Episode 154 of the Check Your Six podcast brought a ground breaking, barrier breaking lady into the GRP Studios that was the first female TV anchor in Central Florida, Carol Nelson-Pond. Carol was the first woman in Central Florida that broke the barrier of women in TV and radio that could interview, host and anchor just like the men that were currently in power in the industry during the 70's. She had some great stories of how she was able to break through that barrier, just a few of the hundreds of interviews that she completed including Ronald Regan, Henry Kissinger, Tom Hanks and the barriers that she is now facing being an older individual in the American healthcare system. We did not even get to the good stuff about the events at the Citrus Club, the other things that have happened during the time she has spent in Orlando but did reflect on her time spent with Rupert Holmes, you might know him as the writer/singer/composer of "Escape" better known as the "Pina Colada Song". Carol is truly groundbreaker and every single woman that sits at a news desk as a reporter or anchor can probably attribute their success in part to her. You can check out her book, No Women Allowed, Breaking Barriers at this Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08CZZDXST

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Episode 153 of the Check Your Six podcast brought Van Carlson via the remote connection from Idaho to talk about the 831b plan for businesses. The Boise State Bronco grad talked about a program for businesses that most of us small business owners know nothing about, the 831(b) plan. An often unused tax code from the 80's that a lot of CPA or accountants do not know about or understand but could be very important in helping to mitigate risk. SRA 831b Admin is really tailored to support small and medium-sized businesses, and their plans are designed to provide a comprehensive safety net for risks that are often overlooked by traditional insurance policies. Van and his team are not just checking boxes and signing up businesses, they are really more about education and information that allows businesses to make smart decisions. You can find our more about what they do at www.831b.com so reach out and see if this is something that you need to address.

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Texas sized marketing was the topic today on the 152 episode of the Check Your Six podcast. Amber Gaige, the 3rd generation entrepreneur from Texas called and talked about going beyond just marketing with her business, Far Beyond Marketing!! Besides being a best selling author, speaker, she is also laser focused on giving her clients the tools necessary for business owners to help create, maintain and showcase their brand. Her "4-C" approach to go far beyond marketing starts with Clear Copy, followed by Consistent Branding, Customer Demographics and finally Channel Management which are the 4 pillars she uses to help businesses grow and scale. Amber and her team at Far Beyond Marketing are all about you and what you want to see your business become. You can check out more about her on her website and you guessed it, https://farbeyondmarketing.com/ Check it out and see if she can do for you!!

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Episode 151 of the Check Your Six podcast had Chris Bell stop by the GRP Studios to talk about toxic living!! A drummer and graduate from Florida A&M talked about the path that he is on to create living spaces that are free of toxic air pollutants, so we can all breathe a little easier. We talked about the influences that have shaped his life including his parents and  in-laws that have continued to support him to follow his passions. Talking about food toxins led us to the fact that we both agreed that we are fans of dark chocolate and peanut butter, even if dark chocolate is supposed to be bad for you, we're not sure if those studies are accurate. Also went down the rabbit hole of the toxicity of microwaves and what they are doing to our food. He did covered a lot of the benefits of the line of Pure Living products that include not using laundry soap and washing everything in cold water...still trying to figure that one out. Great time with Chris today, loved the shout out he gave to his wife Faith, his kids and his in-laws. You can find out more about what he does by going to www.vollara.com/pureliving03

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Episode 150 of the Check Your Six podcast talked about something pretty close to home for me, dealing with Alzheimers and dementia. My father was diagnosed back in the 70's with Alzheimers before it was as well known or researched as it has been over the last nearly 50 years. Denise Ward, the Florida Region Strategy and Program Development director for the national Alzheimer's Association, stopped by the studio to talk about the subject matter of Alzheimer's and dementia. We talked about some of the symptoms, what to look for in our own self analysis or in friends or family members when it comes to this affliction. She talked about the importance of sharing your stories and experiences, the willingness to open up about family members that are suffering with Alzheimer's and looking at clinical trials as a way to explore options for treatment. Also referenced studies that are looking at the potential for the connection with diabetes and perhaps identifying it as Diabetes 3 to help further understand how our diet may be impacting the condition as well. There are things that I can understand how to fight when it comes to conditions like cancer but Alzheimer's is different. Watching someone you have loved and admired for their strength and wisdom, be reduced to someone that is lost and perhaps angry because they can't understand what is happening is much harder. You can find out more about what the do at their website, https://www.alz.org/. There is hope, but it will take all of us to make it happen. You can also contact Denise at [email protected] if you would like to contact her directly.

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Shalisa Griffin, the Director of Development for The Sharing Center in Longwood stopped by GRP Studios, also in Longwood, for her time on the Check Your Six podcast. We talked about Shakira's journey from going to school for an IT career that was "sidelined" by a high school basketball coach in NJ, David Bellani, that developed her love for sports management and planning. A change of majors, some time with the NCAA in Indianapolis, the DeVoss Sports Business Program along with some time at UCF, an intern job here in Orlando that turned into full time with the Orlando Sports Commission. She really thought that her path would continue with sports management but some time off and self reflection made her realize that while she was doing "good" in bringing in events to Central Florida, she was supposed to be doing something more. That, led her to working with The Sharing Center in Longwood in helping to reshape the community with the issues of poverty and homelessness. You can find out more about what they do at https://thesharingcenter.org/ and you can reach Shalisa at [email protected]

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Had a great conversation with Chris Ham, the Executive Director for The Rescue Outreach Mission in Sanford today on the Check Your Six podcast. The last episode for 2024 was a great way to talk end the year and talk about the issues and challenges that our community has with homeless population here in Central Florida. As Seminole County's only homeless shelter, they have done a fantastic job over the past several years changing the view of homelessness and providing assistance through the partnerships they have in the business community and through our county officials. The Seminole County Commissioners, county and local police and fire departments are fantastic partners in helping to meet this crisis. Respect, compassion and dignity are the key phrases for the Rescue Outreach Mission and the nearly 100,000 meals they will serve and the individuals and families that they provide shelter for each year are examples of those pillars. The face of homeless has changed over the years, it is not what it used to be and I was thankful that Chris was able to sit down and talk about their role. You can contact them at www.romclf.org for more information.

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Wendy Cox Blair, the CEO for The Arbor School stopped by the GRP Studios for Episode 147 on the Check Your Six Podcast. The Arbor School is doing some FANTASTIC things here in Central Florida helping kids with developmental challenges such as ADD, ADHD, Autism and the like. We talked about how The Arbor School not only teaches them the basic school studies but also helps them develop their problem solving skills, creating schedules for single tasks that helps them focus on one thing at a time. We talked about bullying, what The Arbor School does in cases with students that continue that behavior. How they engage the students outside the school to give them a "normal' life experience. Talked about the running club, their first 5K, the golf club and the things that the students create and sell to help support the school. Shout out also to Tavo Mendez with Rock & Brews in Oviedo and the entire Rock & Brews corporate community that uses the name badges that The Arbor School creates in ALL of their locations. This really is a great place for kids facing those challenges.

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Episode 146 of the Check Your Six podcast brought Brian Nagel back into the GRP Studios to talk about stepping out on his own in creating his new LLC, Waverly Resources. We talked a lot of aspects of business on this episode, financing, how to save some money if you have a company that has more than 50 mobile devices,  HR services, partnering with other companies that can help businesses become more cost effective among other topics. Brian has has 3 decades of helping businesses, especially in the healthcare field become more profitable, be able to scale and provide better service. You can find out more about he does at his website, https://www.waverlyresources.com/ or contact him at [email protected]

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Episode 145 brought Daniel Komforti into the GRP Studios for his time on the Check Your Six podcast. Daniel is a UCF grad that owns and operates New Horizons Physical Therapy and helps those in need of some excellent care during the rehab process from injuries or just every day wear and tear on our bodies. Daniel really a little bit different than the "PT Mills" that some many are used to going to, he is more concerned with educating his clients and helping them understand the process they are going through as opposed to just treating symptoms. When he says that rehab is not just a series of exercises on a table, he means it and really tries to give clients the tools they need to help improve their condition. You can find him at his website,  https://newhorizonsrehabilitation.com/ and get more details on who he is and what he offers his clients!

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