really considered a federal state partnership. Funding comes through Congress, through the SBA. We get some matching funds through the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama manages our grant. Dave: Okay. Carolyn: Slightly differently in other states. Every state can kind of handle it differently, but in Alabama that's how it's worked for the last 40 plus years. Dave: Okay, and then within the Alabama SBDC, I guess there's kind of sub organizations, of which the Research and Economic Development Center is one of those kind of subsidiary arms, is that right? Carolyn: So the University Office of Research and Economic Development is a UA department. Within the SBDC we have four kind of divisions. We have our domestic business advisors that are just called the SBDC Small Business Development Center. We have our government contracting branch, which recently changed names to APEX. We have the Alabama International Trade Center, which I'm a part of, and then we also have a separate capital access team that is part of the SBDC. Dave: Okay. Carolyn: And within UA, we are housed within the Office of Research and Economic Development. Okay, and that's the dean that we report to. Dave: Okay, well, that's, and I believe that you're a proud graduate of the University of Alabama. Carolyn: Right Double degree graduate yes, I got my undergrad in international marketing in Spanish, with some extra studies and international studies, and then, a number of years later, once I started back with the SBDC, I got my master's degree in global business management. Dave: Okay, now would, if you'd been a graduate from, say, one of the other large Alabama universities, would that have been a problem in your current role, or are they kind of not as competitive as people are on Saturdays? Carolyn: No, In fact, because the university manages our grant, they actually manage the grants for a number of the other SBCs located throughout the state. So within Alabama, we have offices located at all of the major universities Auburn, Troy, Jacksonville State, North Alabama, UAH, Alabama State University, South Alabama, West Alabama. I think that's all of them, but many of them, even though they're located at Auburn or at UAH, they can be considered a University of Alabama employee. Dave: Okay, that must be interesting for the folks at Auburn. Carolyn: It can be. We do have some people that are UA employees but are definitely Auburn fans, and it's okay. Dave: That's wonderful. Yeah, nothing like a nice friendly rivalry, friendly, some friendlier than others. Carolyn: So the way it doesn't manage all of our centers, some universities still manage their own grants. We'll just see where it goes. Dave: Gotcha, what a great attitude. So let's talk about the SBDC then in Alabama, and that's the Small Business Development Center. Is that what the C stands for? Yes, do you? I know I'm not as familiar with Alabama, but I know like in Texas the SBDC has a really big impact on the small business community. Do you happen to have any types of stats or summary or anything of the economic development that's occurred because of the SBDC or that the SBDC has been involved in? Carolyn: Absolutely we do. We publish an economic impact report every year. So last year the metrics that we had were in 2000,. We created or helped create in Alabama over 1278 jobs. We worked with a lot. I know and for a relatively small center, I think it's a pretty big impact. We had nearly 350 new business starts last year and our capital access team helped companies get over $100 million in capital access, whether that be traditional bank loans, sba loan guarantees, startup loans, investment capital all sorts of options. Wow, we do track that over the years as well. So over the last five years combined, we've helped over 7000 job creations, about 1300 new business starts and around 550 million in capital access. Dave: Wow, that's really amazing. Carolyn: It's a really incredible thing to see the impact that we can have. A few years ago, we informally did an interview of our employees and one of the questions was what is the reason you get out of bed in the morning? Why do you do this job? And the majority decision was the reason why all of us do this is because we love making an impact in our community. Dave: Yeah, that really resonates with me because our business is really serving the same market. It's those privately held, closely held small businesses that seem to be the economic driver of our economy and I find it to be very satisfying to be able to make a difference in those organizations, because they are the bedrock of our communities. So, that's pretty cool. And how long have you been doing this? How long have you been involved with these various entities? Carolyn: I just celebrated 15 years 15 years, wow. Dave: Well, that's awesome, so obviously you must really enjoy it. Carolyn: I do. I love my job. I love the different projects that we get to work on and all the different companies. I love seeing the impact that we get to have. One of the downfalls in economic development across the industry is that you have to spend a lot of time and a lot of hours trying to work on projects before something turns to fruition. So being able to be here for the long haul and seeing the results of the work that we do is really inspiring. Dave: Yeah, I bet it is. I bet it is. So why don't we now drill down to the division that you're part of, that's the Economic Development Center. So, at kind of a high level, what are some of the ways that the center helps businesses? Carolyn: So the Alabama International Trade Center is focused on helping the small and medium-sized companies in Alabama grow through international trade. Our domestic business advisors work on what I call domestic business issues how to start a business, what kind of legal formation do you want, market research on how to grow your business, hiring and firing and tax questions, and quick books and all the basics of how to run a business. When it comes to international, we help them when they are trying to either export or import their products or services. Most of our clients tend to be manufacturers, just because it's, I guess, more common industry knowledge to export a tangible product. But many of companies have services that they can export. So we definitely work with exports of services as well. But the vast majority of our clients are manufacturers. They manufacture some kind of product that has typically been selling successfully domestically for a number of years and then they start branching internationally, and so the way that we work with companies is through a variety of different services. We have educational training sessions available on different international business topics. So about once a month we host an educational seminar on some kind of international business topic. I'm hosting one tomorrow on international documentation, partnered with UP, on the documentation requirements for exporting and importing. In the past we have done sessions on inco terms, classification, export controls, hazardous material, shipping certifications, on how to sell in Europe, general data protection regulations, you name it. We've probably hosted a seminar on that topic, okay. I have to do one-on-one training. So I will go and visit companies and provide a few hours of one-on-one training on different business topics. Sometimes it's on Zoom. I'm seeing that a lot more often and I think probably across the country. You see this, Teams are not localized anymore. They might have team members spread over the country, and so pretty often we're doing Zoom sessions with clients when they'll bring in at the same time all of their employees from various locations and we'll do a training session on the basics of exporting or the basics of importing or export compliance, those types of things, and it's really great because new to export companies obviously need this training. You know they don't know what they're doing, but what we see a lot of is even successful companies. As they grow and hire more people or they have turnover in employees, they'll bring us back in a couple years later and do refresher training, continuous education, for their employees. So that gives a lot of use. And then we also provide guidance on export trade finance. So that's really a niche market kind of separate than our general capital access team. When companies need to get access to the money that they need to manufacture their product for export. Sometimes it can be very challenging for them to get access to a line of credit through a bank, and so we'll talk to them about export working capital programs that exist, export credit insurance that they could get through the XM Bank on how they can mitigate risks of foreign receivables and what companies through all of those options, Because these programs exist to make it less risky for a small to medium size company to start thinking about exporting. And you know, maybe they're exporting $250,000 worth of equipment to Germany or India, and if that customer in Germany or India didn't pay them, that could really hurt their business. I mean, who knows they could go out of business or doesn't pay them $250,000. And so why these programs exist? To make it easier. We also do a lot of market research, so that is one of the great partnerships that we have with the University of Alabama. We provide an internship to University of Alabama students that are then able to come in and help put together these industry specific customized market research reports for our Trade Center clients. So whether that maybe they have no idea where they want to export to, and so we're starting from scratch, trying to help them figure out where overseas would be a good target market to start with, or successfully exported to 100 countries, and now they're trying to get into a new one for the first time, or they're having trouble with their existing distributor and they want contact information for other options. So standard research reports for us could take anywhere from 40 to 60 hours and we pay to have access to a lot of databases. As well as being part of the university, we get access to databases through the university, and so we'll pull all these different pieces of information and put together a customized report that companies can use to help develop their export strategy. It's great experience for the students because they get to work real world projects, not just make believe, made up ones, yeah, interaction with the companies usually and it's great information for the clients as well. I mean they would pay thousands and thousand dollars on the private market sector for this kind of research. Dave: Sure, now, and that raises the question I was curious about Is there any? Does the Trade Center generate any revenues from any of its services, or are they all just complimentary? Carolyn: It's all offered at no fee, so we do not charge for any of the services that we provide. Because our funding comes from the SBA, we are allowed to offer these services at no cost. The only thing we ask in return from our clients is that twice a year, they fill out a survey letting us know it's done a good job, because we have to gather all of that data and our metrics. You know we're one of the few organizations that is really judged on our metrics and if we don't meet our goals, if we don't work with enough companies and help them grow and succeed and increase their sales and get access to capital, then we are at risk of losing our funding. So every metric point that we report, every economic impact that we report, is actually backed up by our clients. We're not allowed to claim anything, any kind of success, without their written permission. Dave: Okay, well, that's well. That seems like a really fair trade. You do all this to help these companies and they just have to complete a survey twice a year. That seems like a fair trade. Carolyn: It's pretty good and we're not just one time. That's one of the other things people think oh, you know, I'll just talk to you one time. No, most of my clients have been working with me for years and for a new to export company. Sometimes that's how long it takes, Other times, you know, they've just grown tremendously over the last few years and it's amazing to see where they've started versus where they are now. Dave: Yeah, that's awesome and I bet you're really popular with your clients because you're providing the service at no out-of-pocket cost to them. Carolyn: For the most part. Yes, I think our clients are fairly satisfied. We use a net promoter score rating that we track with our clients. It's typically pretty high up there. Every now and then we'll get a client that you know feels like they already know everything, like they don't need any help, but for the most part they're pretty helpful for the help that they receive. Dave: Yeah, I would think so, because they're certainly getting their money's worth, right? Carolyn: So at least they should feel like it. I think so. We're constantly adding to our services as industry changes, as things modernize. So, you know, especially during the COVID pandemic, we switched a lot of efforts into online marketing, global website globalizing websites, information on how to do international shipping for direct you know, direct to consumer and e-commerce. We launched a program a few years ago on graphic design, so now we offer graphic design for free so that companies that are trying to upgrade their website so that it's more user-friendly for international users. Or we have a student right now who's creating animation videos for marketing for a couple of companies all at no cost. Dave: That's awesome. Well, I love like case studies stories. I think it really kind of pulls it all together. Do you happen to have any examples of companies you've worked with in the last few years that you could kind of use as a case study and share some of the details? Carolyn: Absolutely. We do turn in success stories to the SBA every year. That's part of our goals and metrics. I think that definitely makes us a little bit unique. We have a confidentiality agreement with all of our clients, so we're not allowed to discuss specifics of what we do with anyone else without written permission, so it's good that we get these authorized success stories from companies. Over the last few years we've had quite a variety of different companies that have that we've worked with on these. So last year we worked with a company in Huntsville Polaris Solar Systems, polaris Sensor Technologies, I think is what it was called and we helped them navigate the world of export compliance. They have a regulated, export-controlled technology and so they had to make sure that they were following all the regulations and applying for licenses. We helped them practice their pitch when they were going to be pitching to foreign customers, realizing that the benefits of their products and technologies were actually different in different parts of the world and used in a different way, and so working with them to develop their pitch and their value proposition and introducing them to potential customers overseas. Another example is totally different industry sector. There was a company in a very rural, economically disadvantaged area of the state that had created a company developing very small tractors or very high tech. But the way that they came up with this design, it was easy to build, it was small, it was more affordable for individually run farms or small co-ops. And they had this novel idea of they were either going to manufacture these tractors in northeast Alabama or they would give the design, the blueprints of the tractor, for free, at no cost, to a foreign manufacturer for them to be able to create a manufacturing plant overseas and create local jobs. It's one of the ways that they wanted to give back to the community. Oh, that's how cool is that? It was really cool. They changed names a couple of times when we worked with them. It was called Kleber Technologies and so we worked with them way back in the beginning, before they had done any exporting, and we went and visited them and provided in-house training on basics of international shipping and how to do export marketing. Through the years we did market research to help them find customers or distributors and overseas parts of the world. They eventually went and visited and sent pictures of clients in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Latin America writing on the tractors Last year. So this is probably seven or eight years after we started with them. But last year, at this particular company, one of the Alabama's governor's exports awards oh, wow, because they successfully exported to 50 plus countries now and it's just amazing to see. So I tracked back down the student who had helped work on their market research way back in the beginning. Oh, really I actually did that article on LinkedIn. I said hey, do you remember that project from eight years ago? Look at them now. Dave: Wow, that's really cool. And that first company you mentioned you said they were in Huntsville, right? Yes, and I think a lot of folks outside of Alabama don't realize that Huntsville is like one of the rocket capitals of the US, right, space industry. How would I describe the industry? Carolyn: Yeah, I mean rocket and space were known for NASA in Huntsville. We also have Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville and FBI, I think, just relocated down there. There's SpaceX activities that are planned, so aerospace, aviation, missile defense is another big one. But then surprisingly, hudson Alpha also is located there and they have been instrumental in genetics, genomics, research, pharmacogenomics, so it definitely kind of covers the gambit. When you take a tour at Hudson Alpha it's really interesting. From one side of the building you can look out and see all the NASA and space technologies, and then inside the building is genomics and genetics and agrogenetic, and then on the other side is cornfields, because that's the real Huntsville. Dave: Wow, that is pretty cool. So this has really been kind of a fun overview for folks who are listening to this, who are in Alabama, who do international trade. What would be the best way for them to learn more? Would you just direct them to the website, or where should they kind of start? Should they just reach out to you? What's the kind of ideal process? Carolyn: Just go to our website, aitcuaedu. Registration is free. As I said, we don't charge for anything that we do, and within the state of Alabama, we're part of a bigger group called the Export Alabama Alliance, so that's a group of all of the entities in the state that work together to promote trade. So we've got the Governor's International Trade Office, the US Department of Commerce on the federal level, local chambers of commerce, sba, ports, various entities that exist to help promote exporting, and so when you get one of us, you get all of us. We work together as a team to make sure that the companies get the support that they need, no matter what they're trying to do. And then, yeah, I just strongly recommend, no matter what state you're in, google your SBD, because they have a very valuable resource. Dave: That's awesome. Well, as we're wrapping up, I have a couple of kind of more personal wild card type questions just for fun. So you mentioned you joined the organization 15 years ago, and so I'm just curious if you could like go back in time and give advice to your 15 year younger self, knowing what you know now. Like, what advice might you give to yourself with the perspective of 15 years of experience? Carolyn: That's a tough one. Dave: I know that's what makes it fun Fun for me, not so much fun for you. Carolyn: I'm a. On a personal note, I am a recovering perfectionist. Dave: Oh yeah, my wife is one of those, but not the recovery stage yet. Carolyn: That has been a hard lesson to learn. A colleague that I had taught me something and it's a quote that has stuck with me and I tell it to everyone now and it is that you are a human being, not a human doing Okay, so that'd be your advice to yourself is just taking a bit of a chill pill and absolutely. Dave: Yeah, my one of the quotes I like around that subject I also have some perfectionist tendencies is that great quote progress, not perfection. Carolyn: Yes. Dave: So, although you know there are some things I do push back a little bit, there are some things you need perfection on landing an airplane, open heart surgery, right, I mean, there's some things that you know it pretty much, perfect is the only, the only option. Carolyn: Yeah, I agree. But in the world of international business I think perfection is not needed and progress is. And you know what I tell my students all the time that are doing these market research reports? Because you know they're so open ended. You could just keep researching for ever and ever and keep on finding more pieces of information. So I focused a lot on quality over quantity. Dave: That is awesome. So by last question and this is a really fun one I think there are two famous or at least you know Texas institutions that have expanded eastward and I'm going to ask you which one you think is had made a bigger difference in your life, if any of them have. What a burger or Bucky's, oh Bucky's. I had a feeling you'd answer that one. Carolyn: Yeah, it's kind of a saving joke. I mean I think we have two Bucky's in Alabama, maybe three. Dave: According to the research I just pulled up, that as of April 10th of 2023, they'll have four stations in Alabama, but it's not quite clear how many of those are up and running right now. Carolyn: There is one not far outside of Birmingham, on the path between Birmingham and Atlanta, and it is packed no matter what time of day it is. It's like a town, it's so big. Dave: But Does it have? Is the road it's on called like Bucky's Boulevard too? That seems to be. Carolyn: I don't think so. I don't know. Maybe, but it's definitely impacted everyone's road trips. I think you can't. Dave: Yeah, I'm told that, not by without stopping at Bucky's. Yeah, I'm told that Alabama has the second most number of Bucky's outside of Texas. So things are, yeah, and it's interesting because they're always Bucky's are always the same, but like in a good way, you know, and the best one, and I've always said that off on a tangent. I've always said that it seems like Bucky's competitive business advantage are the clean restrooms. That seems to be like what they really differentiate. But when you take a big picture, look at it from a business perspective, you're thinking that shouldn't be a sustainable business differentiator. Right, because in theory that anybody could copy that, but for whatever reason, nobody else cares to. Carolyn: I don't know. I mean, I would say their main competitors would be like the pilots and the lying Jays. Sure, I remember the names of them. But as far as competition, I think that's definite competition there. I think Bucky's is the shop I mean it's, I don't know. Cracker barrel meets gas. Dave: Yeah, yes, yeah. It's hard to describe to somebody who's not been to a Bucky's. Carolyn: No, but this. Dave: And they seem to be an economic development force because everyone I've ever been to because they need so much land and they always want to be on a busy highway that they oftentimes are not near cities, they're kind of in the middle of nowhere and they're always advertising really high starting hourly wages. So I get the sense that for a lot of these areas that they come into they really bring economic opportunity for folks that live nearby. I mean, it seems like the classic example is the person working the checkout registers Oftentimes seem to be a teenager that lives there locally and I think, man, can you think of a better like part-time job to have in high school than to be making $15 or $18 an hour working at Bucky's inside the air conditioning? Yeah, just talking to folks all day, I don't know. *Carolyn: * My high school job was scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins. Oh that's. I mean with free ice cream perks. Dave: Yeah, that one might have to trump Bucky's. I bet you're. I've always wondered are your hands and wrists and forearms just worn out at the end of the day? Oh my gosh, yes. Carolyn: And gosh, the first Baskin Robbins I worked at. They used cold water in their faucets where you put the ice cream scoop and it was At my one arm. I had like huge muscle by the end of every summer. Dave: Now did you get used to it then Like by the end of the summer, were you not as fatigued by the end of the day? Carolyn: Yeah, but then you know, other ice cream shops use hot water to store their ice cream scoops in and it makes a huge difference. Dave: Oh, I bet it does. You know why they use the cold water instead of hot? Yeah, any theory. Carolyn: Looking back, I think they were just being cheap Okay. Dave: Yeah, because I think I know at home if I'm scooping up several servings. You know, I know the old trick of the hot bowl of water to dip the scooper in to make it work better. The people. Carolyn: We used to get these, the big old jars of cherries, and they would make us go through and cut them all in half. Oh wow, they would last twice as long, oh wow. Well, Honey, you know I guess. Managing is almost as hard right. Dave: Yeah, that's the beauty of the free enterprise system. Every person tries, you know, gets to do it their way, and all of that. I mean, who knows, maybe the little bit of money they saved, maybe that translated to higher hourly earnings for the employees who knows, maybe, who knows? Carolyn, this has really been a fun conversation. Was there anything I didn't ask you that you wish I had, or anything that we should mention? Carolyn: I would just say that the world of international trade is constantly changing. Okay, so find a local resource in your area that can keep you up to date. Dave: Okay, that's awesome. Well, I appreciate that and I really appreciate your time today. I've really learned a lot more about the whole SBDC program in general and you've kind of inspired me to take a look the two states I spend the most time in are Texas and Colorado to take the initiative to start to learn more about those organizations Absolutely. Carolyn: The SBDC team in Texas is absolutely amazing. This is absolutely phenomenal. I'm not sure if I've met anyone from the SBDC Colorado team, but definitely take advantage of your in Texas. Dave: Yeah, I know in Houston. I think it's associated with the University of Houston. I think it's called the U of H SBDC. Carolyn: I know it's the San Antonio SBDC that does most of international trade work in Texas. Dave: Okay Well that's good to know. I'm going to be in San Antonio in a few weeks. I should check that out. Well, that's great. Well, that's great advice and this has really been a fun conversation and I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to share the story and obviously you have great enthusiasm and passion for what you're doing and that comes through and that's always fun to see people that really are inspired and really focused on how much they enjoy their job. Carolyn: It makes a big difference when you enjoy what you do For sure, all right. Dave: Well, have a great day, carolyn. Carolyn: You too. Special Guest: Carolyn Turner.

Listen in on Cultivation Station as we talk with experts from the Small Business Development Center on how to prepare to exit your business. This key part of all bsuinesses should be considered when building your business plan, but is often overlooked. Our advisors will share their experiences in selling a business, and offer advice on how to build value into your business for the future and preparation for when the time comes to sell your business.

Corey McCoy, CEO of KOK Wings & Things, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his unexpected journey into success as a restaurant entrepreneur. Growing up in a military family, he lived all over the country before moving to Lafayette to attend UL and become closer with his father. Corey served in the National Guard for six years while in school, with a top secret clearance as he worked as an Intelligence Imagery Analyst. KOK Wings & Things was founded in 2016, when Corey, Avery Bell, Tre'Jan Vinson and Jared Johnson were Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. fraternity brothers at UL - Lafayette and living together on a shoestring while attending college. The foursome would cook chicken wings and sauces for friends, beginning with the traditional wing recipe Corey's dad provided them. They enjoyed hosting social events at their home to raise money for their fraternity. In order to pay for the cost of the food and supplies, they started charging for their wings. Word spread about the delicious wings and the "Kitchen on Klinton" thus began out of their home kitchen on Clinton Street. And things went smoothly until one day, the local police came knocking on their door, informing them that it wasn't legal to operate a commercial kitchen out of their home. They realized it was time to 'change up' their operations. KOK began with an initial investment of $250 chipped in by the the partners. As Corey says, "It was everything we had!" In the beginning, the young men would put fryers in the back of a U-Haul as they went looking for customers. In time, they were ready for a food truck. Avery's dad offered to help build a food truck on a flatbed trailer, which they found on Craig's List. KOK would park for a few months at a time around Lafayette as they built up a dependable clientele for their wings and sauces. As KOK became more professional, their goals for growth did also. Once they saw that they had a viable business model, they worked to scale the operations From the beginning, the four young men divided up the tasks of running the business. Corey became the CEO (even when they were still cooking in the back yard) and was in charge of organizing the overall operations of KOK. Avery was in charge of ordering food and supplies, Jared was the Chief Financial Officer, and Tre'Jan was in charge of marketing. It gave them an organized method to focus on growth. Corey credits Heidi Melancon of the Small Business Development Center for helping KOK get their first loan, get free consultations, and get their business bearing. He also credits LEDA and the UL Business school for its help for which he will always be grateful. KOK didn't charge sales taxes for the first two years. This turned around when Adam Curry, a CPA with Darnall, Sikes & Frederick, ordered a meal and realized that no sales tax was collected. He helped the partners get their tax and financial records in order and get their business model organized for a sustainable business model. The Lafayette location is in the former Gallagher's Restaurant, which property is still owned by Nidal Baldeisi. He traded free rent for a few months in exchange for the KOK partners' working to renovate the building as they built their profits. They rented fork lifts from Lowes, got family and friends to help, and they were off in pursuit of a successful brick and mortar business. Corey taught 8th grade history at Acadian Middle when he graduated from UL in 2016 as they built up their business. He worked until KOK turned profitable in order to ensure that he could make a paycheck. The first two years, none of the men took any paycheck from the business. With a solid track record of growth, KOK Wings now has locations in Lafayette, New Iberia and Baton Rouge. Corey and his partners have grown their company from the grassroots level into a multi-million-dollar company with over 50 employees. KOK Wings & Things sells much more than wings and sauces.

What if there's a steady, reliable source of income that's often overlooked? Brace yourself for an in-depth exploration into the world of government contracting. Join us as we share real life experiences, giving you a front-row seat to understand the intricate dynamics of government operations and how your business can harness its unique value. We also delve into the necessity of having a robust infrastructure to sustain your operations during elongated payment waiting periods, ensuring your business remains afloat.As we navigate further, we take you through the myriad of opportunities that government contracting presents to businesses, regardless of their size. We outline key success steps such as setting up a strong business structure, acquiring relevant certifications, and building relationships with the right agencies. Prepare to face seasoned contenders in this space and learn how to stand out. We wrap up with a guide on how to leverage resources like Small Business Development Centers and other government agencies to propel your business to success. This episode is your ticket to tapping into the trillion-dollar government spending budget, so whether you're a veteran in business or just setting the sail, buckle up for the ride!Support the showWatch Us Here on the OYK NetworkUCMsIMWy7gb64s-G2FslU3Dg

SAN ANGELO, TX — In a town where football reigns supreme, the rivalry between the Wall Hawks and Mason Punchers is the talk of the community. As both teams gear up for the highly anticipated matchup, tensions are palpable both on and off the field. Fans from both sides are rallying support for their teams, bringing an electric atmosphere to the upcoming game. On a more somber note, we delve further into the recent arrest of 18-year-old Kristopher Lozano, accused of the shooting murder of Jacob Hernandez. The incident, which allegedly stems from a personal dispute, has sent shockwaves through San Angelo. With the court proceedings underway, the community eagerly awaits justice. Progress is visible at McGill Elementary, as the long-awaited expansion project kicks off. The construction work is a buzz of activity, with architects and builders working tirelessly to complete the project on schedule. The expansion aims to accommodate the growing student population and further enhance the learning environment. Today, we have a double treat in terms of interviews. First on the lineup is Yantis Green alongside The Bass Bunch, discussing the electrifying future of electric vehicles (EVs). They delve into the evolution of EVs, the benefits they bring to the environment, and what to expect in the near future. Following that, we sit down with the Small Business Development Center and Trammell as they shed light on the Governor's Small Business Summit. They discuss the significance of the summit, its impact on the local business community, and the opportunities it presents for small business owners. Watch the above show for in-depth coverage on these stories and more, as we continue to bring you the latest happenings in and around San Angelo.

"Every project is a snowflake; it seems like..."  As the official spokesperson for the modular construction industry, Tom has been involved in leadership roles in modular construction since 2004, when he was named the Executive Director for the Modular Building Institute, the international non-profit trade association for the commercial modular industry. In 2012, Tom launched his association management company, Hardiman-Williams, L.L.C., with his business partner, Steven Williams. At that time, he took on the additional role of Executive Director for the Modular Home Builders Association, the national non-profit trade association serving the modular home industry. Tom has extensive experience as an advocate on various legislative, regulatory, and building code issues at the state and federal levels. He was one of the leading forces behind creating the Offsite Construction Council at the National Institute of Building Science and has served on its board since its inception. In 2015, his company launched the first “Offsite Construction Expo” in North America. The Expo has since been delivered in person and virtually over a dozen times to thousands of attendees.  Before association management, Hardiman assisted small businesses and entrepreneurs as Director of a Small Business Development Center. He earned a bachelor's and M.B.A. at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and the designation Certified Association Executive from the American Society of Association Executives. Tom has spoken at numerous conferences worldwide, including events in England, Ireland, Spain, and Hong Kong. As a tireless advocate and spokesperson for the modular industry and non-profits, he brings his entrepreneurial background and passion to his presentations. Tom has been interviewed and regularly cited in publications such as E.N.R. Magazine, Fast Company, U.S.A. Today, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. For the past decade, he has served various leadership roles with his local Boys and Girls Club, including interim director. Join us this week as we chat with Tom Hardiman, who describes modular home and building industry experiences locally and internationally. In this episode, we take a deep dive into how the modular building industry and the auto industry compare, how tiny homes are changing the way we think about offsite construction, and how the United States stands internationally in offsite modular building.  EVENT NOTICE: Join Denver's Offsite Construction Summit on September 14th, 2023! Register and find out more here: https://offsiteconstructionnetwork.com/events/ As mentioned in the podcast, you can feel free to email Tom any questions at his email tom@modular.org Website: https://www.hardimanwilliams.com/

Tiffany O'Donnell talks to Tricia Rivas, owner of Trixie's Salon & Spa, founder of the Dream Catchers Foundation, and Customer Relations Coordinator with the Small Business Development Center. Tricia has a fierce passion for counseling small businesses and non-profits, and connecting people in communities for the better good. She spends her free time with family and friends traveling, camping, going on road trips to small towns in Iowa, shopping local boutiques and anything that includes food and good whiskey. On today's episode, Tricia talks about the importance of believing in yourself, where real beauty comes from and tells us some of her favorite stories along the way. Follow Women Lead Change on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and visit wlcglobal.org for more information. Own It! from Women Lead Change is sponsored by Mount Mercy University. Support the show