The Leader Mentality

We want to congratulate this month's League of Leaders award recipient, Becky Large for her recognition of her achievements in leadership. 

Becky is the founder of CAN (Champion Autism Network) and through this foundation, their programs have impacted not just the local community but other cities around the United States. Becky has a passion for helping others and shared with us some of the huge impact that their CAN has made in the lives of people with special needs and their families. A couple of examples of that impact - the Myrtle Beach International Airport was the second airport in the country to create a Quiet Room for a low stress environment for people in need and the Town of Surfside Beach became the first Autism Friendly Travel Destination in the world.

Thank you Becky for all that you do! For more about the Champion Autism Network, please visit: https://championautismnetwork.com/

Just two years ago, Melissa Fowble was at a crossroads of life - she got home from work and her entire home with all of her possessions had burned to the ground. A true, "Why me?" moment for many people - but Melissa used this moment to start the next chapter in her life and it's a beautiful triumph story.

Melissa is our newest League of Leaders award recipient and she told us how she built an amazing career through three important methods: 1) Giving back to others, 2) Caring about people and her customers and 3) Staying connected throughout the community.

The most impressive thing is that when that devastating fire happened - after she made sure her cherished dog was rescued - she knew that there was still thanks to be given and opportunities to succeed. She charted her plan to come to Myrtle Beach and start anew. Now just 4 years later she is part of the expanding First Reliance Bank in the Myrtle Beach area as their Branch AVP, a Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, member of Leadership Grand Strand and more.

Listeners will also enjoy her success methods to talk effectively to customers and how to get your name "out there" through your local Chamber of Commerce and other trade organizations.

We hope you all enjoy!

For more on Melissa check her out at: https://www.firstreliance.com/zinnia/2023/06/19/melissa-fowble-promoted-to-assistant-vice-president/

In this episode, Rob and Frank respond to viewer questions on various topics including the difference in contractor types and which one you need, how to accurately access property values and the importance of staging a home to attract buyers.
In other show highlights:
-Rob answered a viewer question about home construction with ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) and how it helps your home compared to other framing types. 
-Rob discussed the depth of knowledge required to pass the General Contractor test
-Frank, lead guitarist for the band Carolina Crush, discussed recent gigs and some of the art of entertainment
-Rob and Frank discussed the importance of education in buying a product; "sales are not about trickery, they are about communication"

Rob Clemons is a licensed home builder, licensed GC, Certified Masterbuilder, Licensed Real Estate Broker in SC and State of SC Homebuilders Association President.
Frank Dominick is a licensed Realtor and former business owner of a successful restaurant. 
Tune in to more of Rob and Frank on their upcoming show about Real Estate and Construction!

We are proud to introduce the first "League of Leaders" award recipient, January Fitzgerald.
January is currently the Director of Activities at Indigo in Carolina Forest. In 2023, SRI Management named her Director of Activities of the Year! 
She's been a devoted mother, former Carolina Panthers Top Cat and Director of Activities and in all areas, she has exhibited a brand of leadership in which you help people understand the "Why" rather than just talking about "What" they are doing.
January shared several examples of this over her years of experience. 
Specifically, she talked about how people need to understand the purpose and effect so they can more completely embrace what they are doing. In one example, she was explaining how a task, such as taking pictures of residents at their facility at Indigo, helps the families of the residents to emotionally connect to resident and to the facility. 
While performing for the Carolina Panthers she talked about how it felt to perform at the Superbowl and getting the mindset to be your best on the mainstage. 

We thank January for the inspiring words and congratulate her for this accomplishment as the first League of Leaders award winner. We hope you all enjoy the show!

For more on January or Indigo at Carolina Forest, check out this link: https://www.facebook.com/indigocarolinaforest

A little info on the state of the Real Estate Industry with Carolina Bays Real Estate Agent - Frank Dominick.
Frank talked about: New construction opportunities, current rates, investment properties and much more.
#myrtlebeach #realestate

Show friend and community connector, Michael Sokolik of Paradise Financial Strategies came on the show to talk about the League of Leaders.
This program was started to recognize Leaders in the community in both the adult and youth categories.
Leadership can be shown at all ages and levels of an organization or team.

If you know a leader that deserves recognition, please nominate them by emailing [email protected].
Let us know their name and why they are being nominated.

We are picking Leaders each month, so please nominate your candidate today!

As always, thank you to Michael for his passion for leadership and connecting his community.
Check out more about Michael here: https://paradisefinancialstrategies.com/the-team/

We had a great blast from the past when our old friend and Teal Talk podcast cohost Cobi Williams from CCU joined us. Cobi works in alumni engagement with Coastal Carolina University and is truly passionate about the school. Cobi is one of the best ambassadors for Coastal and his enthusiasm really comes out during the show. He shared a lot of information on upcoming events at the school and he also takes us through the history of the school. He also shared some fun details about his hometown and "Chicken Bog Capital of the World", Loris South Carolina. We enjoyed this reunion show and hope you all do as well!

Show highlights:
-Cobi explained how helping your University helps the value of your degree. Funds can go to all sorts of different ventures. Rob talked a bit about the affect that the sports teams of CCU have helped the college's recognition and donations are a part of that.
-CCU has expanded its offerings for different degrees over the years; they still have a world class business school and nationally renowned Marine Biology - but they've continued to raise the bar for those looking for different fields.
-We had a talk on sports success at the school such as: 2016 National Champs in baseball, Top 20 rankings in football and our very own Melissa Jefferson representing the USA at the Olympics.
-Cobi talked about the excitement over the new Athletic Director as Coastal - Chance Miller
-We talked about the fantastic leadership of CCU President, Michael Benson and how that has translated to success at the school.
-Cobi shared a book with us written by Roy Talbert Jr, Coastal Carolina University: The First 50 Years. This book runs through a lot of interesting information including the meeting at the Chat N Chew restaurant that started it all. Pick up a copy of the book here: Coastal Carolina University: The First 50 Years: Roy Talbert Jr., Lynn Franken, Doug Bell: 9780976388104: Amazon.com: Books
-One other good upcoming event: Loris is hosting a CCU spirit day on October 15, 2024 called Downtown Teal Tuesday! 

For more on Cobi Williams, check him out here: https://cobiwilliams.com/welcome

For more information on Coastal Carolina University, visit: https://www.coastal.edu/index.php

 In Part 2 of our CCMF special we really got a glimpse into the world of country music performers at the festival. Ryan Trotti led off with such a fun vibe and showed his love for performing. Few Miles South, Blake and Tori, talked about being on stage and overcoming performance anxiety. We filmed the Jeremiah Wheeler clip outside at the Grand Strand Brewing Company right across from CCMF – just hearing the performances in the background during the interview really gives the feel of this special weekend. Finally, we are so grateful for Ground Zero of Myrtle Beach for helping us with the venue for the interviews this year; Carlee Harrington talked to us about all of the wonderful things Ground Zero does for the community and teenagers. 

Show Highlights:

Ryan Trotti

-Ryan shared that his first year playing at CCMF was Morgan Wallen’s first year. And this was also the first year that the two of them returned to CCMF since then.

-He shared about the friendships with other singers such as Warrick McZeke and Cody Webb

-Ryan said that behind the scenes in Country music circles, most of the singers want to help each other and lift others up 

-When Ryan showed up he had a guitar in hand – you can see this guy really loves music and performing. He said, “you never know when you’re going to break out in a song”

Carlee Harrington from Ground Zero Myrtle Beach

-Carlee is such an amazing ambassador for Ground Zero and she’s also been going to CCMF for years.

-Ground Zero was the perfect venue for us because we love the cause and since they are also the place to pick up CCMF entrance wristbands

-Carlee explained that the mission of Ground Zero is to provide “A Place for every teenager to go, belong and grow”

-This is such an inspiring organization. They are faith based and do things such as GZI where teens can enjoy coffee, games and personal growth opportunities, have nationally known speakers that speak to the youth and more.

-Ground Zero always needs donations and volunteers (check out their website below). Carlee and Rob talked about the biggest fundraiser for the year – The Dragon Boat Festival. It’s a truly special event!!

Few Miles South – Blake English and Tori Lund

-Blake and Tori explained how they came up with the name (partially a homage to southern expressions)

-They started Southern Fried Studios in recent years

-Blake is a Grammy Nominated Producer and Tori is a Classically trained singer (talk about a talented pairing)

-They discussed inspirations including Jerry Reed “A top five guitarist of all time”

-As for a story of perseverance and love for what you do – they spoke about being performers despite having performance anxieties. It’s not easy to get on the stage initially, but seeing the fans and feeding off the crowd makes it all worth it. They said a lot of performers have this challenge. Life lesson – sometimes you have to do things that are not easy, but the best rewards often follow!

Jeremiah Wheeler

-We filmed this with Jeremiah outside of CCMF and enjoyed the vibe of the crowd and the Grand Strand Brewing Company setting

-Jeremiah loves visiting Myrtle Beach and the vibe...he will spend an extra day to enjoy after performing

-He’s been performing since he was 12 years old! 

-Jeremiah shared how he comes up with songs including his recent hit “Til The Weekend”

-His goal is to write more songs in the future and be on the main stage at the Carolina Country Music Festival.

-Awesome thoughts he shared for advice to his younger self – “Stay Patient, Stay Humble, Stay Kind – and Keep Grinding”. Great aspirations for all of us to have.

CCMF 2024 wrapped with this show. It was a special experience meeting all of these terrific guests. Please check them out further at their websites and social media...you’ll be blown aw

Our CCMF special for 2024 kicked off with a bang as we were joined by several Country music performers that performed at the Carolina Country Music Festival. We also had some outstanding Myrtle Beach ambassadors join us to talk about new things happening in the area. In Part 1 of this 2 part special we got to learn about singer Briana Calhoun’s inspiring story of growth from challenges of her youth. Denielle Van Dyke, Public Relations Manager for Visit Myrtle Beach talked about fun things happening along the Grand Strand. Then the Country music band, Nolan Quinn and The Troublemakers talked to us about how they came together and what they enjoy about performing. Finally, Jon Finley of the Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre talked about their past and upcoming events including great singing, comedians, magicians and more.

Show Highlights:

Briana Calhoun
-Briana talked about her past and the process of overcoming addiction – it was a powerful story that you can always turn the corner for a better tomorrow

-She said she was the “female Jelly Roll without the roll” :-)

-She has a documentary coming up about her story – check it out

-Bri shared the inspiration of her business partner, Kix, from Brooks and Dunn, her mom and her 6 year old daughter

-She said “When you believe in you, others will believe in you” 

-Finally, check out her non-profit Hope on The Inside https://brismusic.com/hope-on-the-inside

Denielle Van Dyke
-Denielle started off talking about the amazing culinary scene in Myrtle Beach…a lot of great tips for checking our fantastic restaurants and chef’s in the area

-She told us Myrtle Beach has a few different community trails to check out: The Art Trail, The Beer Trail & The Mini-Golf Trail 

-She shared that Myrtle Beach is a “Sensory Friendly” town and even has a quiet room at our airport which is a great benefit for those that struggle with autism

-Myrtle Beach is the Myrtle Beach Golf Capital of the World and the Mini-Golf Capital of the World

Nolan Quinn & The Troublemakers
-Nolan introduced the full band: Dom DeVico, Chad Schneider, Emmett Vandegrift and Pat Corry

-4 of the 5 guys are friends from high school 

-They won the 2023 Hometown Star contest at BCMF which led to the performance at CCMF

-These guys were such a blast to talk with and as they said, the goal is to “Feel the music” and “Make it a fun environment”

-CCMF is an event that shows a lot of military and veteran pride – one of the band members, Dom, is a military vet

-A discussion ensued about how the band comes up with their songs...it’s a team effort and it comes from the feeling of the moment

Jon Finley
-Jon talked about fun things at the theater – comedians, special guest artists, shows that change every night and more

-The show is unique to other local theaters, so even if you visit the competitor theaters, you will still get a special experience at Greg Rowles

-Greg wanted to have a different show every night – so you can request songs during the show

-The Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre recently won “Best Show on The Grand Strand” in the WMBF Best of the Grand Strand competition

It was a long show, but a great one! We hope you all enjoy and tune in for Part 2 of our special next week when we were visited by performers Ryan Trotti, Few Miles South and Jeremiah Wheeler and also a talk with our venue sponsor – Ground Zero!

https://brismusic.com/

https://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nolanquinnmusic

https://gregrowleslegacytheatre.com/

 We enjoyed great company and a wonderful setting when Jon Silver from Cumulus Media met with us at the Greg Norman’s Australian Grill to discuss keys to success. Jon has had a successful career working first aiding some well know figures in political campaigns and now building marketing plans for top businesses. This Leader Mentality Show had a little of everything ranging from a real life story of finding purpose from life events to motivation to applying methods of the big companies to your business affordably. Thank you to Jon for his sincerity in presenting his 4 Keys to Success – we hope you all enjoy.

how highlights:

-Jon shared his experience working with Elizabeth Dole on her campaign and tips that you could use in building your own brand awareness

-Tips for a young aspiring success and/or college student: get an internship. Build job experience, make connections and learn new skills

-When he was a young boy, he had a near death experience in which a twist of fate saved his life – from that, he found purpose that drives him to this day

-A motivator to pay attention to? Check you environment. Jon talked about how your surroundings can affect you mood, motivation and mindset. Be aware of your environment and when you might need to make a change

-Michael Jordan was special partially because he was not afraid to fail. Michael Jordan missed a lot of shots, including many game winners. However, his greatness was that he persevered to take the shots that ultimately led to 6 championships

-CCMF (the Carolina Country Music Festival) is this week! Rob spoke about his annual CCMF show special. Jon is going to the event this year for all 4 days.

-There are many strategies small companies can incorporate to stay inline with the big companies. Items such as streaming ads and targeted ads can be effective tools that all promoters should explore

-Additional tips – Be Known and Be Memorable. One step to being known is to build your network. Jon emphasized something we talk about on the show all of the time. Get into the community and start building referrals today.

-Jon wrapped up by sharing his Keys to Success:

1) Think Deeply in the Morning

2) Act in the Day

3) Do Something in the Evening with Someone you Love

4) Take Care of Yourself

Words to live by!

For more on Jon Silver or Cumulus Media check out: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/presidentjonathansilver/

or email him at [email protected]