AmiSights: Financing the Future For Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Gerald Brisson, President and Owner of Transworld Business Advisors of Houston, on the current state of the mergers and acquisitions market.

Gerry has thirty years global business experience which includes managing international business units, directing global marketing, directing global procurement, sales, and operations. Gerry has been involved in hundreds of negotiations across 5 continents and dozens of business sales. He has held executive leadership positions in 3 Fortune 500 companies covering 50+ countries across North America, Latin America, Central America, The Caribbean, Asia, Europe, and Africa. He started Transworld Business Advisors of Houston in 2013 and quickly built his team into the top business brokerage firm in the Houston Metropolitan area. Houston is a market with over 220,000 businesses and a population of over 7 million. He has successfully sold hundreds of businesses with a focus on main street and lower middle market transactions. The Houston Transworld office is consistently ranked in the top 2 franchise operations in the country.

Gerry's uniquely diverse global business experience includes contract and lease negotiations, retail network development, new business development, global and local marketing, global retail brand management, retail revenue stream development, contract & lease negotiations, strategic global procurement, franchise development, general and operational management, and global franchise development. development.

Gerry is thrilled to have the opportunity to leverage his extensive business experience to assist others in realizing their business & life goals.

Recorded 02/21/2022.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Tony Conant, CEO of the American Rental Association, on managing a trade association through the pandemic.

Tony is the Chief Executive Officer at American Rental Association; a trade association representing 11,000 rental locations and over 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers to the equipment and event rental industry. He is responsible for enabling operational excellence across the organization and building capabilities to support ARA's strategic plan.

His professional experience includes over 20 years working in operations and supply chain functions at world-class companies such as Intel, BASF, Whirlpool and Bank of America. Prior to ARA, he was the Chief Operating Officer at the Institute for Supply Management, a not-for-profit association focused on the supply chain management profession.

Tony's passion is leadership and team development. He delivers high-energy presentations on these topics that inspire others to challenge the status quo. Audiences appreciate his affable manner and practical strategies they can apply personally and professionally.

He earned a BS degree in Operations Management from Madonna University and an MBA from the University of Florida. He also completed his Six Sigma Black Belt certification from the University of California at San Diego and earned the Certified Association Executive designation from ASAE in 2020.

He is married to Amy and they enjoy spending time with their 10 year old son Beau. The Conants are a hockey family that enjoys travel, sports and classic cars.

Recorded 02/16/22.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Ian Goff, owner of Goff Tents & Events and Purdon Rental, about his story managing an events rental business during the pandemic and what he learned.

Ian Goff, CERP, is the owner of Goff Tents & Events and Purdon Rental, both full service party and event rental stores throughout Central Kentucky. Ian also has over 20 years of experience in various aspects of the event rental industry including manufacturing, installation, event coordination, and strategic planning for large scale festivals and concerts.

Goff has served as President of the American Rental Association's Kentucky chapter since 2014, which was named national chapter of the year in 2015. He has been awarded ARA's National Outstanding Leadership award, Region 5 Person of the year as well as being named 10 to watch under 40.

Ian resides in Lexington, KY with his wife Katlyn and four children Owen (11), Miles (9), Presley (6), and Andersen (5). They enjoy spending their time away from work with family and friends and are active members of Big Hill Christian Church.

Recorded 02/04/2022.

On the episode, Ami Kassar interviews Tim McDiarmid, Founder and Owner at Tim the Girl Catering, The Good Kind & Ivy Hall Events, on managing a restaurant through the pandemic.

Tim grew up in Canada and always dreamt of being a chef. She loved watching her mother cook and aspired to one day work in a restaurant in New York City.

As a young woman, Tim headed to the "Big Apple" in search of fulfilling her dreams. She lived and worked in New York for nearly 20 years in every restaurant position imaginable from front of house, back of house, bartender, and eventually as a chef. This was a great learning experience, allowing her to observe all aspects of running a restaurant. Tim was able to really hone in on her craft and gain lots of knowledge from other culinary leaders in the community.

In 2004, Tim and her husband (at the time) had a son, Tappen. Unfortunately, the relationship was toxic and she needed to escape. So in 2011, Tim packed up her six year old son, and together they moved to San Antonio, TX. It was the hardest thing she's ever done. Living in a big city, with no family, as a single parent was difficult. She had to be scrappy and work hard.

It was here that Tim began cooking from home and started her catering business, Tim The Girl Catering. This allowed Tim more time to focus on her son, continue her passion, and grow what is now a very successful group of businesses.

In 2015, Tim had the opportunity to open her very own restaurant, called The Good Kind. The concept specializes in healthy grab-n-go breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack items, plus large and small scale catering. The Good Kind builds on Tim the Girl Catering's vision to provide the San Antonio community with food that is clean, nourishing, sustainable, and delicious.

The restaurant started as an incubator project in a popular downtown San Antonio shopping area called The Pearl. They had a Food Hall, which allowed Tim to grow and save for the chance of moving into her own space. Soon she was able to move into a beautiful garden property in the Southtown neighborhood of San Antonio.

Here Tim was able to open a permanent restaurant for The Good Kind and run an event venue, called Ivy Hall Events. It's a beautiful garden space that can host weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and more. The three businesses work together beautifully allowing Tim to provide delicious food on the property, as well as for off-site events.

Recorded 02/02/2022.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Jason Kruger, President & Founder of Signature Analytics, on what the pandemic has taught businesses about accounting and finance, and what the future holds.

Jason is a leader and business advisor focused on helping business owners, leaders, and executives improve performance by providing greater visibility into their financials so they can achieve their goals through value-added financial information.

Signature Analytics' 5-step process for client success focuses first on goal and roadmap development, ensuring confidence in timely and accurate accounting, and finally through bringing clarity to a company's financial information through reporting to drive forward-looking decisions that impact business value, margins, improved cash flows, etc. Following our process from the beginning ensures we understand our client's goals and puts us on a path to mutual success.

Since starting Signature Analytics and working with a variety of small to enterprise level businesses over the last 20 years, Jason has a clear understanding of what it takes to push a company to cut costs, improve reporting, and enhance operational efficiencies in order to strengthen its financial position.

Recorded 02/01/2022.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Gail Davis, founder and president of GDA Speakers, about managing a speaking bureau during the pandemic and what she learned.

Gail Davis' decades of experience in corporate marketing and event management served as the launchpad for GDA Speakers. Before establishing the company in 1999, she spent 20 years managing the events of the Dallas-based global technology conglomerate─Electronic Data Systems (EDS)─founded by Ross Perot. While at EDS she discovered Nando Parrado, a heroic survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash. Parrado presented an unforgettable speech at EDS' marquee event.

Shortly after his successful keynote, Parrado signed an exclusive agreement with Davis as it was her efforts that convinced him to share his story after so many years. It was this partnership with Parrado which eventually anchored the creation of GDA Speakers.

Davis is credited with bringing Parrado's harrowing experience to life in The New York Times best-selling book, Miracle in the Andes. Twenty-three years later, GDA Speakers continues to represent Parrado. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Andes crash, his story will be told through the upcoming Netflix movie, The Snow Society.

Davis continues to discover new talent and under her passionate leadership, GDA Speakers has vetted and curated highly qualified speakers who they deliver to clients with confidence.

Her successful business approach led to her being named the 2011-2012 President of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus (IASB). Previously developing new and improved education programs in her role as an IASB Governor, she has won numerous awards including the 2015 John Palmer Award, 2011 President's Award, 2010 Above and Beyond Award, and the 2007 Pace Setter Award.

Davis is a frequent guest on podcasts sharing entrepreneurial insights, lessons in innovative leadership, and her vast knowledge of the speaker industry. Davis is an active member of the Entrepreneur Organization and a supporter of numerous community organizations. She was the co-chair of the 2014 Soup's On! Luncheon, the major fundraising force of The Stewpot Alliance - with that luncheon being the most successful to date. Named to the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College Board of Visitors, she went on to be awarded the 2018 Gaylord Distinguished Alumni Award. She was also honored by the Dallas Business Journal as one of Dallas' Top 25 Women in Business.

Being drawn to the mountains, Davis enjoys hiking and has recently traversed 43 miles in Zion National Park. Merging her love for hiking and serving the community, she has also hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim as a part of a fundraiser for Project Athena and has walked over 120 miles on the Camino de Santiago hike in Spain. She is an Oklahoma native, graduating from the Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma, and currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Recorded 01/31/2022.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Daniel Marcos, co-founder and CEO of Growth Institute, on the evolving platform for virtual learning for entrepreneurs, what has changed and where does he see it going?

Daniel is the co-founder and CEO of Growth Institute, the leading online executive education company for C-level executives at fast-growing firms. He is a keynote speaker and a CEO Coach, with a mission to help 1 million entrepreneurs scale their impact and reduce drama in the process.

He is a member of YPO and EO and is a certified coach in the Scaling Up methodology. He is a graduate of EO's premiere CEO program, the "Birthing of Giants", and he holds a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from ITESM (Monterrey Tech) and an MBA from Babson College.

Daniel was an early entrepreneur. He started a t-shirt business at the age of eight and then partnered with a car detailing franchise to provide cleaning services throughout his high school years. In the year 2000, he built an online trading business that was acquired within six months by what was Argentina's largest financial player at the time.

Daniel's next business launched just before the untimely crash of the financial markets in 2008. His business was shut down and Daniel took on $1 million in debt. Despite the recent setback, Daniel had an abundance of experience and successes under his belt and had recently been recognized in Expansion Magazine's "30 under 30". As a serial entrepreneur, Daniel quickly realized that CEOs are often the bottleneck of the company. In the same way that you can't solve a problem without first elevating your mindset, a business can't evolve beyond what the CEO can handle.

Daniel partnered with Verne Harnish in 2012 to bring executive training to the masses. What was once reserved for a small niche of wealthy companies is now available to all CEOs and their Executive Teams.

In less than a decade, Growth Institute has been recognized among the top 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the USA, with over 40,000 members across 64 countries.

Recorded 01/25/22.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Herb Cogliano, International Business Growth Advisor & Certified Scaling Up Coach, discussing how companies remain flexible during these uncertain times, examples of companies that have done well through the pandemic as well as companies that have done poorly.

Herb Cogliano spearheads his own advisory practice based on the award-winning books Scaling Up and the Rockefeller Habits. As an international business growth advisor and experienced CEO Scaling Up practitioner, he has learned firsthand what it takes to overcome many business challenges. Herb is pursuing his passion of working with leaders of growth companies to achieve freedom by helping them create industry leading strategies and flawless execution within their organizations. He is also a Scaling Up Professor for a global Masters Scaling Up Business Course.

Herb was formerly CEO of Sullivan and Cogliano Designers, a 53-year privately held family owned, Technology Staffing and Workforce Solutions firm and in 1993, he also founded the Sullivan and Cogliano education business.

A resident of Westford, Herb graduated from Westford Academy in 1983, and received his BSBA from Boston College in 1987 and his MBA from the University of Massachusetts (International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma) in 2016.

Sullivan and Cogliano joined a select group of companies that have appeared on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company list multiple times. The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth over a four-year period. This achievement puts us in a unique position, especially if you consider that over 27 million businesses are registered in the USA.

His firm was a Multiyear recipient of Boston and South Florida Business Journal Best Places to Work Award. This honor recognizes Sullivan and Cogliano's achievements for changing the business landscape, in creating a positive work environment that attracts and retains employees through a combination of employee satisfaction, working conditions, and company culture.

Herb serves on the Carroll School of Management Board of Advisors at Boston College. He has been a member of the American Staffing Association, and formerly served on its Board of Directors as Chapter Relations Committee Chair. He is past president of the Massachusetts Association of Staffing Services, and previously served on the boards of Employment Resources, Inc. and Junior Achievement.

Recorded 01/20/22.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Deborah Moses Elton, CEO of VerisVisalign, on how digital transformation evolved over the pandemic, and how it impacts businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Deborah is the CEO of VerisVisalign. The local IT services company is a long-term Microsoft Partner, specializing in Microsoft technologies and process optimization. The company is a certified woman-owned enterprise, with certifications from PA, MD, DE (WBE), the Federal government (WOSB), and the National Council of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). She attended Montgomery County Community College (Pennsylvania) and Temple University, and has furthered her career with certifications in management, leadership, and information technology areas. She holds memberships in several local executive organizations. She has served many years as a mentor in Temple University's annual Be Your Own Boss Bowl business plan competition.

Deborah is an active speaker and trainer, and an ITIL® Expert in the IT Service Management practitioner realm (ITIL®). She is a former recipient of the Brava! Award, and the company has several times been honored on the Philly 100 list. Deborah is also the author of Change Your Life! The CORE Approach ™ to Creating the Life You Want, a personal change methodology based on the concepts of Choice, Opportunity, Responsibility, and Expectation.

She is married and lives with her husband in suburban Philadelphia, is a mom to four grown children, three grandchildren, and several fur babies. She is an active leader in the local community and fund-raising events, and can often be seen on the stage of local theatres.

Recorded 10/25/2021.

On this episode, Ami Kassar interviews Rich Armstrong, President at The Great Game of Business, discussing some of the most exciting transformations he has seen when companies have used the Great Game of Business.

Rich Armstrong has thirty years of experience in improving business performance and employee engagement through open-book management and employee ownership, with service as a business coach and as a current executive at SRC Holdings Corporation, a thirty-seven-year old employee-owned company and one of the United States' top one hundred largest majority employee-owned companies. Rich has been instrumental in the ongoing development of SRC Holdings' open-book management and employee-ownership practices through practical, "firsthand" experience leading several of SRC's business units. This experience has enabled him to successfully apply these practices in both small- and large-scale company implementations around the world. He coauthored Get in the Game as well as the update of the number one bestseller, The Great Game of Business—20th Anniversary Edition.

Rich is a graduate of Pittsburg State University and serves on the board of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). He cherishes his time with his wife, Alicia, and four children, Ryan, Ethan, Rylee, and Jackson. Rich's guilty pleasure is making music in his home studio and playing in his '90s rock tribute band.

Recorded 11/13/2021.