The Action Catalyst

Warren Struhl has spent the last 28 years starting, nurturing, and building businesses. Warren’s current business passion is MyPhoto, which is the world’s easiest way to take any digital photo and make it into a handcrafted photo product for walls, desks, and shelves. His television commercials can be seen nationally.At the age of 28, Warren founded his first business, PaperDirect, Inc., when he recognized the potential growth of laser and inkjet printers. Available for the first time in 1989, Warren’s invention of specialty paper products created a new industry. Through his catalog, PaperDirect became a highly successful business reaching $100 million in sales with one million customers when Warren sold the business to a Fortune 500 company. Since the sale of PaperDirect in 1993, Warren has started, nurtured, and invested in 30 plus companies which he documented in his book, Starting Them Up, published in 2011.Some of Warren’s most notable business activities include Popcorn, Indiana, PaperDirect, Successories, White Cloud Consumer Products, Blue Moon Mexican, American Registry and Vitals.com. Warren has received many distinguished awards including Entrepreneur of the Year in New Jersey in 1994 by Ernst & Young and Entrepreneur of the Week by Yahoo Finance in 2008. He has written several articles on business including a column in Inc. Magazine and has also been featured over the years in several news outlets including CNBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and FOX Business.

More with Moore is Action Catalyst host Dan Moore's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests.

In this segment, Dan dissects Episode 262, with Debbie Turner, who spent over 3 decades as a media executive.

Debbie Turner recently retired after nearly three decades in the media business. Most recently, she was the Vice President of Television Operations for the E.W. Scripps Company, overseeing 33 stations in 24 markets. Prior to the merger of Scripps and Journal Communications in 2015, Turner was the Executive Vice President of Journal Broadcast Group, responsible for the group’s television stations in ten markets. She spent more than 20 years at the CBS affiliate in Nashville, TN, the majority of which was as the President and General Manager, until Landmark Communications sold the station to Journal Communications in 2012. Under Turner’s leadership, the Nashville station became the top-rated one in the market and is consistently one of the top performing CBS affiliates in the country. Turner began her career as an auditor for Price Waterhouse. A CPA, she received her BBA degree from the College of William and Mary.

Turner is active in the Nashville community and has served on a variety of boards including the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Leadership Nashville, and the Center for Non-Profit Management. She has also served on the CBS Affiliate Board, Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation.

Turner was recognized as the 2012 General Manager of the Year/mid markets by Broadcast and Cable, was named one of Nashville’s top 100 Leaders by Celebrate Magazine, and is a past Inductee into the YWCA’s Academy for Women of Achievement. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-South Region recently announced that Turner will receive the Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement at the upcoming Emmy Awards celebration in February.

Show Highlights:

[In a transition of power period], you’ve got to do it in such a way that is respectful to the prior regime and respectful of the people. Give them a chance. -Debbie TurnerIf I err in any direction, I err on the side of transparency with my team. -Debbie Turner[In regards to travel] When I was home, I was present. -Debbie TurnerI build a team around me that is smarter than me that feel comfortable challenging me and challenging any process out there. Collectively, 9/10 times, we are able to achieve a solution. -Debbie TurnerEvery once in a while, you’ve got to look at the big picture and make decisions based on the whole picture of your life, not just one narrow path. -Debbie TurnerI always look at things with the perspective that “Okay, this is important but it’s not up there with the end of the world, saving the world, etc.” -Debbie TurnerI woke up every single day of my career happy to go do what I did. -Debbie Turner

Debbie’s closing thoughts: Maximize every day. Live life to the fullest. Good is gonna come. That doesn’t mean you’re not going to have to make choices to make that happen. If I felt my career was dead-ending a little bit, do you know what I would do? I would go do something else! You just change your path now and then so that you can get affirmed in other areas rather than just working in one position. You have to make your own destiny.

The Action Catalyst is a weekly podcast hosted by Dan Moore, President of Southwestern Advantage, the oldest direct-sales company in America, and Partner with Southwestern Consulting. With more than 45 years in sales leadership and marketing management, Dan has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to make better use of time to achieve life, sales, and other business goals. Each week, he interviews some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Subscribe on iTunes and please leave a rating and review!

More with Moore is Action Catalyst host Dan Moore's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests.

In this segment, Dan dissects Episode 261, with Greg Muzzillo, founder of Proforma.

Greg Muzzillo founded Proforma in 1978, one year after graduating from college. He started the company’s franchising operations in 1986. Today, Proforma has more than 700 franchise offices worldwide with over $500 million in sales. The company has been named in Inc. magazine’s list of the 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America three times.

Prior to founding Proforma, Mr. Muzzillo worked with the auditing firm of Haskins & Sells (predecessor to Deloitte & Touche).

In addition to his duties at Proforma, Mr. Muzzillo has founded a staffing franchise company, ProTalent. He serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Florida Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, served on the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association, and served on the Board of Trustees at the University of Tampa.

Greg and his wife, Vera Muzzillo, CEO of Proforma, have 10 children and three grandchildren. Together, they serve on the Board of Directors of the University of Florida Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center and co-sponsor the $50,000 annual Big Idea Gator Business Plan Competition.

More with Moore is Action Catalyst host Dan Moore's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests.

In this segment, Dan dissects Episodes 259 and 260, with Mac Anderson, founder of Inspire Kindness, and previously Simple Truths and Successories, Inc.