OC Talk Radio

Over the past 20 years Aaron’s passion has been helping entrepreneurs align Information Technology with their business goals. Aaron got his start in technology in 1999 as an Account Representative for a computer reseller in Irvine, CA.

In 2005 Aaron had an opportunity to acquire the computer reseller he was working for and transform it into a services based company offering IT outsourcing to small and medium businesses in Orange County, CA.  

 In 2013 Aaron sold the business to Reliable IT and stayed on as a Regional Sales Manager as the company acquired an additional five companies.  In 2015 Aaron was asked to be the General Manager of the Managed Service Division of Reliable IT which offers IT Outsourcing to small and medium businesses with a specialty in the vertical of banking.  

 Aaron credits great mentors like Will Crist and systems such as the Sandler Sales and the Entrepreneurial Operating Systems for both Reliable IT and his success.

There is a united way here in the OC to tackle homelessness and it's being led by the actual UNITED WAY of Orange County.  With a wide assortment of public and private partners in business, churches, cities and community groups, their goal is to solve this persistent problem once and for all (or at least make a meaningful dent in the size and suffering of this persistent population). 

We recently invited United Way-OC's new President and CEO Susan Parks into our studios to talk about their ambitious initiative (one of the few we can think of that unites people from all across the different political and economic spectrums of this county) as part of our OC SPOTLIGHT series of weekly public affairs programming, hosted by Claudia Shambaugh...longtime KUCI host and our newest Public Affairs Director here at OC Talk Radio (Orange County's only community radio station).

As part of our continuing series of interviews on the five most important things an executive has learned in business and life, we spoke with Mari Anne Vanella of the Vanella Group. -- She has authored the best-selling and award-winning book 42 Rules of Cold Calling Executives.  Mari Anne presented thoughts that have guided her in her career such as:

It’s never about you…

How a question she asks new-hires can be a guide for your own life

The importance of living by your word

Why being grateful is being gracious

The importance of managing yourself

About Mari Anne Vanella

Mari Anne Vanella has 25+ years of sales and business management experience. As Founder/CEO of sales development firms in the Silicon Valley, her organizations have consistently delivered long-term, successful sales development programs to high tech and services industries across the United States.

Mari Anne's background includes successful performance as Vice President and Director at companies such as The EC Company (now ADX), PictureTalk, a subsidiary of Drake International (one of the world's largest IT solution and staffing firms), Global Knowledge, a $500 Million IT Training and consulting firm, and at Skyline Computer Corporation, where she led the Cisco Training Products organization to a #5 position in the country within one year. Prior to these she founded Procom, a sales development firm based in the Silicon Valley serving customers such as State Farm Insurance, Waddell & Reed, AmeriPro, and many others.

Mari Anne is listed in the #3 position in the "40 Most Inspirational C-Level Leaders in Sales Lead Management" in 2015 and is also listed in the "20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management" in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011. She was recently a speaker in featured sessions at Dreamforce on Social Selling and has been invited to speak three times recently in featured sessions. She has also been invited to represent the SMB CEO role at "LinkedIn Live" event which was co-sponsored by the regional Chamber of Commerce and focused on how SMB's can successfully leverage LinkedIn as The Vanella Group, Inc. has.

 

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Data-driven communication is the buzz word in marketing as we are being held accountable for our efforts and our budgets. Metrics, measurement, and milestones are the vocabulary of today, but does that mean awareness, engagement and loyalty no longer matter? In our focus on big data and data science, have we dehumanized marketing? Today we talk with Susan Emerick, a long standing social media advocate to understand how being a data-driven marketer improves and enhances your social presence and infuses the soul of marketing.  

YOUR HOST CYNDI GREENGLASS

Cyndi W. Greenglass is a founding partner and Senior Vice President Strategic Solutions at Diamond Communication Solutions, a data driven communications firm specializing in Healthcare, Financial Services and direct response solutions. Cyndi was recently recognized as among the Top 10 Most Inspiring People in Sales Lead Management, as well as Tope 20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management. She  has twice been named into the Top 100 Influential BTB Marketers by Crain’s BtoB Magazine, and was the 2012 CADM Chicago Direct Marketer of the Year. Cyndi is a member of the Executive Management team at Diamond Marketing Solutions where she is responsible for the strategic planning process, participates in strategic acquisitions, and manages the agency services division.

Cyndi is delighted to be part of the WVU faculty as an online adjunct instructor in their Masters of Science DMC program.

OUR FIRST GUEST – SUSAN EMERICK

Susan is the Principal and founder of Brands Rising, where she works with Fortune 100 companies, providing expertise in strategy, engagement and measurement methods. A passionate data-driven marketing change agent, Susan Emerick has navigated the evolution of internet marketing since its inception.

An early pioneer in digital and social networking for business, she was instrumental in creating IBM’s social insights practice to continuously apply social listening insights to marketing planning and engagement strategies. As a result, IBM was awarded the 2010 SAMMY (Social Advertising, Media and Marketing) for Best Socialized Business.

Susan has served on several advisory boards and she is the author and co-author of several books including “The Most Powerful Brand on Earth: How to Transform Teams, Empower Employees, Integrate Partners and Mobilize Customers to Beat the Competition in Digital and Social Media” - a must read for anyone striving to build brand advocacy.

Susan is also part of the exemplary WVU faculty as an online adjunct instructor in their Masters of Science DMC program.

Our guest will be Eric Spatzer, WW Sr. Manager Enablement Tools & Services at Citrix and we'll talk about Sales Enablement at Enterprise Scale: How Citrix Does It

We'll cover:

What is the right funnel for your business

Making Content Count Across the Funnel

Selling the Right Product for the right customer use cases

FYI, Eric is searching for sales people to collect sneakers to support environmental and global sustainability... go to www.gotsneakers.com to learn more. 

More about Eric here.

This is a continuation of the interview with Jonathan Farrington from last month when the host Peter Gillett and Jonathan Farrington, CEO of Top Sales World discuss how technology is changing the way we sell.  These two experts don’t always agree, but they do agree that changes are      tsunami-like with few sales or marketing people aware of what’s coming.   No it isn‘t business as usual.

About Jonathan Farrington

Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author and sales thought leader, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is the Senior Partner at Jonathan Farrington & Associates, based in London and Paris, and also the CEO of Top Sales World. You can visit his award winning daily blog here: www.thejfblogit.co.uk and also find him here: twitter.com/TopSalesWorld

 

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Our firm is dedicated to providing you with quality estate planning resources, so you can become familiar with your existing options. When you visit or call our office, we want you to feel comfortable discussing such important issues concerning both you and your family. We want to arm you with the information you need to make an informed decision about your family's future.If you have a well-drafted estate plan in place, you'll ensure that your estate passes to whom you want, when you want, and is carried out in the manner you've chosen. You can protect your children from others who want to take your hard earned inherited assets away from your child. You can rest assured that your family won't have to endure the public process and costly matter of probate. You can minimize the amount that the government will take via death taxes when you and your spouse pass. Because we are members of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys our training will give you access to some of the latest knowledge about the law and the latest changes in the law that can effect you positively or negatively. But knowledge is king and you need to be aware of the many options that exist in estate planning by choosing your attorney wisely. Our firm has been chosen to be a "Five Star" Estate Planning Attorney for four out of the last five years by Orange Coast Magazine so we are recognized as one of the best at what we do in the Orange County region. That is why The Law Offices of H. Brooks Travis, P.C. offers this wealth of free information and free initial estate plan creation consultations. Read our Estate Planning articles. We want you to feel confident about the choices you make—let us be your guide on the path toward preserving your family's future.

This week’s powerful interview is with Kathy Johnson, CEO of Vital Link, a non-profit dedicating to creating the vital link between education and industry. They offer hands-on project based learning to help kids learn the business, professional and industry they need to be successful at work by helping with explore, discover and connect with the real world.

In July, Vital Link is launching Minerva, a state of the art Cybersecurity Academy for girls to encourage more girls go into STEM careers. You can find out more, become a volunteer or donate to help kids become successful at work and life @ http://www.vitallinkoc.org/

Listen … Learn … Lead!

Bob Marsh was born and raised in Seal Beach, CA.  After two years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he came home and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Pepperdine University.  He spent eighteen years in the financial industry, the last twelve as a mortgage broker and President of Endeavor Mortgage Group in Huntington Beach.

 

In 2015 Bob decided to make a career change.  After looking at numerous franchises, he found The File Depot.  It provided the type of business model he was looking for – a needed service, a value-add to any type of company and a market that would appreciate honesty, integrity and the best customer service.

 

Bob opened the first franchise of The File Depot in Southern California – with a territory that spans from South Orange County to Los Angeles.  

 

Bob has been happily married to his wife Amy for over eleven years and they have a nine-year-old son Michael.  They live in Seal Beach – the place where Bob grew up and Amy always wanted to live.  When he’s not working, Bob enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his son’s flag football team, hiking with his dog and everything related to ice hockey.

I am an accomplished former CEO with a passion for helping chief executives develop their leadership skills and advance their businesses to the next level. I facilitate groups of Business Owners, Presidents and Chief Executives who are members of Vistage, the world's leading Chief Executive Organization. As a Vistage Chair, I act as a mentor and coach to CEO's and business owners who out-perform their competition.I previously served as the CEO and President of Flo-Tork, Inc. a manufacturer of critical service motion control product, and I was also the Chairman of the Valve Manufacturers Association of American. I am the co-author of the book “Quick Changeover Simplified.”